Could you really reach Fishing 99 in OSRS using nothing but a Small Fishing Net? What if you refused every faster training method and spent years catching only shrimp and anchovies? And how long would such a ridiculous challenge actually take? One player, Bosby, decided to find out with the OnlyShrimp99 account. Starting on May 11, 2024, he spent more than two years fishing in Al Kharid, eventually reaching Fishing 99 after 4,304 hours and millions of experience. It wasn’t efficient. It wasn’t meta. But it may be one of the most committed OSRS grinds you’ll ever see.

It Started as a Joke

The OnlyShrimp99 idea originally existed as an inside joke among Bosby and his friends. For years, the concept of reaching 99 Fishing while catching only low-level fish was basically a meme.

Then, on May 11, 2024, Bosby actually created the account and committed to the challenge. The rules were brutally simple: use only a Small Fishing Net, stay at the Al Kharid fishing spot, and catch only shrimp and anchovies.

Most players leave this method behind around Fishing 15. Bosby decided to stay there for more than two years.

Best for: challenge enthusiasts and OSRS veterans. Gain: the backstory behind a challenge that turns one of OSRS’ weakest training methods into an endurance test.Purchase in-OSRS gold at RSfast to level up faster and stay ahead.

4,304 Hours of Pure Commitment

The final numbers are almost impossible to ignore. From May 11, 2024, to August 7, 2026, Bosby spent roughly two years and three months working toward the goal.

The account accumulated 4,304 hours of in-game time, although Bosby explained that the grind wasn't always his primary focus. Much of it functioned as a second-screen project while he went about his real life. During the challenge, he even changed jobs and got married.

That makes the achievement even more OSRS: progress slowly happening in the background while life continues around it.

Best for: casual grinders and long-term account builders. Gain: perspective on just how extreme low-efficiency training becomes when taken all the way to 99.

The Numbers Are Completely Wild

Fishing 99 requires a massive 13,034,431 total XP. Shrimp provide only 10 Fishing XP each, while anchovies provide 40 XP.

To reach the finish line, Bosby caught approximately 275,196 shrimp and 257,064 anchovies. Instead of selling or cooking everything along the way, he also stored the entire catch in his bank, turning the collection into a permanent trophy for the challenge.

That’s not just a Fishing 99. It’s a bank tab that documents thousands of hours of stubbornness.

Best for: completionists and stat enthusiasts. Gain: concrete numbers that show exactly how enormous the challenge became.

Jagex Actually Verified It

The achievement eventually spread across Reddit and X, where the community reacted with the usual mix of disbelief and memes. Some players even suggested that Bosby should cook all those fish next and chase Cooking 99.

Then the story got even better. Jagex officially recognized the achievement, sharing a playful image of a shrimp sitting at a computer and congratulating Bosby. The developer also confirmed that its data team had verified the accomplishment.

Bosby’s response was essentially disbelief: he couldn’t believe Jagex had actually noticed.

Best for: OSRS community followers and achievement hunters. Gain: the final piece of validation that turns an unusual personal challenge into a memorable community moment.

The Bank Became the Trophy

For most players, 99 Fishing means moving through increasingly efficient methods, selling catches, or converting them into other skills. OnlyShrimp99 took the opposite route.

Every fish became part of the story. The shrimp and anchovies weren't simply resources—they were evidence of the journey. Keeping them all in the bank gives the account a physical record of the thousands of hours required to reach the milestone.

In a game built around optimization, Bosby proved that sometimes the most memorable achievement is deliberately doing things the slowest possible way.

Best for: collectors and role-players. Gain: inspiration for creating your own unusual OSRS milestone instead of simply following the meta.

The Most OSRS Achievement Imaginable?

There’s no question that faster Fishing methods exist. That was never the point. OnlyShrimp99 was about commitment, not efficiency.Purchase in-cheap RS gold at RSfast to level up faster and stay ahead.

From an inside joke to a verified Fishing 99, Bosby’s account demonstrates exactly why OSRS remains so fascinating. The game gives players efficient metas, obscure grinds, bizarre restrictions, and enough freedom to spend thousands of hours doing something nobody would recommend.

And now, somewhere in Al Kharid, 275,196 shrimp and 257,064 anchovies are sitting safely in a bank, waiting to remind everyone that sometimes the dumbest grind makes the best story.