How to unlock every island

Progress runs through NPC quests. Each one names a creature or a trophy, and handing it in gives you the bait for the next fight or the location of the next island. Nothing here is optional and nothing is hidden behind a skill check.

The whole chain

1. 1

   Island 1

   • Bait handoutBring BeerBeerCosts$12Sold onIsland 1+ and receive Empty Beer CanEmpty Beer CanCostsQuest rewardBite timer2–4sCatchesSpider Crab to open island 2
   • Unlocks the boatBring Spider Crab Shell

   New in the shop here

   • Hot DogHot DogCosts$1Bite timer1–3sCatches2 creatures$1
   • Crab-Fishing RodCrab-Fishing RodCosts$3Sold onIsland 1+$3
   • RadioRadioCosts$10Sold onIsland 1+$10
   • RadarRadarCosts$10Sold onIsland 1+$10
   • BeerBeerCosts$12Sold onIsland 1+$12
   • Brass KnucklesBrass KnucklesCosts$24Sold onIsland 1+Damage maxed60$24
   • KnifeKnifeCosts$45Sold onIsland 1+Damage maxed120$45

   Stations here: Melee sharpness upgrades.

2. 2

   Island 2

   • Bait handoutBring 3 LeechLeechSells for$4Health0Weight0.05 kg and receive Leech BaitLeech BaitCostsQuest rewardBite timer1–3sCatchesGiant Piranha
   • Unlocks the next islandBring Giant Piranha Skeleton to open island 3

   New in the shop here

   • Beginner LureBeginner LureCosts$3Bite timer1–3sCatches9 creatures$3
   • Beginner Boss LureBeginner Boss LureCosts$40Bite timer1–3sCatches2 creatures$40
   • Fishing RodFishing RodCosts$3Sold onIsland 2+$3
   • DynamiteDynamiteCosts$25Sold onIsland 2+$25
   • PistolPistolCosts$50Sold onIsland 2+Damage maxed160$50
   • ShotgunShotgunCosts$150Sold onIsland 2+Damage maxed700$150

   Stations here: Boat motor upgrades, Bullet damage upgrades, Melee sharpness upgrades, Reel of Fortune slot machine, Weapon attachments.

3. 3

   Island 3

   • Bait handoutBring any one of: Superdwarf FishSuperdwarf FishSells for$2,200Health120Weight0.000025 kg – 0.000175 kg, SeahorseSeahorseSells for$100Health350Weight100 kg – 700 kg, OarfishOarfishSells for$1,450Health1,000Weight10 kg – 70 kg, NeedlefishNeedlefishSells for$60Health130Weight0.000025 kg – 0.000175 kg, DripperDripperSells for$380Health350Weight1.1 kg – 7.9 kg, BowlfishBowlfishSells for$150Health160Weight3 kg – 21 kg, Bing BongBing BongSells for$300Health2,000Weight1.3 kg – 8.8 kg and receive CarrotCarrotCostsQuest rewardBite timer1–2.5sCatchesPufferfish
   • Unlocks the grillBring any one of: Blue SharkBlue SharkSells for$300Health2,300Weight17.5 kg – 123 kg, Goblin SharkGoblin SharkSells for$6,200Health7,500Weight17.5 kg – 123 kg
   • Unlocks the next islandBring Pufferfish Fin to open island 4

   New in the shop here

   • Standard LureStandard LureCosts$15Bite timer1–2.5sCatches10 creatures$15
   • Standard Boss LureStandard Boss LureCosts$280Bite timer1–2.5sCatchesBlue Shark$280
   • CoconutCoconutCosts$350Bite timer1–2.5sCatchesBing Bong$350
   • BadballBadballCosts$3Sold onIsland 3+$3
   • DiscDiscCosts$10Sold onIsland 3+$10
   • SMGSMGCosts$650Sold onIsland 3+Damage maxed70$650

   Stations here: Boat motor upgrades, Boat radar, Bullet damage upgrades, Grill, Melee sharpness upgrades, Reel of Fortune slot machine, Weapon attachments.

4. 4

   Island 4

   • Unlocks the grillBring any one of: Blue SharkBlue SharkSells for$300Health2,300Weight17.5 kg – 123 kg, Goblin SharkGoblin SharkSells for$6,200Health7,500Weight17.5 kg – 123 kg
   • Unlocks the next islandBring Albatross Head to open island 5

   New in the shop here

   • Professional LureProfessional LureCosts$50Bite timer1–2sCatches12 creatures$50
   • Professional Boss LureProfessional Boss LureCosts$1,200Bite timer1–2sCatchesTuna$1,200
   • Sniper RifleSniper RifleCosts$3,800Sold onIsland 4+Damage maxed500$3,800

   Stations here: Boat motor upgrades, Boat radar, Bullet damage upgrades, Grill, Melee sharpness upgrades, Reel of Fortune slot machine, Roulette table, Weapon attachments.

