How to Fish Weapons and Attachments: What to Buy, in What Order
Contents
Everything important about weapons in How to Fish fits into one sentence: damage does not fall off with range. That single mechanic drives the whole choice — and makes half the «obvious» advice in other guides wrong.
Why it matters
In most shooters the sniper rifle exists because other weapons weaken at distance. Not here: an SMG at 40 units deals exactly what it deals point blank.
The consequence is simple and unkind to the sniper: if damage is equal, the gun that puts more rounds downrange wins. So against moving targets — the albatross and the final whale — an automatic weapon is objectively better.
One exception survives: the shotgun. Its damage does not fall off, but the pellet spread makes long shots useless. That is a dispersion mechanic, not a range one.
The eight weapons
| Weapon | Role |
|---|---|
| Crab rod | starting tool, also how you catch crabs |
| Knuckles | melee, required for the «Handyman» achievement |
| Knife | melee, faster than knuckles |
| Shotgun | first combat weapon, close range |
| SMG | the mid-game workhorse |
| Sniper rifle | point damage, loses to the SMG on tempo |
| Assault rifle | the endgame option |
| Dynamite | area damage, situational |
Attachments
There are five attachment types, and they mount on firearms:
- compensator / silencer — recoil and sound;
- laser sight — hip fire;
- red dot — faster aiming;
- extended magazine — longer bursts between reloads;
- upgraded bullets — damage.
The «Fully equipped» achievement (58.1% of players) unlocks when a single weapon carries all the attachments at once — not one each across different guns.
Buy order
Money in this game is unevenly distributed: scarce on the first islands, running into thousands by the fourth. A sensible order looks like this:
- Shotgun — 150. Bought almost immediately, carries the first two islands.
- Extended magazine for the shotgun, if there is cash left.
- SMG with a full attachment set — roughly 2,500 for the UZI kit.
- SMG upgrade on the fifth island — around 16,000.
- Assault rifle with every attachment and maximum ammunition — around 85,000. The single most expensive purchase in the game.
Topping ammunition up to maximum costs 90 — worth keeping in reserve before every boss.
⚠️ The sniper rifle is missing from that list deliberately. It is not useless, but no situation in the game makes it mandatory.
Dynamite
Dynamite is its own case. It grants the Explosion ×1.50 multiplier in the killscore system and is required for «Everyone’s dream» — killing a seagull with dynamite. Only 6.4% of players have it.
⚠️ Patch 1.0.10 capped the maximum explosion velocity. Older clips where dynamite launches bodies into the sky were recorded before that patch.
Cleaning weapons (1.0.10)
The same patch of 27 August 2026 added a mechanic that did not exist at launch: weapons and tools can be cleaned by dipping them in water. It is the cheapest way to get a gun back in order — no consumable required.
Weapon-related achievements
| Achievement | Condition | % of players |
|---|---|---|
| 360 no scope | a kill with a 360° turn | 63.3 |
| Fully equipped | all attachments on one weapon | 58.1 |
| Everyone’s dream | kill a seagull with dynamite | 6.4 |
| Handyman | final boss with bare hands | 3.4 |
Next
How to earn all of that is covered in the beginner guide. What bites on which bait is here. The full boss chain is in this guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does damage fall off with range in How to Fish?
No. That is exactly why automatic weapons outclass the sniper rifle: a bullet deals the same at any distance, so rate of fire decides.
How many weapons are there?
Eight: the crab rod, knuckles, knife, shotgun, SMG, sniper rifle, assault rifle and dynamite.
How much does a full attachment set cost?
A full set on the UZI runs to roughly 2,500. An assault rifle with every attachment and maximum ammunition costs around 85,000.
How do I clean a weapon?
Dip it in water. Patch 1.0.10 of 27 August 2026 added the mechanic, and it works on tools as well.
What is the «Fully equipped» achievement?
It unlocks when you apply all attachments to a single weapon. 58.1% of owners have it, per Steam data read on 31 August 2026.