How to Fish Guide: Achievements, Bosses & Builds

In How to Fish, I use physics-based fishing, weapons, and kill multipliers to earn money, complete quests, unlock new islands, and collect every achievement. The story can be completed quickly if I focus on the main quest path, while collecting Drip variants, skins, and completing Fishipedia takes much longer. In this guide, I explain how I progress through the game, earn higher kill scores, complete quests and bosses, and work toward 100% completion.

How to Fish Complete Guide and Tips

In this guide, I explain how I play How to Fish, how the fishing and combat system works, which upgrades I prioritize, how I complete the main quest chain, and how I unlock every achievement.

Table of Contents

How the Game Works

First, I hook or scare a creature out of the water.
I kill it using weapons or other available tools.
While it is airborne, I stack multipliers to increase my kill score.
I sell the creature and use the money for rods, guns, attachments, boat engines, and other upgrades.
I talk to NPCs and complete quests to unlock new islands and bosses.

Killscore: I can combine airborne kills with actions such as headshots, no scopes, 360 spins, and one-shot kills. Reaching a 5x multiplier on a single kill unlocks the Impressive achievement.

Drip: Drip creatures are rare or shiny variants of normal creatures. I can find them in the same locations, but they have lower spawn chances. Collector requires every normal species, while Fishipedia requires every Drip variant, so I leave most Drip hunting until later.

Tips and Tricks

How I Get the Boat Key

I do not buy the boat key from a shop. I complete the Who stole my beer quest, talk to the lighthouse keeper and Melvin again, and then check the wreck and cabin board for the quest handoff.

Multipliers Before Drip Hunting

I focus on stacking kill multipliers early because a creature with a 5x multiplier can be more valuable than a later creature with only a 1x kill score.

How I Unlock Noob

For Noob, I need to kill a creature without receiving any multiplier. I keep the kill on the ground and avoid spins, airborne kills, or other bonuses.

How I Get 360 No Scope

I launch a creature into the air, take out my gun, perform a full spin, and kill it with hip fire. Using the scope causes the attempt to fail.

Seagull Achievements

For Let me go, I wait for a seagull to pick me up instead of only taking the creature.
For Everyone’s dream, I kill a seagull with dynamite after it steals.

Grill Achievements

I activate the grill for Grillmaster. If I leave a creature on the grill for too long and eat it after it burns, I unlock Yummy in my tummy. I can also use the grill for Competitive eating by cooking and eating a mini-boss instead of selling it.

How I Make the Boat Fly

I first buy the best boat engine for I am speed. Then I build enough speed and use a wave, ramp, or downhill while holding jump to make the boat fly for I’m the bird now.

Casino Tips

For GOLD GOLD GOLD, I need to obtain a legendary skin from the slot machine. For All in, I place a bet on green in roulette and win. I leave gambling until I have enough money from the main progression.

100,000 Sell

For Rich! Millionaire, I need to make one sale worth 100,000 or more. I can reach this with a valuable late-game creature, a Drip variant, a stacked kill score, or a boss creature.

Early Game Progression

Kill my first creature. I can use my hands or the knife from the board.
Complete Who stole my beer. I find the culprit, kill it, and bring the body to the lighthouse keeper.
Unlock better equipment. I prioritize weapons and dynamite because they make earning money easier.
Activate the grill. This also allows me to work toward the grill-related achievements.
Buy the first boat engine. This gives me access to further progression.
Complete Noob early. I intentionally make a kill without earning any multiplier.
Get a 5x kill score. I combine airborne kills with additional bonuses to unlock Impressive.
Talk to every available NPC. Quests lead me toward the next islands and bosses.

If I need more money, I avoid selling creatures with only a basic 1x kill score. I launch them, increase the kill multiplier, and then sell them for more. I also prioritize the next weapon upgrade before buying a more expensive rod.

Quests, Islands and Bosses

I unlock new islands by completing the current quests and bosses. I avoid spending too much time farming Drip variants on the first island because the main quest progression opens more areas.

Who Stole My Beer

I get this quest from the lighthouse keeper. I hunt the culprit, kill it, and bring the body back to complete the quest.

Dinnertime

I receive this quest from the lady in the forest. I catch the required dinner and turn it in to her on her island instead of selling it.

Vacation

I help the tourist get into the water by following the quest progression.

