Searra - I got a lava beetle from a plant in the Lilac Ramble, so no, you don't have to burn your boots to get them.

Good to know.

I haven't done a serious comparison, but it looks like the fishing route will still be more effective.

Just this second realised what you meant by burn your boots lol

(sorry, I deleted my comment about fishing in lava for them)

I gather as much as I see, but don't tend to get a lot of them that way.

You can also fish up salt deposits and Magma Threshers which you can use prospecting on.

Experiment one: Ten minutes fishing at Ruby Life Conservatory.

10 Lava Beetles, 15 coal, 7 salt, 1 Rousing Fire, 1 Magma Thresher, roughly 42 gold worth of assorted junk.

Damn, thats good! Were you wearing any fishing gear/bobbles etc? What level are you? I'm fishing at around lvl 90 and have noticed that it takes roughly 10 casts or more to gain a point, I may need to look at a fishing guide to maximize, but I just like seeing pools on the minimap and diving down onto them lol.

Just wherever there is lava, no fish marker.

No gear, and level 0 because I forgot to pick up Dragon Isles fishing first.

Meh. Second experiment, same location.

3 Beetles, 3 Rousing fire, 16 coal, 8 salt, 45 gold in junk.

Searra : thank you for the report! I think I do have to research now, Ive hit lvl 100 on Dragon isles fishing and I dont think Im getting anymore credit.

I just got lava fishing but haven't tried it yet. Where's the best place to go?

I don't even have Tuskarr reknown yet lol, I have a ways to go I see, just got to that zone yesterday.

Oh wow, reading more, I got 2 copper coins yesterday, and a gold coin, and I guess the gold is the rare one to get the good sack with the glasses for the Otto mount. Which I need of course because Otters.

I've just been fishing blind, my main is only at renown 10 with the Tuskarr.

isle : Nice luck! Keep saving those up!

Searra : It's funny - my two Evokers have shown strong proclivities to different cultures there. Presvoker wants to live in Iskaara, but the Desvoker likes the centaurs.