Guide coverage: patches through 1.0.12
How to Fish Island 3: Desert
The third island introduces endangered-creature requests and the grill. Exchange a non-Drip Seahorse, Needlefish, or Bowlfish for a carrot, summon the Pufferfish, and return its small fin to the seated tourist.
Main walkthrough
- Buy the Standard Lure and catch an endangered seahorse, needlefish, or bowlfish. Give the normal creature to the quest giver to receive a carrot. A special drip appearance variant does not count for this request.
- Install the carrot on your fishing rod and cast to hook the Pufferfish. Prepare an SMG or an upgraded shotgun.
- Circle the rocks and trees while firing. The Pufferfish begins small and can pass through narrow gaps, but its body becomes larger as it takes damage. Once it has grown, keep some distance and keep a large tree directly between you and the Pufferfish so it gets stuck and is easy to shoot. After losing about half of its health, it leaves a poisonous trail, so use a wider route and do not stop in the poison.
Keep a tree between you and the Pufferfish so it gets stuck and is easier to shoot 
The Pufferfish starts leaving a poisonous trail after losing about half its health 
Circle wide to avoid the lingering poison while fighting - After the fight, look carefully for the small fin among the drops. Give the fin, rather than meat or a drip variant, to the seated tourist to unlock the route to the rocky island.
After defeating the Pufferfish, look for the small fin among the drops 
Give the fin to the seated tourist to receive the item that unlocks the next island - The grill is a separate optional unlock. Catch a Blue Shark with the Standard Boss Lure, or encounter one as a rare Standard Lure catch, and deliver the whole shark to the person beside the grill. You will receive the lighter needed to use the grill.
How to continue：After the tourist accepts the fin, the radar will point to the rocky island.
Creatures available on this island
Base price is the value before individual weight, grilling, roulette, and Killscore multipliers. A dash under “Usable bait” means no bait is required. Health is the solo base value on Normal difficulty.
| Creature | Base price | Usable bait | Health (HP) | Brief description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catfish | 46 | Standard Lure | 200 | A regular catch without a special combat or quest role. |
| Clownfish | 46 | Standard Lure | 140 | A regular catch without a special combat or quest role. |
| Sea Urchin | 52 | Standard Lure | 100 | Small, fast, and dangerous, with high contact damage. After coming off the hook, it actively chases the player; keep backing away while firing so it cannot get close. |
| Yellow Boxfish | 53 | Standard Lure | 160 | A regular catch without a special combat or quest role. |
| Needlefish Quest | 60 | Standard Lure | 130 | A quest creature accepted by the desert island NPC in exchange for the Carrot used to catch the Pufferfish. |
| Angelfish | 62 | Standard Lure | 160 | A regular catch without a special combat or quest role. |
| Bluegill | 62 | Standard Lure | 150 | A regular catch without a special combat or quest role. |
| Seahorse Quest | 100 | Standard Lure, Professional Lure | 350 | A quest creature accepted by the desert island NPC in exchange for the Carrot used to catch the Pufferfish. |
| Bowlfish Quest | 150 | Standard Lure | 160 | A quest creature accepted by the desert island NPC in exchange for the Carrot used to catch the Pufferfish. |
| Blue Shark Boss Quest | 300 | Standard Lure, Standard Boss Lure | 2300 | A quest creature accepted by the desert island grillmaster to unlock the grill. |
| Pufferfish Boss | 12000 | Carrot | 18000 | A boss creature that requires weapons and supplies to defeat safely. |
Items available in the shop
The shop keeps selling important equipment from earlier islands. Disable the filter below if you need to replace an older tool or weapon.
| Item | Type | Use | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 Crab Fishing Rod | Tool | The first-island rod. Attach crustacean bait to catch crabs, lobster, and the Spider Crab boss. | $3 |
| Hot Dog | Bait | Basic crustacean bait for Rock Crab and Lobster. | $1 |
 Boat Radar | Tool | Place it on the boat to see the direction and coordinates of unlocked islands at sea. | $10 |
 Radio | Tool | A portable music player with selectable stations; it has no known progression or combat benefit. | $10 |
 Beer | Tool | Give it to the lighthouse keeper to receive the Empty Beer Can used as Spider Crab boss bait. | $12 |
 Brass Knuckles | Weapon | An inexpensive close-range weapon that needs no ammunition. | $24 |
 Knife | Weapon | A close-range weapon; useful for stabbing the stunned Spider Crab in the back. | $45 |
 Fishing Rod | Tool | The standard rod used with regular and boss lures from the Forest onward. | $3 |
| Beginner Lure | Bait | Inexpensive, and it catches the Forest island’s common fish pool. The fish it catches are mostly low-value, so it is best used to stock up food that restores health. | $3 |
| Beginner Boss Lure | Bait | Special lure for Sunfish and the optional Old Pike boss; it is not the Giant Piranha story bait. | $40 |
 Dynamite | Weapon | Creates a large explosion for killing or collecting several nearby fish at once. | $25 |
 Pistol | Weapon | A cheap early ranged weapon with accurate single shots. | $50 |
 Shotgun | Weapon | Fires multiple pellets and deals heavy damage at close range; strong against early bosses. | $150 |
| Standard Lure | Bait | Catches the Desert island’s regular fish, with a small chance of Blue Shark. | $15 |
| Standard Boss Lure | Bait | Dedicated lure for the Blue Shark optional boss; the Pufferfish story boss uses a Carrot instead. | $280 |
 SMG | Weapon | A rapid full-auto weapon that is good for landing steady damage on the Pufferfish. | $650 |
Quick answers
What do I have to do on Desert Island?
The third island introduces endangered-creature requests and the grill. Exchange a non-Drip Seahorse, Needlefish, or Bowlfish for a carrot, summon the Pufferfish, and return its small fin to the seated tourist.
How many creatures are on Desert Island?
11 creatures can be caught here; this page lists the bait and base price for each one.
Which boss is on Desert Island?
Pufferfish — the boss guide covers the bait that summons it and the attack window.