You do not need to have serpent rumors or even the ebisu quest started in order to recieve key items opal silk from Liks and sabre shoot from gugrusaurus. You can turn them in while being 28+ fisherman in order to do the inside the belly quest with Zaldon.
be warned, this fish will break your lu shang pole VERY often.....without woodworking skill, you may be in for an incredibly frustrating experience. i've had them break the pole as many as 7 times in a row
Using the new Kachina Gloves makes the odds of breaking your Lu Shang's very low. At 100 liks caught and 0 breaks. Line breaks are still a thing however.
Re: Raistlinmaj's comment about Kachina Gloves, that may be a bit optimistic. 110 fishing skill and max skill gear/moghancements in all slots except Kachina Gloves = I've had 5 or so breaks of a Lu Shang's +1 in roughly my last 100 liks caught. I still use the gloves, but don't assume it's a sure fire way to avoid breaks.