Terrorizing Bird

I defend the islanders and kill the bird that is attacking them. I use my weapons and dynamite when necessary.

Deadliest Catch

I follow the military quest and prepare an upgraded gun and my boat before fighting the marked large creature.

We Are So Back

I unlock this by completing the final island, final quest chain, and final boss.

For Handyman, I repeat the final boss using empty hands. I unequip my gun before entering the fight to avoid accidentally using it.

Gear and Upgrade Priorities

Rod

I mainly use the rod to launch creatures. I upgrade it when the creatures become difficult to control.

Guns

I start with the pistol and later use stronger weapons for airborne kills. For Fully equipped, I place every available attachment on a single weapon instead of spreading attachments between multiple guns.

Melee Weapons

I use the knife and knuckles for close-range kills, Noob attempts, and practicing Handyman.

Dynamite

I use dynamite against seagulls, groups of creatures, and the terrorizing bird.

Boat

The first engine upgrade unlocks Getting an upgrade. The best engine unlocks I am speed and also helps me complete I’m the bird now.

What I Buy First

A weapon.
A boat engine so I can continue progressing.
Attachments for one main weapon.
The best boat engine.
Casino spending after I have enough money for the later achievements.

100% Completion Route

I complete the game in two main stages. First, I focus on the story and progression. After that, I return for the remaining achievements, Drip variants, casino objectives, and collection goals.

Complete Noob, Getting started, Grillmaster, Who stole my beer, and the first boat engine upgrade.
Complete Impressive and 360 no scope while progressing through the early areas.
Get Let me go when a seagull first picks me up.
Follow the quest chain through Dinnertime, Vacation, Terrorizing bird, Deadliest catch, and the remaining NPC quests.
Finish the game for We are so back. If I want Bean, I focus only on the main quest route and avoid Drip hunting, casino activities, and other time-consuming objectives.
Buy the best boat engine for I am speed and complete I’m the bird now.
Complete Everyone’s dream by killing a seagull with dynamite.
Complete Yummy in my tummy and Competitive eating using the grill.
Replay a suitable boss for Easy and complete Handyman during a separate final boss attempt.
Make a single sale worth at least 100,000 for Rich! Millionaire.
Complete All in by winning a green roulette bet and continue using the slots for GOLD GOLD GOLD.
Complete Collector by finding every normal creature species.
Finish Fishipedia by collecting every Drip variant last.

List of How to Fish Achievements

Story and Progression Achievements

Getting started: Kill my first creature.
Who stole my beer: Find the culprit, kill it, and bring it to the lighthouse keeper.
Drip: Kill one rare variant creature.
Let me go: Get picked up by a seagull.
Grillmaster: Activate the grill.
Getting an upgrade: Buy the first boat engine upgrade.
Dinnertime: Complete the dinner quest for the forest lady.
Impressive: Reach a 5x kill score on one kill.
Noob: Get a kill without any multiplier.
Vacation: Complete the tourist’s quest.
We are so back: Finish the game.
Yummy in my tummy: Eat a burnt creature from the grill.
360 no scope: Perform a 360 and get a hip-fire kill.
Terrorizing bird: Defeat the bird threatening the islanders.

Collection and Other Achievements

Deadliest catch: Complete the military quest and kill the marked large creature.
I am speed: Buy the best boat engine.
Fully equipped: Place every attachment on one weapon.
GOLD GOLD GOLD: Obtain a legendary skin from the slot machine.
Easy: Defeat any boss within 10 seconds.
Rich! Millionaire: Make one sale worth 100,000 or more.
Collector: Find and kill every creature species.
All in: Bet on green in roulette and win.
Bean: Finish the game within 1 hour.
Competitive eating: Eat a mini-boss instead of selling it.
I’m the bird now: Make the boat fly.
Fishipedia: Kill every Drip variant.
Everyone’s dream: Kill a seagull with dynamite.
Handyman: Defeat the final boss using empty hands.

In How to Fish, I can reach the final island from the very beginning, which makes a solo run fairly straightforward. I prefer playing solo because the bosses do not scale their HP, and I also need to farm less for weapons and upgrades.

How to Get Bean Achievement

I can go to the final island from the start. For a solo run, I find this easier because the bosses do not scale in HP, and I do not have to farm as much for weapons and upgrades.

Lighthouse

I farm without the hotdog first to get the Brass Knuckles for $24. After that, I farm with the hotdog to upgrade the Brass Knuckles for $58 and get the Beer for $12.

