Karambwans Per Hour in OSRS: Maximize Your Fishing Efficiency
If you’re an Old School RuneScape (OSRS) player looking to optimize your fishing grind or stock up on one of the game’s most valuable food items, fishing karambwans is a fantastic option. Known for their high healing properties and utility in PvP and PvM, karambwans are a sought-after catch. But how many karambwans can you fish per hour in OSRS, and what factors influence your catch rate? In this blog post, we’ll dive deep into karambwans per hour, covering requirements, methods, gear, and strategies to boost your efficiency. Whether you’re an ironman or a main account player, this guide will help you master karambwan fishing.
Karambwans are unique cephalopods native to Karamja, requiring a specific fishing method that sets them apart from traditional OSRS fishing spots. Unlike other fish, karambwans demand bait (raw karambwanji) and a karambwan vessel, making the process slightly more involved but rewarding in terms of experience, profit, and utility.
What Are Karambwans?
Karambwans are a high-tier food item in OSRS, healing 18 hitpoints when cooked thoroughly. Their ability to be “tick-eaten” alongside other foods or potions makes them a staple for combo eating in intense combat scenarios. Catching them requires level 65 Fishing and partial completion of the Tai Bwo Wannai Trio quest, but the payoff is worth it for both skilling and practical use.
Why Fish Karambwans?
Fishing karambwans offers a blend of decent experience rates, profit potential, and AFK capability. For ironmen, they’re a reliable food source, while mains can sell them for a tidy sum on the Grand Exchange. Plus, the static fishing spot means less running around compared to other methods like monkfish or barbarian fishing.
Karambwans Per Hour: Base Rates and Expectations
The number of karambwans you can catch per hour depends on your Fishing level, gear, and banking method. Let’s break down the base rates and what you can realistically expect.
Base Catch Rates by Fishing Level
At level 65 Fishing (the minimum requirement), you’ll catch around 450-500 karambwans per hour without boosts. By level 99, this jumps to approximately 800-875 karambwans per hour with optimal conditions. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- Level 65: 450-500 karambwans/hour
- Level 80: 600-650 karambwans/hour
- Level 99: 800-875 karambwans/hour
Fishing Experience Per Hour
Each karambwan grants 50 Fishing XP, so your hourly XP scales with your catch rate. At level 65, expect 22,500-25,000 XP per hour, while level 99 can net you 40,000-43,750 XP per hour. This isn’t the fastest Fishing XP in the game, but it’s a solid AFK option.
| Fishing Level | Karambwans/Hour | XP/Hour |
|---|---|---|
| 65 | 450-500 | 22,500-25,000 |
| 80 | 600-650 | 30,000-32,500 |
| 99 | 800-875 | 40,000-43,750 |
Requirements and Setup for Karambwan Fishing
Before you can start racking up karambwans per hour, you’ll need to meet some prerequisites and gather the right gear. Here’s what you need to get started.
Quest and Skill Requirements
- Tai Bwo Wannai Trio (partial): Complete the fishing portion to unlock karambwan fishing.
- Fishing Level 65: The minimum level to catch karambwans.
- Fairy Ring Access: Partial completion of Fairytale II – Cure a Queen is highly recommended for efficient travel.
Essential Gear and Inventory
Your setup can significantly impact your karambwans per hour. Here’s the must-have gear:
- Karambwan Vessel: Buy from Tiadeche in Tai Bwo Wannai for 2 GP if lost.
- Raw Karambwanji: Stackable bait fished with a small fishing net at the Holy Lake (fairy ring CKR).
- Fish Barrel (optional): Increases trip duration by storing 28 karambwans, obtainable from Tempoross.
- Rada’s Blessing (optional): From Kourend & Kebos Diary, offers a 2-8% chance to double catches.
- Spirit Flakes (optional): 50% chance to double catches, also from Tempoross.
How to Get Raw Karambwanji
Karambwanji are untradeable and must be caught at the Holy Lake south of Tai Bwo Wannai. With a Fishing level of 5, you’ll catch 3-4 per attempt, scaling up to 20+ at level 95. Stockpile at least 1,000-2,000 before fishing karambwans to avoid frequent trips.
Optimizing Karambwans Per Hour: Tips and Tricks
To push your karambwans per hour beyond the base rates, you’ll need to optimize your method. Here are some strategies to maximize efficiency.
Best Banking Methods
The karambwan fishing spot (fairy ring DKP) is remote, so banking speed is key. Here are the top methods:
- Fairy Ring to Zanaris: Quick bank access, about 30 seconds round trip.
- Player-Owned House (PoH) Butler: With a fairy ring and bank in your house, this cuts banking to 15-20 seconds (requires 82 Construction).
- Eternal Glory + Slayer Ring: Teleport to Edgeville, run to the fairy ring in Slayer Caves—around 30-40 seconds.
Boosting Catch Rates
Use these items to increase your karambwans per hour:
- Dragon Harpoon Special: Boosts Fishing level by 3, improving catch success below 99.
- Rada’s Blessing 4: 8% double-catch chance stacks with spirit flakes.
- Fish Barrel: Extends AFK time to 3-5 minutes per trip, reducing banking frequency.
AFK vs. Active Fishing
Karambwan spots don’t move, making them ideal for AFK fishing. With a fish barrel, you can go 3-5 minutes without interaction, catching 150-200 karambwans per trip. Active banking with a PoH setup can push rates closer to 900/hour at 99 Fishing.
Profit and Practical Uses of Karambwans
Beyond the skilling aspect, karambwans offer tangible benefits. Let’s explore their value and applications.
Profit Per Hour
Raw karambwans sell for around 400-500 GP each on the Grand Exchange as of April 2025. At 800-875 per hour, that’s 320,000-437,500 GP per hour. Cooking them thoroughly (requires 30 Cooking and speaking to Tinsay post-quest) boosts their value to 550-600 GP each, netting 440,000-525,000 GP per hour if sold.
Karambwans for Ironmen
For ironmen, karambwans are a game-changer. They heal 18 HP, stack with tick-eating, and provide decent Cooking XP (190 per cook). Fishing and cooking your own supply is a self-sufficient way to prepare for bossing or Slayer.
Comparison to Other Fishing Methods
Compared to monkfish (350-450/hour, 120 XP each) or anglerfish (300-400/hour, 120 XP each), karambwans offer lower XP but higher AFK potential and profit. They’re less click-intensive than barbarian fishing (up to 110k XP/hour) but excel in practicality.
Fishing karambwans in OSRS is a rewarding endeavor, whether you’re chasing XP, profit, or a reliable food source. With rates ranging from 450 at level 65 to 875+ at 99 with optimal gear, you can tailor this method to your playstyle—AFK or active. Stock up on karambwanji, grab your vessel, and hit the Karamja fishing spot to see how many karambwans per hour you can reel in. Happy fishing!