Every item and upgrade in How to Fish has a purpose, but buying all of them means grinding far longer than the game asks of you. A handful of purchases do the heavy lifting, keeping you moving between islands, filling your inventory faster, and preparing you for the final fight. Spend on those first and leave the rest for later.
Quick answer: Buy the Radar ($10) and Dynamite ($25) early, then the Shotgun ($150) and start investing in its bullet upgrades. Save boat upgrades until after you have a decent weapon, and pick up the Assault Rifle with its upgrade modules before you challenge the whale.
Priority purchases and what they cost
| Purchase | Cost | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Radar | $10 | Helps you navigate the ocean and reach different islands instead of sailing blindly |
| Dynamite | $25 | A fast, low-effort way to catch fish in bulk |
| Shotgun | $150 | Cheap weapon that scales into the endgame with bullet upgrades |
| Boat upgrades | Varies | Needed for travel between locations, but buy weapons first |
| Assault Rifle | Expensive | Required, with its modules, before the whale boss fight |
Buy the Radar first for $10
The Radar is one of the cheapest things you can pick up, and it pays for itself immediately. There are several islands to explore, and heading out without any sense of direction wastes time and can put you in danger. The Radar won’t drop a pin on your exact target, but it gives you enough guidance to stop getting lost at sea.
Dynamite is the fastest way to fill your haul
At $25, Dynamite is the lazy option, and it works. Instead of spending hours reeling in smaller fish with your rod, you can blast a whole area and collect the results. There is a trade-off. Blasting fish lowers their sell value, but you can grill them afterward to apply a price modifier and recover some of that lost income.
The two weapons you actually need
Weapons come down to two clear choices, and both earn their place. The Shotgun costs just $150, so it is easy to get your hands on early. Its real value comes from upgrading its bullets. Those upgrades can get pricey, but they are required if you want to be ready for the endgame.
The Assault Rifle is the bigger investment. The gun itself is expensive, and collecting all of its upgrade modules costs even more. You still need it, because the whale that serves as the final boss is not going down without it. Treat the Assault Rifle and its modules as a goal to build toward before that fight.
Hold off on boat upgrades
Once you are past the opening stretch of the game, you will be crossing between locations regularly, and there is no flying involved, so upgrading your boat becomes necessary. The timing matters, though. Wait on those upgrades and put your money into a better weapon first, then come back to the boat when you can afford to.
Anything not covered here is still worth buying if you want it, since none of the purchases are wasted. But How to Fish is a short game, so unless you are chasing a sub-one-hour run, there is little reason to min-max every coin. Cover the essentials, beat the whale, and spend the rest however you like.
