Companions are equippable pets in Fisch that ride along while you fish and hand out passive buffs, from extra bait and luck to instant bites and frozen fish. Each one has its own unlock condition, so some come from feeding, some from fishing or catching, and others from quests or limited-time events. There are 16 companions in total, and you can collect every one even though only a single companion stays active at a time.
Quick answer: Reach Level 30 to auto-unlock the Companion Satchel, travel to a companion’s location, then complete its specific requirement (feed the right item, finish a quest, catch it during an event, or buy it). Press C to open the Satchel and equip the one you unlocked.
Unlock the Companion Satchel at Level 30
No companion can be obtained before Level 30. Once you hit that level, the Companion Satchel unlocks on its own, and that is the menu where every pet you collect is stored. Below Level 30, visiting a location or completing its task will not work, so leveling up is the real gate here.
Open the Satchel by pressing C. From there you can view your collection, switch the active companion, and equip Companion Skins. You can own the full roster, but only one companion can be equipped and grant its passive bonus at any given moment.
Every companion, location, and how to unlock it
Companions fall into five unlock types: feeding a specific item, fishing in the right spot, catching them during an event, finishing a quest, or purchasing them. Here is the full list with where to go and what triggers each one.
| Companion | Location | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Nico | Underground Music Venue (2011, -644, 2462) | Complete the Crazy Cat Lady quest (through part 2) |
| Gary ‘Gator | Mushgrove Swamp (2653, 132, -751) | Fish with Fish Head at early sunrise |
| Tropical Toucan | Lost Jungle (-2924, 275, -2149) | Feed any Lost Jungle bait to the Toucan Cube |
| Silly Seal | Northern Expedition | Feed any fish (Legendary or higher works reliably) |
| Beak Bill | Ocean / island docks | Feed a small fish during rain or night |
| Flopping Salmon | Ocean | Fish in the open ocean during rain |
| Penguin Pal | Snowcap Island (2865, 141, 2557) | Place a Reinforced Crab Cage with Krill in Snowburrow |
| Plunderbeak | Forsaken Shores (-2629, 161, 1643) | Catch it with the Scurvy Rod after meeting conditions |
| Mutated Sharky | The Depths (Absolute Darkness) | Catch it during the Absolute Darkness event |
| Little Meg | Ancient Isle (Megalodon Hunt) | Perfect-catch during the Megalodon Hunt |
| Mosswaddler | Ocean (Mosslurker Hunt) | Interact with it after the Mosslurker Hunt ends |
| Smudge | The Shady Bazaar | Purchase from the shop |
| Relic Construct | Keepers Altar | Feed it a relic |
| Sunhat Starfish | Fischfest 2 | Quest reward |
| Terroscuttler | Drylands | Quest reward |
| Ollie Otter | Terrapin Island (-200, 130, 1925) | Feed a small fish (a terrapin fish works) |
Walkthroughs for the trickier companions
Feeding and purchase-based companions are simple once you have the item. The ones below need a setup, precise timing, or an active event, so follow the exact steps.
Gary ‘Gator (Mushgrove Swamp)
Penguin Pal (Snowcap Island)
Plunderbeak (Forsaken Shores)
Event companions: Little Meg, Mutated Sharky, and Mosswaddler
Little Meg only appears during the Megalodon Hunt at Ancient Isle. Wait for the hunt to start naturally or use a Megalodon Hunt Totem, then aim for a perfect catch during the event. Mutated Sharky requires triggering Absolute Darkness in The Depths, after which a neon green fish roams the ocean floor for you to catch. Mosswaddler ties to the Mosslurker Hunt in the open ocean. Stay near the pool, let the hunt end, then interact with the Mosswaddler that spawns in the same water.
What companions actually do
Every companion grants a passive ability that scales as it levels, so they are a long-term investment rather than a cosmetic pet. A few of the standout effects show how varied the buffs are:
- Gary ‘Gator triggers a Mini Bite for +5% Progress and, less often, an Instant Bite worth +50% Progress.
- Tropical Toucan hands you 1 to 3 random bait while your line is cast and grants Scouted for a Luck and Fish Weight boost.
- Nico drops a Nico’s Nyantics (5×) fish while idle.
- Plunderbeak can apply Golden (2×) to fish above Trash rarity and improves rare drops from Treasure Chests.
- Mutated Sharky raises Natural and all Mutation chances and can spawn a Whirlpool that lets you travel to The Depths.
- Penguin Pal and Mosswaddler freeze fish for a few seconds while you reel.
How to level companions from 1 to 10
Every companion starts at Level 1 and caps at Level 10, and higher levels strengthen the passive ability. You gain Companion XP simply by playing with one equipped. Catching a fish gives +10 XP, interacting with the companion gives +5 XP, walking it grants +1 XP every 10 seconds, and a Companion Candy adds an instant +1,500 XP. Smudge also earns XP from collecting Shady Scrips.
Reaching the cap takes 52,076 total Companion XP. Here is how the XP stacks up per level.
| Level | XP to reach | Total XP |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 195 | 195 |
| 3 | 356 | 551 |
| 4 | 648 | 1,199 |
| 5 | 1,180 | 2,379 |
| 6 | 2,148 | 4,527 |
| 7 | 3,910 | 8,437 |
| 8 | 7,116 | 15,553 |
| 9 | 12,951 | 28,504 |
| 10 | 23,572 | 52,076 |
The fastest route is to keep a companion equipped while fishing normally, interact and walk between spots, and spend Companion Candy whenever you have it for a big instant jump.
Which companion to unlock first
If you are just starting a collection, chase the easiest ones before the rarer event pets. Nico is a free reward for finishing the Underground Music Venue questline. Beak Bill and Ollie Otter only need a small fish, and Tropical Toucan just needs Lost Jungle bait. Smudge is a straight purchase at The Shady Bazaar, and Gary ‘Gator is a solid early fishing target once you have Fish Head and hit sunrise.
You will know an unlock worked when the companion appears inside the Satchel, ready to equip. Remember that only one stays active at a time, so match the buff to what you are fishing for, and if you want free skins to go with your pets, current Fisch codes occasionally include them.
