Early route
Knife or Pistol
Knife is commonly presented as an affordable early option. Pistol is a more flexible step when you need dependable ranged pressure without jumping straight to a late-game purchase.
Weapons · upgrades · boss preparation
How to Fish Best Weapons & Upgrade Order
The safest answer is not one permanent “best” weapon. Match the next purchase to the job: early affordability, sustained fire, close-range spread, precision, or boss-specific utility—then recheck the current shop and weapon menu after patches.
The new bow: access and the arrow achievement
The Islet Update adds a weapon, and players identify it as a bow sold at a small castle or fort-like island. The castle landmark and euro cost appear in the first of these launch-day reports; the second independently reports a bow purchase using euros: spaidy_25's discovery thread ↗ and Lyumia's update reply (#80) ↗. Look for the stone structure while exploring the new small islands; these reports do not establish universal coordinates or a price.
If the purchase asks for euros, earning more ordinary dollars is not the same task. Start with the bottle and first-euro route, then check the bow's current purchase prompt. Steam's Hobin Rood achievement requires a creature kill with an arrow, not just owning the bow. Track it in the updated achievement checklist.
Patch 1.1.2 also adds reload rebinding and two bow skins. Check the current control binding if your old reload key no longer matches your setup; the notes do not establish arrow-refill, damage or attachment rules. These changes are in the official September 29 patch notes ↗, checked October 13, 2026. The older weapon comparisons below do not rank the bow. No tested damage, best loadout, arrow price or attachment compatibility is claimed for it.
8 named options in checked public lists
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Role-based comparison
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Official Fully equipped wording
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Checked Aug 28, 2026
Quick answer: which weapon should you buy?
Use this as a working recommendation, not an official balance ranking. Public Tier Lists disagree because they weigh island access, budget, target type, range, and personal playstyle differently.
General combat
SMG is the flexible pick
The community guide places SMG access on Desert. The dated successful Bean run instead keeps upgrading Pistol until Volcano, then buys SMG: a useful option when an early replacement would consume your route budget.
Late route
Assault Rifle or a specialist
Assault Rifle is often described as a late or final-boss option. Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, or Dynamite can make more sense when the encounter rewards spread, distance, or area utility.
Important limitation: this page is UNOFFICIAL and NOT HANDS-ON. It does not publish exact damage, multipliers, DPS, fire rate, projectile count, or a single weapon that is guaranteed to fit every island and boss.
Weapon access and encounter choices
Island access and roles below come from the community weapons guide. The separate timed-run example shows a cheaper route that keeps the Pistol longer. Neither is a measured damage ranking.
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| Weapon | Reported access | Encounter / purpose | Decision and limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knife / Brass Knuckles | Lighthouse | First melee purchase for Spider Crab | Choose one rather than spending on both. The successful solo report used Brass Knuckles; the weapons guide describes sharpening the Knife at an anvil. |
| Pistol | Forest; can remain useful through Rocks | Budget route through Piranha, Pufferfish and bird | The reported Easy run adds damage and a Laser in Forest, Extended Magazine / Red Dot by Desert, and a Compensator by Rocks. These are dated route choices, not a universal best build. |
| Shotgun | Forest | Close groups, including small Piranhas | The community weapons guide recommends its spread for nearby fish; it is an optional alternative to investing in the Pistol. |
| SMG | Desert onward | Moving during Pufferfish; sustained fire for the final route | The community guide suggests Extended Magazine / Compensator for Pufferfish. The timed run saves its SMG purchase for Volcano and uses Suppressor / Extended Magazine. Choose according to your budget and stage. |
| Sniper Rifle | Rocks | Bird encounter from cover | The weapons guide suggests the hut/casino for cover. Buying a Sniper is optional: the documented solo run clears this stage with an upgraded Pistol. |
| Assault Rifle | Volcano | Late-game primary option | Available late in the community weapon route. There is no measured DPS comparison here proving it beats an upgraded SMG; the successful timed run finishes with SMG. |
| Dynamite | Forest onward | Situational explosive damage | Since Patch 1.0.11, your own explosives can kill you with Friendly Fire off. Preserve distance and do not treat that setting as protection. |
A budget route with an actual completion report: Brass Knuckles on Lighthouse → upgraded Pistol through Forest, Desert and Rocks → upgraded SMG on Volcano. The August 25 solo runner ↗ earned Bean on Patch 1.0.9 Easy. Later balance changes mean its spend order is an example to adapt, not a current speed guarantee.
A practical upgrade order
Progression equipment and encounter access come first. Weapon upgrades should remove the next combat bottleneck without starving the rest of the route.
1
Fund the next island requirement
Keep enough money for the current lure, quest item, boat access, Radar, or other route gate. A stronger weapon is not useful if it prevents the next island from opening.
2
Replace the early weapon when range becomes the blocker
Knife is a reasonable early tool in public guides, but switch to a ranged option when the encounter demands distance, repeated pressure, or safer movement.
3
Choose one flexible primary before collecting specialists
Pistol or SMG can cover more situations than a highly specialized purchase. Add Shotgun, Sniper Rifle, or Dynamite when the next boss or target gives that role a clear reason to exist.
