What the hat is said to do

Everything public about this hat comes from one line in a player's beta fishing summary on Blizzard's forums: a new hat for attaching low-level lures for free. The line links to a Wowhead Forever database entry, item 259846, which could not be loaded for this guide, so no tooltip has been read here.

Free most likely means you don't spend a lure item when the hat applies one, and low-level suggests a ceiling on which lures it covers. Both are readings of that single sentence. The exact lure, any cooldown and any Fishing skill requirement are not established.

Hand-inked illustration of a wide-brimmed hat with a leafy sprig in its band tilting in the air, beside a propped fishing rod whose line ends in a small red lure at the edge of a pool.
The free-lure idea, drawn; where the real hat comes from hasn't been published.

Is it worth chasing yet?

Not yet, because there is nothing to chase: whether it comes from a drop, a quest, a vendor or a craft isn't public. Where it could matter later is Luremaster, a perk in the Professions Legacy tree. Blizzard's Legacy System article confirms only that Luremaster grants a chance to fish up extra fish; it gives no percentage and doesn't mention lures.

The 50% figure and the lure condition come from the same player summary, which describes Luremaster as giving fishing with a lure a 50% chance at an extra fish. Treat both as unconfirmed. The summary also lists lures alongside the uncommon-fish bonus of the skill-140 Fishing Rack camp object.

That leaves two separate unknowns. If Luremaster does need a lure, as the player reports, a free lure from the hat would make that condition cheaper to meet. Whether a hat-applied lure would count is a second question that no source answers. Until a tooltip and a source are public, plan your fishing around ordinary lures.

Still to come

Not yet settled by our sources or tested in game:

  • How the hat is obtained.
  • Which lures it applies, and any cooldown, charge limit or Fishing skill requirement.
  • Luremaster's chance and whether it needs a lure at all; Blizzard confirms only a chance at extra fish.
  • Whether a hat-applied lure would count for Luremaster if a lure is required.

Sources

Beta notes are dated because Forever is still changing.

  • Blizzard forums: Fishing in WoW: Forever, player summaryPlayer-written beta overview on the official forums; lists the hat as attaching low-level lures for free and links Wowhead item 259846, describes Luremaster as a 50% chance at an extra fish when fishing with a lure, and mentions the Fishing Rack. Not an official Blizzard statement.
  • Blizzard: Get to Know the Legacy SystemOfficial one-line description of Luremaster as granting a chance to fish up extra fish. It gives no percentage, no lure condition and no mention of the hat.