Use your favourite features in-game with our Desktop AppMoney can be difficult to earn during the early stages of How to Fish, so choosing the right upgrades is important. Some purchases help you catch better fish, while others provide the additional firepower, storage and speed needed to explore new islands and defeat stronger bosses.
These are the best items and upgrades to spend your money on throughout the game.
The Radar is one of the first important items you should buy. It costs just $10 and allows you to follow the coordinates received after completing each island.
Purchase it after unlocking the boat so you can find the Forest Island and every location that follows.
Additional inventory slots are one of the best long-term upgrades available. Every new slot allows you to carry another weapon, lure, piece of food or important quest item.
Buying multiple slots also allows you to keep different guns rather than leaving them on the ground. This becomes especially useful before boss battles, where you may want to carry a weapon alongside cooked fish and the required boss bait.
Upgrade from your starting fishing rod when a better Fishing Rod becomes available. Improved fishing equipment makes the later islands more manageable and prevents you from relying on the basic equipment for the entire game.
You do not need to purchase every piece of equipment immediately. Upgrade when you reach a new island or begin struggling with its catches, while keeping enough money for weapons and bait.
Each island introduces a new lure used to catch its local fish. These catches are generally more valuable and can be cooked before being sold, helping you afford the island’s other upgrades.
Boss Lures are separate from ordinary fishing lures and are usually much more expensive. Always check the full name before buying one, as purchasing the wrong version can waste a large amount of money.
The Shotgun costs $150 and is one of the best early weapon purchases. It provides a major improvement over melee weapons and can remain useful across several islands when its bullet damage is upgraded.
Its close-range power works particularly well against large targets, although you will need to choose your moments carefully against bosses that charge or roll towards you.
The SMG costs $650 and becomes available around the Desert Island section of the game. Its rapid fire makes it a useful mid game weapon for the Blue Shark and Pufferfish battles.
The main drawback is its recoil, so shorter bursts may be easier to control until you can purchase attachments. The SMG becomes much more comfortable when combined with a Compensator and Extended Magazine.
Buying a stronger gun is only part of improving your damage. Shops also sell repeatable bullet upgrades that increase the damage dealt by your weapons.
These upgrades become increasingly expensive, but they are extremely valuable before later boss battles. Improving a weapon you already own can be more affordable than immediately replacing it with another gun.
Weapon attachments can make your favorite gun much easier to use. The available options include:
The Extended Magazine is especially useful because it allows you to fire for longer before reloading. A Compensator can help control the SMG’s recoil, while sights make it easier to track smaller or more distant targets.
A weapon can hold attachments across four slots. Completely filling all four slots on one gun also unlocks the Fully equipped achievement.
The first boat engine upgrade costs $230 and can be purchased on the Forest Island. It makes travelling between islands faster and unlocks the Getting an upgrade achievement.
Later, you can purchase the Dual Motors for $860 on the Rocks Island. This is the best boat engine and unlocks the I am speed achievement.
Boat upgrades are useful, but your weapon and essential quest items should normally come first. The standard boat can still reach every location, so speed upgrades can wait if money is limited.
