How to Beat the Pufferfish Boss in How to Fish

The Pufferfish is the Island 3 boss and, by launch-week community consensus, the biggest difficulty spike in How to Fish — there’s a 16-comment Steam thread literally titled “NERF PUFFERFISH BOSS.” It’s very beatable solo. The answer is trees, not a bigger gun.

Where It Is and How to Summon It

The fight happens on Island 3 — the tropical island with palm trees where the Grill Master and the Tourist live. The boss doesn’t roam; you summon it by fishing with the Carrot bait in the lagoon.

Getting the Carrot: the Tourist (sitting by a tree) is afraid to swim and asks for “any fish that says endangered.” Hand him an Endangered-tagged catch — in the reference run a seahorse counted, even the rare Drip variant — and he gives you the Carrot.

The Carrot is consumed per attempt. Fail the fight and you’re back to catching another endangered fish before you can retry. Don’t cast it until you’re ready.

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The Pufferfish spawns in the lagoon the moment you cast the Carrot — note the palm trees you'll be circling.

The Fight: Trees Are the Mechanic

The boss attacks with fast straight-line charges that hit extremely hard — players report dying in roughly three hits. Out-damaging it in the open doesn’t work; even the $650 SMG feels like “no damage” without positioning.

The winning rhythm, in the reference runner’s own words: “you just have to use the trees to your advantage, and then it gets easier as it takes more damage.”

1. The moment the boss spawns, move to the palm trees.
2. Keep a trunk between you and the boss at all times.
3. When it charges, circle the tree — the trunk blocks or redirects the rush.
4. Shoot only while it’s repositioning. Never stand still to empty a magazine.

As it takes damage the boss grows visibly larger. Players describe at least two phases (“Run in circle, phase 2 also run in circle”) and a purple hazard effect late in the fight — exact mechanics unconfirmed, so just give it more room and keep the same rhythm. Stay out of melee range even when it’s nearly dead.

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The boss dwarfs the players; trees are the only reliable cover during its charges.

Solo vs co-op: the reference kill is solo, so it’s absolutely soloable. In co-op the same logic applies — whoever has aggro runs the circle while everyone else shoots from spread angles.

Step by Step

1. Reach Island 3 and talk to the Tourist by the tree.
2. Catch an Endangered-tagged fish (a seahorse works) and hand it in for the Carrot.
3. Prepare before casting: eat to full, bring a controllable ranged weapon (the reference run used the SMG with a compensator and extended mag), stock ammo.
4. Cast the Carrot in the lagoon — the boss spawns immediately.
5. Get to the trees and start the circle-block-shoot rhythm.
6. When it grows, widen your spacing and keep going. Watch for the late-fight hazard.
7. After the kill, collect all drops — especially the half-fish piece with the bone sticking out (the tail).
8. Hand the tail to the Tourist for the flash drive with the Island 4 coordinates.

Common Mistakes

• Spending the Carrot unprepared. A failed attempt costs you the summon item.
• Fighting in the open. Positioning beats DPS here, every time.
• Fighting hungry. Three hits is all it takes — go in with full health and food.
• Offering the Tourist meat chunks. He only accepts the distinct tail piece — full details in the trophy page.
• Melee finishing. The boss stays lethal until it’s dead.

Watch It Done

I'm Playing 100% of How to Fish — Pufferfish fight at 1:17:33

Jump to:1:14:30 Buying the SMG1:16:41 Endangered fish → Carrot bait1:17:33 Boss spawns (carrot in mouth)1:31:48 Kill, tail hand-in, Island 4 coordinates

What Happens Next

Tail to the Tourist → flash drive with Island 4 coordinates → optionally buy the boat radar upgrade on Island 3 → sail to the casino island. Full checklist in What to Do After the Pufferfish.