How to Fish Old Pike Boss: Summon, Fight & Rewards

The Old Pike is found on Island 2, the second location you unlock in How to Fish. Your adventure begins at the Lighthouse, where defeating the Spider Crab earns you the keys for the boat. Once you have the boat, you can travel onward and the Old Pike fight becomes available on Island 2.

The most important thing to know is that the Old Pike is an extra, optional boss. It is not the main-quest delivery target that unlocks the next island — that job belongs to the Giant Piranha, which you cannot avoid if you want to progress. The Old Pike, by contrast, can be fought whenever you feel ready, or skipped entirely if you are in a hurry.

Because it sits early in the boss order and carries no quest gate, most players treat it as a low-risk warm-up for the harder Island 2 fights that come after it.

Summoning the Old Pike requires one specific item: the Beginner Boss Lure. As the name suggests, this is the entry-level boss-summoning lure, and it fits the Old Pike's role as an early, beginner-friendly fight. Pick it up once you reach Island 2 — check the in-game shop and your quest log there, and our lure guide tracks the lure system.

Before you summon the boss, get your gear in order:

1. Reach Island 2 and make sure you have the Beginner Boss Lure in your inventory.
2. Purchase the shotgun if you have not already. The shotgun is the recommended weapon for this fight, and having it bought before the summon makes the encounter straightforward.
3. Top up your cash and general supplies beforehand if you can. The Old Pike itself is not dangerous, but building the habit of preparing before every boss summon pays off later — see the money guide if you are short on funds.

Once everything is ready, use the Beginner Boss Lure at the water to call the Old Pike out.

Here is a quick summary of everything confirmed about the fight so far:

The Old Pike's reported moveset is simple. It tries to flop around you on land and hit you with its tail. Getting hit can be damaging, but the amount is not significant, which is why the fight is considered one of the easiest boss encounters in the game.

The strategy matches that simplicity. Keep your footing, watch which direction the Pike is flopping toward, and fire the shotgun whenever it is in range. There are no minion waves, no ranged attacks, and no special phases reported for this boss — nothing like the swarms that make the Giant Piranha dangerous or the spinning charge of the later Blue Shark.

If a tail hit does land, do not panic. The damage is low, so you can usually tank a hit or two while you line up your next shot rather than giving up your position. As long as you brought the shotgun, the fight should be over quickly.

How to Fish has 28 Steam Achievements — check the achievements page for the full list.

Once the Old Pike is down, your next real progression step on Island 2 is the Giant Piranha quest fight. If you want the full picture of how every encounter connects, the bosses overview lists the complete boss and miniboss order, and the walkthrough follows the quest chain island by island.

• Bringing the wrong lure. The Old Pike answers the Beginner Boss Lure. Other boss lures summon other bosses — for example, the Standard Boss Lure is what calls the Blue Shark — so double-check your inventory before you cast.
• Confusing it with the progression boss. Players sometimes hunt the Old Pike expecting it to unlock the next island. It does not; that quest belongs to the Giant Piranha, which is also the noticeably harder fight.
• Over-preparing. Because it is labeled a boss, some players save it for late or grind upgrades first. It is one of the easiest bosses in the game, and a plain shotgun purchase is all the preparation the sources recommend.
• Summoning it without the shotgun. The one concrete piece of preparation advice for this fight is to buy the shotgun first — do not gamble on melee or cheaper weapons.