4
Upgrade for the next boss, not for a tier label
Use the boss arena, target movement, cover, and your available budget to decide. The Bosses guide lists encounter context, while this page only supplies role-based equipment guidance.
5
Add attachments after the base weapon is useful
Attachments are easier to judge after the weapon already fits the current job. Apply them to one weapon if you are working toward Fully equipped, and verify the current menu state after each purchase.
Do not confuse upgrade tracks: Steam also lists “Getting an upgrade” and “I am speed” for boat engine progression. Those achievements are not evidence that a particular weapon order is mandatory.
Loadout notes by activity
Use the role that matches the task in front of you. These are working recommendations from public sources, not hands-on performance tests.
Daily fishing
Protect mobility and budget
When ordinary fishing is the goal, avoid carrying an expensive specialist just because a tier list calls it late-game. Keep money for lures, route items, and the next island gate.
Regular combat
Prefer flexible range
Pistol or SMG are the clearest general-purpose candidates in the checked public guides. Shotgun can be better when enemies close the gap and the arena lets you control distance.
Boss fights
Match the arena
Use sustained fire for long damage windows, precision for distant or moving targets, spread for close-range openings, and Dynamite only when its area utility is relevant. Bring healing and ammunition before the trigger.
Bird or aerial target
Distance may matter more
Public sources often associate Sniper Rifle with precision or bird situations. Treat that as a role hint; cover, target movement, and the current encounter behavior still decide whether it feels useful.
Late route
Save for the next gate
Assault Rifle is commonly described as a later upgrade, but buying timing should follow the current island route. Check the Island Progression guide before spending the reserve.
Collection goal
One weapon for attachments
If the goal is the attachment achievement, select one weapon and keep applying its available attachments there. Do not spread purchases across several weapons unless the current UI requires it.
Attachments and the Fully equipped achievement
The official Steam wording is short, so keep the completion rule equally simple.
- Official target: Steam Community lists Fully equipped as “Apply all attachments to a single weapon.”
- Pick one weapon: Choose the weapon whose attachment menu you can access and afford; the achievement wording points to one weapon, not one attachment on each weapon.
- Ironsight is available as a downgrade again: Patch 1.0.11 removed the shop option to prevent accidental replacement of expensive sights. The September 29 Patch 1.1.2 notes ↗ restore the option to downgrade to ironsight. Check your current sight before purchasing: a downgrade is not another attachment stacked on top. The announcement does not say that the earlier Suppressor-to-Compensator restriction was reversed.
- Use the current menu: Apply every attachment shown as available for that weapon in your current build.
- Confirm the state: Reopen the weapon or equipment screen and make sure the attachments remain applied before moving on.
- Allow for version limits: This guide has not verified hidden attachment compatibility, exact effects, prices, or whether a specific attachment must be bought in a particular order.
Achievement boundary: the local checklist on the Achievements page only tracks your own notes in this browser. It does not unlock Steam achievements or read your Steam account.
Weapons FAQ
What is the absolute best weapon in How to Fish?
This page does not claim one. Public Tier Lists disagree, and this project has no hands-on test for exact damage, DPS, fire rate, or every boss matchup. SMG and Assault Rifle are commonly recommended, but a specialist weapon can be the better fit for a particular arena or budget.
Is Knife worth buying early?
Public guides commonly describe Knife as an affordable early option. It is a practical starting point if close-range combat is manageable, but range and sustained pressure become stronger reasons to upgrade as the route advances.
Should I buy SMG or Assault Rifle first?
Use the next objective and your budget. SMG is repeatedly presented as a flexible general-purpose choice; Assault Rifle is more often framed as a later upgrade. Do not delay a required lure, boat, or Radar purchase for either one.
Are attachment effects and weapon prices permanent?
No permanent value is claimed here. Prices, balance, attachment behavior, and weapon availability can change with patches or a different game build. Confirm the current shop and equipment menu before spending money.
Does Fully equipped require attachments on every weapon?
No. The official Steam description says to apply all attachments to a single weapon. This guide does not claim a hidden requirement beyond that wording, so use the current weapon menu and confirm the achievement in Steam.
Does this page include exact damage or DPS?
No. Exact damage, multipliers, DPS, fire rate, projectile count, and universal attachment effects are intentionally omitted because they are not hands-on verified for this project.
How this guide was checked
Reviewed September 17, 2026. Weapon names, relative use cases, and repeated public recommendations were compared across How-to-Fish Wiki ↗ and AllThings.How ↗, with the official Steam Store ↗ used for the high-level progression loop of earning money and buying better equipment. The page does not treat any community tier list as an official ranking.
This is an UNOFFICIAL, NOT HANDS-ON guide with VERSION LIMITS and DISCLOSED LIMITATIONS. No exact damage, damage multiplier, DPS, fire rate, projectile count, fixed price, universal attachment effect, unique best weapon, or guaranteed boss loadout is presented as a verified fact. When sources conflict, the current game shop, equipment menu, objective, and encounter behavior take priority.
Need boss order and encounter context? · Need the five-stage island route? · Track Fully equipped with the achievement checklist · Look up lures and trigger items
Attachment restrictions and explosive behavior: official Patch 1.0.11 notes ↗. Patch 1.0.12 fixes explosive hits on the final boss tail. This page does not claim a new hands-on weapon benchmark.