How to Fish Spider Crab boss: bait, fight and farm
The first boss in How to Fish will not take a single ordinary bait. The Spider Crab only comes up on an empty beer can, and you have to earn the can first.
Where the bait comes from
An old man sits on a bench on the lighthouse island. Buy a beer in the shop and hand it to him — he gives back the empty can. The can goes on the crab rod, just like ham or a hot dog, and works as a one-shot trigger: one cast, one boss.
This is the cheapest link in the game. Beer costs next to nothing, so you can stock up on as many cans as you are willing to walk back to the bench for.
The fight
The crab is the weakest boss in the game: the starter shotgun handles it, and a fully upgraded SMG drops it in a few seconds. There is no damage falloff over distance, so fighting up close is strictly better — the shotgun genuinely beats the sniper rifle here.
The “Who stole my beer” achievement asks for more than the kill: you have to carry the body to the lighthouse. The Steam condition reads “Find and kill the culprit, and bring it to the light”, and that final step is where most players lose it. 91.7% of players have it, the third highest figure in the game (global Steam stats read on 31 August 2026).
The crab is also the easiest target for “Easy” — kill a boss within 10 seconds. Only 32.5% of players have that one, even though the crab is the softest possible target: bring an upgraded shotgun and fire point blank.
Crab farming
Later in the run the crab turns into a source of food and slot-machine currency:
- buy a stack of beer on the first island and hand the old man several at once;
- every summon is a body in roughly five seconds;
- each body drops a shell and three crab sticks.
Crab sticks restore 100% hunger and health even raw — frying is optional. The shells feed the Reel of Fortune alongside drip creatures, so a single farm covers both food and spins.
Seagulls do not steal boss meat, so you can leave the body on the shore and come back for it later.
What comes next
The next boss is the giant piranha on the forest island, and that one already needs a trade with a different NPC. The full order and every trigger is in the all bosses guide, and what bites on what is in the bait table.
Frequently asked questions
What bait does the Spider Crab need?
An empty beer can. The old man on the bench by the lighthouse hands it over in exchange for a beer you bought in the shop. The can goes on the crab rod, just like ham or a hot dog.
Why is the “Who stole my beer” achievement not unlocking?
Because killing the crab is not enough. The Steam condition reads literally: “Find and kill the culprit, and bring it to the light” — you have to carry the body to the lighthouse.
How common is that achievement?
91.7% of players have it, which makes it the third most common achievement in the game (global Steam stats read on 31 August 2026).
What does the crab drop?
A shell and three crab sticks. The sticks restore 100% hunger and health even raw, and the shell goes into the Reel of Fortune slot machine.
Can you farm the crab indefinitely?
Yes. The shop never runs out of beer and the old man trades it for cans as many times as you like — it is the cheapest food farm in the game.