When farming with the hotdog, I try to 360 around the creatures to get the 1.5x multiplier.

I also make sure to keep an extra $3 for a Fishing Rod when I reach the final island.

Spider Crab Boss

For the Spider Crab Boss, I wait for it to charge. I then get behind it and hit it while it is dizzy. I repeat this until the fight is over.

Getting to the Volcano

To reach the Volcano, I keep the Sun to my left and slightly in front of me. In clock bearing terms, I aim for around 10 o’clock, which is approximately 295° or N 65° W.

When I get close to the correct direction, the game briefly hitches as the Volcano loads in. This tells me that I am heading in the right direction.

Reference Images:

Behind the Lighthouse

Front of the Crash Site

Volcano

Once I reach the Volcano, I buy a Fishing Rod. I start catching fish and cook them by the lava to get the 1.5x price multiplier.

If I feel lucky, I can gamble to double the value of my fish, but I do not recommend doing this.

Upgrades and Progression

I recommend using the Shotgun for $150 because it makes getting easy kills and multipliers much easier.

360: 1.5x
Headshot: 1.25x
Last bullet: 1.25x
No scope: 1.2x
Point blank: 1.1x

I buy a few Beginner Lures (Brown) for $3 as a backup and use them when I have less than $15.

I use Dynamite for $25 to fish up Beginner fish, cook them, and sell them. I buy another Dynamite for $25 first, then spend my money on inventory slots so I can carry more fish.

Once I have all inventory spaces, I buy the Shotgun for $150 and upgrade it.

I upgrade the shotgun bullets to make kills easier:

From this point, Dynamite fishing is no longer feasible, so I use my Fishing Rod instead.

I buy a few Standard Lures (Pink) for $15 and use them.

I then continue upgrading the shotgun bullets for easier kills:

$200
$250
$300

Next, I buy a few Professional Lures (Orange) for $50 and use them.

I continue upgrading the shotgun bullets:

$1,500
$2,500
$3,000

After that, I buy a few Scientific Lures (Shrimp) for $500 and use them.

I continue upgrading the shotgun bullets:

$4,240
$6,120
$8,340

At this point, I start farming for the Assault Rifle, which costs $20,000, and its upgrades, which cost $54,250 in total for Bullet, Extended Mag, Laser Sight, Red Dot Sight, and Suppressor.

I can save and quit once here to see how much time I have left for the fight.

Important: Any items I leave on the ground will be despawned.

Preparing for the Boss Fight

Before the boss fight, I use Dynamite to fish up as many fish as I can. I place them in the lava flows around the military camp.

I fill my inventory with cooked fish and leave some additional cooked fish on the ground. I use these as healing items during both whale boss fights.

I try to stock up on more cooked items than I think I will need.

Whale Boss Fights

When I see the Whale shoot up into the air, I run because it will try to slam down on my location.

After I throw the Whale into the lava, I jump down to the military base where I left my healing items.

I do not have many specific tips for these fights. I focus on dodging the lava and healing whenever I take damage.

Endgame and Common Problems

After finishing the game, I can continue visiting the same islands to complete missing achievements, hunt Drip variants, finish Fishipedia, complete Handyman, or work on casino achievements.

Boat key: I complete Who stole my beer, speak with the lighthouse keeper and Melvin, and check the wreck.
Noob does not unlock: I kill a creature on the ground without receiving a multiplier.
Impressive does not unlock: I make sure the creature is airborne before killing it and stack additional bonuses.
360 no scope fails: I use hip fire instead of aiming through the scope.
The seagull only takes the creature: I hold the creature and wait for the seagull to lift me for Let me go.
The boat does not fly: I upgrade to the best engine and use enough speed with a suitable ramp, wave, or downhill.
Handyman fails: I unequip my weapon before entering the final boss arena and use empty hands.
My sale is below 100,000: I increase the kill multiplier or use a more valuable late-game creature, Drip variant, or boss creature.
All in costs too much: I use smaller bets until I win a bet on green.
Bean fails: On my next attempt, I focus only on the main quest route and skip time-consuming activities.
Fishipedia is incomplete: I check for missing Drip variants and continue searching for the rare versions of creatures.
Co-op progression: I let the host handle quest turn-ins while another player can focus on airborne shots and kill multipliers.