How to Fish (Dazed Games) Rare Fish Guide: Locations, Baits, and Strategies

If you have spent any real time with How to Fish, you probably already know that calling it a normal fishing game is doing it a serious disservice. Dazed Games takes the familiar idea of casting a line and turns it into something much closer to a physics-driven co-op sandbox where fishing, shooting, explosions, exploration, and questionable financial decisions all somehow belong in the same gameplay loop.

After playing a lot of fishing and survival games over the years, I appreciate when a game gives me a reason to leave the obvious fishing spot and experiment. How to Fish does exactly that with its rare fish variants. These catches are not simply more expensive versions of ordinary fish. Hunting them can become a game within the game, especially once you start paying attention to weather, locations, bait, and the strange physics that make almost every fishing trip unpredictable.

Rare fish are particularly valuable because they can provide huge payouts and help with collection goals and achievements. The problem is that blindly throwing your line into the nearest water is rarely the best strategy.

So, if you’re trying to build a rare-fish collection rather than spending the entire evening catching the aquatic equivalent of pocket change, here’s what has worked best for me.

How Rare Fish Spawns Work

The first thing to understand is that rare fish aren’t completely random in the way they initially appear. Several environmental and progression factors can influence where and when you should be looking.

Weather Matters More Than You Might Expect

One of the easiest mistakes is treating the weather as background decoration.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms are particularly important when hunting rare variants. When the weather turns ugly, that’s usually when I’d rather stop whatever routine activity I’m doing and start checking fishing locations.

Stormy conditions can make certain fishing spots considerably more interesting, particularly around deeper water. If you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to hunt a difficult variant, a thunderstorm is often worth taking advantage of.

That doesn’t mean every storm automatically produces a rare fish. Instead, think of bad weather as an opportunity to increase your chances rather than a guaranteed spawn trigger.

Progression Opens Better Hunting Grounds

Another lesson I learned from games with region-based progression is that farming too early is usually inefficient.

The first island is useful for learning the mechanics and building up some cash, but late-game islands are much better for serious rare-fish hunting. As you progress, you gain access to more dangerous ecosystems, deeper fishing locations, better equipment, and creatures that simply aren’t available during the opening hours.

If your goal is completing the collection rather than making a quick pile of cash, I’d recommend progressing through the story before dedicating hours to rare-fish farming.

The Best Gear for Rare Fish Hunting

You can technically start experimenting with rare fish relatively early, but the right equipment makes a ridiculous difference.

The starter rod is fine until the game decides to throw something enormous and angry at you. At that point, you’ll quickly discover that fishing isn’t always about patience. Sometimes it’s about having enough equipment to survive whatever you just hooked.

Upgrade Your Fishing Rod

One of the most useful upgrades for serious hunting is the Reinforced Carbon Rod. A stronger rod gives you more control during difficult catches and makes heavy variants much less frustrating.

The Electro-Magnetic Rod is another option worth considering later in progression. If you’re specifically farming rare variants, stronger equipment can save a surprising amount of time because you’re less likely to lose a valuable catch after a long struggle.

My advice is simple: don’t spend all your money on weapons while continuing to use the weakest possible fishing equipment. Rare hunting is much more enjoyable when your rod can actually handle the fish you’re targeting.

Bring Specialized Bait

Bait is another part of the system that’s easy to overlook.

Basic bait works perfectly well when you’re just trying to keep the cash flowing, but rare variants can require more specialized equipment. Improved Bait and Glowing Lures should become part of your regular inventory once you’re serious about hunting unusual fish.

I especially recommend carrying several types of bait rather than committing to one. There’s nothing more annoying than finding the perfect fishing location during a storm and discovering that you brought the wrong lure.

Don’t Forget Your Weapons

This is where How to Fish separates itself from traditional fishing games.

Getting a rare fish onto land doesn’t necessarily mean the encounter is over. Some of the more dangerous creatures can fight back, damage your position, or create complete chaos around the boat.

A shotgun, explosives, and stronger melee weapons can therefore be just as important as your fishing rod.

The general routine becomes:

Hook it → Reel it in → Get it onto land → Kill it → Collect the reward.

It sounds absurd, but that’s basically the game.

Rare Fish Locations Worth Checking

While rare variants can require experimentation, several types of locations are particularly worth investigating.

Glowfish Variant

The Glowfish is one of the more memorable rare catches because it is strongly associated with darker environments.

Best Location: Subterranean caves and deep ocean areas around the third island.

Best Conditions: Nighttime and heavy rain.

The biggest problem is visibility. During bright conditions, the creature can be extremely difficult to spot. A Glowing Lure is therefore a natural choice.

When you finally pull one out of the water, be prepared for its bright visual effect. It can temporarily disorient players, which is exactly the sort of little surprise that makes multiplayer sessions hilarious.

