You don't have to bother where to fish in a zone, fish is per zone no matter where you cast your line.

Some fishing spots I've used and would recommend :

35-55 Qufim
Composite + Minnow
Bluetail

41-61 Selbina <-> Mhaura
Composite + Slice of bluetail
Bhefhel Marlin

50-70 Arrapago Reef
Composite + Sinking Minnow
Rhinochimera

56-76 Selbina <-> Mhaura
Composite + Slice of bluetail
Silver Shark

66-86 Port Windurst
Composite + Sliced sardine
Bastore Bream

70-90 Arrapago Reef
Composite + Sinking Minnow
Ahtapot

76-96 Qufim/Jeuno
Composite + Sinking Minnow
Black Sole

on nasomi it is safe to use fishing resources for location/bait suggestions? or are some fish out of place location/skill/bait wise?

Locations are good, bait not so much (like most fish for which crayfish balls are recommended it just doesn't catch anything at all) and rods you can do (almost?) everything with composite

I would like to now add the moat carp route that I took going 1-56. (After 56 there is no viable spot to fish carp and skill up)

A few things. From my own trial and error it seems 20 skill is the farthest we can go to still be able to reel in fish. I have had people try and tell me they fished this or that but after hours trying for shall shells at 33, and Gold carps at 35, I'm sticking with 20.

I used only Halcyon, yes I do know Composite rod is great.

1-5 Port Bastok
Halcyon + Little worm
Jellyfish, Sardines.
(You can most likely skip straight to Yuhtunga, was just testing it out for an hour or so)

5-20 Yuhtunga Jungle
Halcyon + Insect paste
Moat Carp, Forest Carp
(Forest Carp can be turned in for Lu Shang quest as well)

20-33 West Sarutabaruta
Halcyon + Insect paste
Moat carp, Dark Bass

33-36 Post Bastok
Halcyon + Worm Lure
Zafmlug Bass
(So here we chould have went with Zeruhn Mines or some such and done carp + black eel, but there is just so much extra crap in the water with it, Catfish and crayfish. I decided to skill this gap quickly and move on.)

36-56 Windurst Waters
Halcyon + Insect paste
Moat carp, Gold carp

56 you say?! and only 4-6k Carp? well me to bud, if you are still going after the carp I would suggest going back to Yuhtunga, since the only fish you can get with insect paste can be turned in for quest.

- Saltymelon 5570/10000 Carp.

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I've been reading quickly through the guide and composite rod is advised for everything, even for the smallest fish.
Does this mean that unlike retail 2002 era you can't get fish too small and got away messages on Nasomi?

It would be quite a big letdown if this is the case imho.
What i liked about the original retail fishing system is that you had to make a choice. Fish don't get away with weak rods but have the possibility to break and loose your (expensive) lure. Strong rods were safe but you loose (a lot) of small fish. Risk vs. reward. The system was easy to learn but hard to master.

This also would mean that Lu Shang and/or Ebisu looses almost all functionality. The great thing with Lu Shang was/is that it is strong enough the catch the biggest (non legendary) fish but at the same time sensitive enough so that even the smallest fish won't get away. If I understand this guide correctly it pretty much means that composite is the "new" Lu Shang on Nasomi.

Can fishing rods break at all on Nasomi?

I was quite the fishing expert back in the day and if/when i get some more playtime i was planning on diving into fishing again on Nasomi assuming it is more or less the same experience as the retail era, guess I'm wrong in that assumption.

Any dedicated fisherman who both are experienced in fishing during retail era and now on Nasomi? Maybe that person can point out and/or or discuss the differences - similarities between these two systems.

Yes there are too small / large messages in the game.

Lu Shangs is the best there is on Nasomi.

My first rod was a Halcyon Rod which broke on my first cast ever RIP 60k

My 1-50 guide is about grinding out levels. Composite was chosen because it is durable, lures are used instead of bait because they are infinitely reusable.

You also really didn't need to have any rod besides a composite on retail either. That is duplicated here.

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That depends how you look at it imho, risk vs. reward as i mentioned earlier.
Sure you could start with composite right from the first cast and never break your rod but you would loose a lot of small(er) fish which meant you were not nearly as effective (especially when fishing for gil instead of skill) then when you would use a weaker rod that does not let any small fish go.
I'm talking about the 2002-2005 era here, no idea what happened with fishing in retail after that. SE might have changed everything later on.. wouldn't really surprise me actually as SE proved from the start they had no clue whatsoever how to deal with fishing and the problems that came with it in FFXI anyway.

Sure - I didn't say you couldn't find a need for other rods in era, if you wanted to find one, I just said.. You didn't really need one, that's all.

I also don't know what they changed later on. I'm guessing they dumbed it down severely.

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Does anyone have an alternative to Gusgen Mines to get passed 10? I'm not really getting skill ups from moat carps anymore but my highest level jobisn't going to be safe fishing down in those mines. Also, I'm currently too broke to buy a fancy Halcyon rod, so I'm stuck using the clothespole.