5. 5

   Island 5

   • Bait handoutBring any 5 creatures and receive Fish BucketFish BucketCostsQuest rewardBite timer2–3sCatchesBowhead Whale
   • Final bossBring Whale Fin

   New in the shop here

   • Scientific LureScientific LureCosts$500Bite timer0.75–1.5sCatches5 creatures$500
   • Scientific Boss LureScientific Boss LureCosts$5,800Bite timer0.75–1.5sCatchesGoblin Shark$5,800
   • Assault RifleAssault RifleCosts$20,000Sold onIsland 5+Damage maxed100$20,000

   Stations here: Boat motor upgrades, Boat radar, Bullet damage upgrades, Melee sharpness upgrades, Reel of Fortune slot machine, Roulette table, Weapon attachments.

The three that catch people out

The beer on island 1

The first NPC wants a BeerBeerCosts$12Sold onIsland 1+, not a fish. It is sold in the shop on the same island, so the quest is a purchase rather than a hunt. Handing it over gets you the Empty Beer CanEmpty Beer CanCostsQuest rewardBite timer2–4sCatchesSpider Crab, which is the only bait that hooks the Spider CrabSpider CrabSells for$10,000Health750Weight4.5 kg – 31.5 kg.

The crab’s shell then buys you the boat, and the boat is what makes every later island reachable.

The endangered species on island 3

The island 3 bait quest accepts one of seven creatures, and the list is not obvious:

NeedlefishNeedlefishSells for$60Health130Weight0.000025 kg – 0.000175 kg is the cheapest answer. It sits on the Standard LureStandard LureCosts$15Bite timer1–2.5sCatches10 creatures table, which is sold on island 3, and it holds a larger share of that table than anything else the NPC accepts. SeahorseSeahorseSells for$100Health350Weight100 kg – 700 kg and BowlfishBowlfishSells for$150Health160Weight3 kg – 21 kg are on the same table if the Needlefish is slow to show up.

Handing one over gets you the CarrotCarrotCostsQuest rewardBite timer1–2.5sCatchesPufferfish, which summons the PufferfishPufferfishSells for$12,000Health18,000Weight0.25 kg – 1.8 kg. Its fin opens island 4.

One quirk of the chain: the game files attach the “opens island 2” flag to the beer hand-in on island 1, but in play it is the boat, bought with the Spider Crab Shell, that lets you reach island 2 at all.

The five creatures on island 5

The last bait quest does not name anything specific. It takes any five creatures at all, and gives you the Fish BucketFish BucketCostsQuest rewardBite timer2–3sCatchesBowhead Whale in return. That bucket hooks the Bowhead WhaleBowhead WhaleSells for$8,000Health20,000Weight3,000 kg – 21,000 kg. Kill it, drop the body in the lava, and the Mutated Bowhead WhaleMutated Bowhead WhaleSells for$15,000Health38,000Weight125 kg – 875 kg that rises leaves the Whale FinWhale FinKindBoss trophySells forNothingDropped byMutated Bowhead Whale the final quest wants.

What each island adds

The shop grows as you go, and nothing you already own disappears. The two changes worth planning around are firearms arriving on island 2 and the grill, which needs its own quest.

The grill quest on island 3 wants a Blue SharkBlue SharkSells for$300Health2,300Weight17.5 kg – 123 kg or a Goblin SharkGoblin SharkSells for$6,200Health7,500Weight17.5 kg – 123 kg. The Blue Shark is far cheaper to produce: it is a mini-boss on the Standard Boss LureStandard Boss LureCosts$280Bite timer1–2.5sCatchesBlue Shark, which is sold on the same island.

The three leeches on island 2

The lady in the forest wants three LeechLeechSells for$4Health0Weight0.05 kg. No bait hooks a leech: the island places them on the ground itself and replaces them as you pick them up.

Walk the swamp, pick up three, hand them over, and the Leech BaitLeech BaitCostsQuest rewardBite timer1–3sCatchesGiant Piranha is yours.

The two bosses that are not on any bait

AlbatrossAlbatrossSells for$13,000Health7,800Weight0.38 kg – 2.6 kg and Mutated Bowhead WhaleMutated Bowhead WhaleSells for$15,000Health38,000Weight125 kg – 875 kg appear on no bait table. The Albatross comes down on island 4 when a dead TunaTunaSells for$2,000Health6,000Weight17.5 kg – 123 kg is left on the ground in its zone for a few seconds; the Mutated Bowhead Whale rises when a dead Bowhead WhaleBowhead WhaleSells for$8,000Health20,000Weight3,000 kg – 21,000 kg is dropped into the island 5 lava. How to beat every boss has both fights in full, with the exact timings.