Feathered Beak-Fish Variant

This is one of those fish that makes you wonder who at Dazed Games came up with the creature designs.

The Feathered Beak-Fish resembles a strange mixture of a bird and a conventional fish, with its rare version featuring distinctive neon-pink feathers.

Best Location: High cliffside pools and waterfalls on the tropical volcanic island.

Best Conditions: Clear or windy weather.

This is also one of the best places to experiment with trick casting. Instead of standing directly beside the water, try approaching the pool from higher ground and using the surrounding terrain to your advantage.

You’ll want a rod with good line speed because this fish doesn’t exactly behave like something that wants to be caught.

Meme Fish and Hidden Pools

Some of the strangest discoveries can be found away from obvious fishing spots.

The Amogusfish and other meme-inspired variants are associated with secret pools hidden behind destructible sections of the environment.

If you notice cracked rock formations that look suspiciously out of place, don’t ignore them. Dynamite or a shotgun can open routes into areas that contain hidden fishing locations.

These spots are particularly fun in co-op because one player can concentrate on clearing the path while another prepares the fishing gear.

The important lesson here is that exploration can be just as valuable as fishing itself.

Ironclad Pike: The Big One

If you’re looking for a serious challenge, the Ironclad Pike is the sort of catch that makes you regret not upgrading your equipment sooner.

Location: Open waters surrounding the final boss island.

Weather: Active thunderstorms.

This isn’t a casual fishing session. The creature is heavily armored and can become aggressive around your boat.

I’d use the Reinforced Carbon Rod with Heavy Metallic Bait and make sure the shotgun is ready before starting the encounter.

Once you’ve successfully reeled it in, don’t celebrate too early. The final stage involves breaking through its defenses, so keep your weapons ready and expect a physics battle.

Trick Shots Can Make Rare Fish Even More Valuable

One of my favorite things about How to Fish is that the game doesn’t always reward the most straightforward approach.

Selling a rare fish normally is fine, but you can potentially increase its value by using trick shots when delivering it to the merchant.

Throwing the fish into the collection area from a distance, bouncing it off the environment, or involving your friends can turn a routine sale into a ridiculous physics challenge.

It’s not necessarily the fastest method when you’re trying to make money efficiently, but it is absolutely the kind of thing I’d recommend trying at least once.

After all, if you’re playing How to Fish like a normal fishing simulator, you’re missing half the fun.

Should You Gamble Your Rare Fish?

The casino mechanics introduce another tempting option.

Instead of immediately selling an expensive rare fish, you can potentially use it within the game’s gambling systems. The potential reward is huge, but so is the risk.

Personally, I’d sell most of my valuable rare catches unless I already had a comfortable amount of money. Losing a rare specimen after spending half an hour hunting it is considerably more painful than missing out on a possible jackpot.

If you’re playing with friends and already have enough money for your next major upgrade, however, gambling with an extra catch can create some memorable multiplayer moments.

How to Fish (2026) Progression Guide: Unlock All Weapons and Gear Fast

My Recommended Rare Fish Farming Routine

If you’re ready to seriously hunt rare variants, I wouldn’t overcomplicate the process.

1. Progress to the later islands before spending too much time farming.
2. Upgrade to a stronger fishing rod and stock up on specialized bait.
3. Carry a reliable shotgun or another strong weapon.
4. Watch the weather and prioritize rainstorms and thunderstorms.
5. Search deep-water locations, caves, waterfalls, and hidden pools.
6. Investigate destructible environmental objects for secret fishing areas.
7. Experiment with trick casts rather than always fishing from the shoreline.
8. Once you hook a rare variant, focus on surviving the encounter before worrying about the payout.
9. Use trick shots when selling if you want to maximize the fun and potential value.
10. Keep your rarest catches unless you’re confident you can replace them.

How to Play How to Fish Multiplayer Co-Op: Friends Guide (2026)

Final Thoughts

Rare fish hunting in How to Fish is much more interesting than simply waiting for a random rare spawn. The game encourages you to explore, pay attention to weather, experiment with physics, upgrade your equipment, and occasionally blow something up just because there happens to be a suspicious wall nearby.

That’s probably why the system works so well.

I’ve played plenty of games where rare collectibles eventually turn into a repetitive checklist. How to Fish avoids that feeling because the process of getting the fish can be just as entertaining as owning it. One trip might involve a peaceful evening catch, while the next ends with a thunderstorm, a damaged boat, three friends screaming over voice chat, and a shotgun fight with an armored fish.

For the most efficient results, focus on later islands, specialized bait, strong rods, stormy weather, and unusual fishing locations. But don’t be afraid to experiment. Some of the best discoveries in How to Fish come from doing something that seems completely stupid at first.

And honestly, that’s exactly how a game this chaotic should be played.

BEST FISHING GAME OF THE YEAR (HOW TO FISH)