How to Fish drops a shop on every island but tells you almost nothing about what each item actually does. Some purchases are obvious, like a rod or a knife. Others, like a floating ball or an empty beer can, only make sense once you know their exact job. Every shopkeeper stocks a different mix, and the more islands you unlock, the deeper the catalog gets.
Quick answer: Match the correct lure tier to the island you are fishing, buy a Shotgun early and an Assault Rifle before the volcano, and hold onto unusual catches because some late bosses use another creature as bait.
Every item in How to Fish and what it does
Here is what each purchasable item is for. None of these are wasted money in a strict sense, but a few matter far more than others for reaching the final island.
| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| Fishing Rods | The core tool for pulling fish out of the water. |
| Lures | Act as bait to draw fish in so you can catch them. |
| Boss Lures | Specialized bait made to summon and hook mini-bosses. |
| Brass Knuckles | Starter melee weapon that boosts your punch damage. |
| Knife | Cheap melee weapon for killing and catching fish in early areas. |
| Radar | Locates islands using their coordinates so you can sail to them. |
| Beer | Used as bait to bring out the Spider Crab. |
| Radio | Plays music on your boat. |
| Engine Upgrades | Raise your boat’s movement speed. |
| Weapon Upgrades | Improve weapon damage or add attachments. |
| Badball | A floating novelty item with no real function beyond passing it to friends. |
| Disc | A Frisbee-style toy you can throw in any direction. |
| Inventory Slots | Add carrying capacity, with +1 available from each island. |
| Weapons | Pistol, Shotgun, SMG, Sniper Rifle, and Assault Rifle. |
| Dynamite | Explosives that can kill several fish at once with a single blast. |
Rods, lures, and bait tiers
Fishing runs on progression, so the bait you carry has to match the island you are fishing. Old lures stop working as you move outward, and arriving with the wrong tier just wastes your time. Standard fish use the lure tied to that stage, while bosses each demand a dedicated Boss Lure or a very specific item.
| Location | Standard bait |
|---|---|
| Lighthouse | Free Lure, then Hot Dog Lure |
| Island 2 (Forest) | Free Lure / Beginner Lure |
| Island 3 (Desert) | Standard Lure |
| Island 4 (Rocks) | Professional Lure |
| Island 5 (Volcano) | Scientific Lure |
The Basic Fishing Rod costs $3 at the Lighthouse and is your first purchase. The standard Fishing Rod becomes your main tool from Island 2 onward and carries you through the rest of the game.
Boss bait for every boss
Bosses are the reason not to sell everything you catch. Several of them require an unusual item as bait, and a couple use another creature you have to catch first. Keep this handy before you clear out your inventory.
| Boss | Location | Bait required |
|---|---|---|
| Spider Crab | Lighthouse | Empty Beer Can |
| Giant Piranha | Island 2 | Modified Leech |
| The Old Pike | Island 2 | Beginner Boss Lure |
| Blue Shark | Island 3 | Standard Boss Lure |
| Pufferfish | Island 3 | Carrot |
| Tuna | Island 4 | Professional Boss Lure |
| Albatross | Island 4 | Tuna |
| Goblin Shark | Island 5 | Scientific Boss Lure |
| Bowhead Whale | Island 5 | Fish Bucket |
| Mutated Bowhead Whale | Island 5 | Bowhead Whale |
Note: The Empty Beer Can comes from buying a Beer, feeding it to the Lighthouse Keeper, and getting the can back. The Albatross needs a Tuna laid on the ground as bait, and the final boss uses a whole Bowhead Whale carcass thrown into the volcano.
Weapons and upgrades worth buying
Melee weapons cover the early game. The Knife is cheap and can be sharpened at the anvil by the Lighthouse door to raise its damage to 20, which is enough for bigger crustacean catches. Brass Knuckles are a beginner option that adds punch damage if you prefer fists over a blade.
Guns are where the real progression happens. The Shotgun costs $150 and is the standout early firearm, especially once you invest in its bullet upgrades, which the endgame requires. The Assault Rifle is far more expensive and its upgrade modules cost even more, but you need it before the whale fight on Island 5. Ranged targets like the Albatross favor an SMG or Sniper Rifle rather than the Shotgun, since it flies out of buckshot range.
| Purchase | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Radar ($10) | Keeps you from getting lost between islands. |
| Radar boat upgrade | Mounts the Radar on the boat so you no longer equip it by hand. |
| Boat engine upgrades | Speeds up travel; buy after you have better weapons. |
| Dynamite ($25) | Kills multiple fish at once, though it lowers their sell value. |
| Shotgun ($150) | Cheap, strong early gun; upgrade its bullets for the endgame. |
| Assault Rifle | Required before the final whale boss. |
Utility and novelty items
Not everything on the shelf changes how you fish. A few items exist for navigation, storage, or plain fun during co-op runs.
- Inventory Slots give you +1 storage from each island, so grab them as you unlock new areas.
- Radio simply plays music aboard your boat.
- Badball floats on the water and can be passed to friends, but has no gameplay function.
- Disc works like a Frisbee you can throw around during downtime.
How to spend efficiently
Shops on the first few islands are deliberately limited, and the fourth island with the volcano holds the widest range of items and upgrades. Because the game is short, there is little reason to max out every purchase. Prioritize the essentials and let the rest be optional.
- Always carry the lure tier that matches your current island.
- Don’t sell unusual boss catches right away, since some feed the next boss.
- Buy the Shotgun before boat engine upgrades, then upgrade its bullets over time.
- Save toward the Assault Rifle and a couple of its upgrades before reaching Island 5.
Stick to that shortlist and you will have every tool the progression path demands, from the free lure at the Lighthouse all the way to the whale carcass you throw into the volcano.
