How to Fish Best Weapons: Damage Ranking and Upgrade Picks

Which weapon does the most damage in How to Fish?

The available configuration references place the Sniper Rifle first at a reported 200 per projectile. They put a full point-blank Shotgun blast at 75 if all 25 pellets connect, followed by the Assault Rifle at 40, Pistol at 25, and SMG at 24. No official current damage sheet was found, so this is a provisional, damage-sorted reference—not a confirmed DPS ranking.

The table deliberately excludes melee weapons and dynamite. Current sources confirm that they exist and are useful, but do not provide independently verified, version-matched damage values. For spending advice rather than raw numbers, compare this list with the money-making route and the broader items index.

How should this damage ranking be read?

Base damage answers only one question: how much an ideal unmodified hit can deal. It does not include fire rate, missed pellets, reload downtime, Bullet Damage upgrades, range, or Killscore setup. A weapon lower in this table can finish a moving target faster when it keeps landing shots while the higher-ranked weapon misses.

Three caveats prevent a misleading ranking:

1. Shotgun damage is conditional. Its 75 total assumes every pellet lands. Spread lowers the real hit sharply as range increases.
2. Fire rate changes sustained damage. The SMG’s 24-damage bullet is weak by itself, but the short interval between shots makes it forgiving while circle-strafing.
3. The game is being patched. Two data pages still identify version 1.0.9, and none of the exact figures comes from an official current damage sheet. Every number in the table therefore remains Pending verification (待核实) until reproduced in version 1.0.10.

What is the best early-game weapon?

The Shotgun is the strongest early purchase for most runs because independent guides agree on its $150 price, strong close-range burst, and long upgrade life. It suits the compact arenas and large targets seen early in the story. Buy it after required progression gear, then improve Bullet Damage before spending heavily on travel comfort.

The Pistol is cheaper and gives precise finishing shots, but spending on it can delay the Shotgun. If cash is tight, keep using starter tools until the Shotgun purchase is affordable instead of buying every weapon in sequence.

What is the best mid-game boss weapon?

The SMG is the safest general-purpose mid-game choice. Its automatic fire lets you keep moving while maintaining damage, which matters in the Pufferfish fight. PC Gamer completed that encounter with an upgraded SMG, while some community players prefer the Shotgun. That disagreement reflects play style rather than a hidden universal winner.

Choose between them by fight geometry:

• Use the Shotgun when you can bait a charge, dodge, and punish a short stun window at close range.
• Use the SMG when the target keeps moving and stopping to line up a burst is dangerous.
• Keep the Pistol for deliberate finishing shots if you are building a Killscore multiplier.

The boss guide separates these recommendations by encounter, while the beginner walkthrough explains when each shop becomes relevant.

Which late-game weapon is worth saving for?

The Assault Rifle is the strongest broadly useful late-game firearm, while the Sniper Rifle is a specialist. Independent boss guides recommend a heavily upgraded Assault Rifle for the whale finale because automatic fire is easier to sustain. The Sniper excels against distant targets such as the Albatross, but missed shots are expensive in time.

Costs above are cross-checked by current independent guides, but exact shop placement can change between patches. If a live shop differs, trust the in-game price and treat this table as a version 1.0.10 research snapshot.

Which upgrades should be bought first?

Upgrade Bullet Damage on the weapon you actually use before collecting attachments for several guns. Faster kills reduce boss escape risk and make money routes more consistent. Complete one dependable loadout, then buy a second weapon only when its range or fire pattern solves a fight your current gun handles poorly.

A sensible route is:

1. Buy required navigation and bait first.
2. Buy the Shotgun and add Bullet Damage.
3. Move to the SMG when sustained fire becomes the bottleneck.
4. Add the Sniper for Albatross-style range if needed.
5. Save for the Assault Rifle and its upgrades before the final encounter.

This is a progression route, not a claim that every player must own all five firearms. Co-op teams can specialize: one player controls the target at close range while another uses precise ranged shots.

Where was the weapon data verified?

Official material confirms the weapon-and-upgrade progression but does not publish a complete damage sheet. The table preserves configuration-reference figures so readers can compare the reported order, but labels every exact number Pending verification (待核实). Current guides are used to corroborate individual figures and practical roles without promoting community data to official fact.

• Official How to Fish Steam store — core weapon, upgrade, trick-shot, and progression systems.
• Pistol, SMG, and Assault Rifle data references — version-labeled configuration values, all marked Pending verification (待核实) because they are not official damage sheets.
• Shotgun and Sniper Rifle data references — version 1.0.9 values marked Pending verification (待核实).
• All Things How Sniper Rifle guide — current independent corroboration for the reported 200 damage and $3,800 price.
• How to Fish Fans weapon tier list — a second community cross-check for the reported Pistol, SMG, and Shotgun figures; not treated as official confirmation.
• Pro Game Guides weapon and equipment tier list — practical roles and progression cross-check.
• All Things How upgrade guide — prices and purchase-order cross-check.
• PC Gamer Pufferfish strategy — upgraded SMG playthrough evidence.
• MySpaceGuide weapon tier video — visual roster cross-check; no exact stat was taken from unavailable captions.