How do you catch and beat the Pufferfish boss?
The carrot-bait chain and two-phase fight are independently documented; patch 1.0.4 also changed the boss balance.
For Dazed Games’ How to Fish, released on Steam on 20 August 2026 (app 4001890) — not real-world fishing.
Quick Answer
Finish the island's bait hand-in until the NPC gives you a carrot, equip the carrot as bait, and hook the Pufferfish. Fight at range and use trees or high ground to maintain space. Around half health it grows and begins leaving poison, so keep moving and avoid the gas. These steps are checked against version 1.0.4, which officially nerfed the Pufferfish.
Steps
- Complete the local bait hand-in far enough to receive the carrot; the two sources agree on the carrot but label the earlier catch differently, so this answer does not guess its species name.
- Equip the carrot as bait and use it to hook the Pufferfish.
- Use a ranged weapon and create distance with nearby trees or high ground instead of standing in open ground.
- When the boss grows and begins producing purple poison around half health, keep moving and stay out of the gas until the fight ends.
Requirements / Limits
- Version 1.0.4 or later is the verified balance point; the official patch nerfed this boss.
- You need the carrot from the island's bait quest before the Pufferfish can be hooked by the documented route.
- Terrain helps create distance, but neither source proves a permanent safe spot or guaranteed exploit.
Common Mistakes
- Trying unrelated bait instead of completing the carrot hand-in.
- Staying in open ground when the boss closes distance.
- Standing in the poison trail during the enlarged second phase.
- Following a pre-1.0.4 difficulty description without checking the patch.
Sources Checked
- Developer patchPATCH 1.0.4 — How to Fish
Dazed Games' official note: eight-player lobbies, Pufferfish and Whale nerfs, joining/startup screen fixes, and achievement fixes.
Accessed 22 Aug 2026 - Community guideSteam guide: defeating the Pufferfish boss
Independent community guide covering carrot bait, ranged combat, terrain and the poison phase.
Accessed 22 Aug 2026 - Independent walkthroughIm Playing 100% of How to Fish — Skoottie
Carrot sequence around 01:17:27; Pufferfish fight around 01:30:45–01:33:19.
Accessed 22 Aug 2026
Still Unverified
- The two sources do not use the same English name for the catch handed in before the carrot, so that earlier species remains intentionally unnamed here.