How to Fish Weapon Tier List

Weapons ranked by how fast they clear islands. The Shotgun and Brass Knuckles lead the meta - the community proves a cheap early skip beats grinding for an expensive gun.

How to Fish weapon tier list
S

S-Tier (Core)

Brass Knuckles

Synergy: Highest damage-per-cost of the starter kit

Role: Brawler

Community-proven early skip: buy Brass Knuckles ($58) and upgrade them once, grab a Beer ($12), then 360 trick-shot every creature for bonus cash. Get the Brass Knuckles and skip everything else.

Shotgun

Synergy: Best all-rounder against piranhas and mid bosses

Role: Burst damage

The community favorite. Keep upgrading the shotgun - it carries you through the piranha island and pufferfish fight.

A

A-Tier (Strong)

Knife

Synergy: Cheap, fast melee finisher for early fish

Role: Melee finisher

The best early-game buy. Slash stunned crabs 4-6 times then back off - close range stuns let you finish fights without taking hits.

Dynamite

Synergy: Crowd clear for piranha swarms

Role: AoE

Throw it into a fish swarm to clear the pack cheaply, then eat the cooked fish to heal mid-fight.

B

B-Tier (Situational)

Pistol

Synergy: Decent range for baiting fish from shore

Role: Kiter

Reliable early damage at range, but weak against late islands. Fine to skip if you go straight to the shotgun.

SMG

Synergy: Fast fire for small fry, rough recoil

Role: Suppression

Players report the SMG recoil is extreme. It works for chip damage but the shotgun outclasses it for burst. Situational pick.

The Meta: Buy the Knife, Skip to the Shotgun

Start with the Knife to clear early crabs, then use the Brass Knuckles + Beer trick to earn money fast. Skip the pistol entirely and buy the upgraded Shotgun as your main damage - it carries the piranha island and pufferfish fight. Save dynamite for fish swarms and the final island.