If you have started finding creatures with weird rainbow names in How to Fish, you have probably already discovered Drip Fish. These are special versions of normal creatures with unique, funny-looking skins, and they are mainly useful for completing your Fishipedia collection and using the Reel of Fortune.
In this guide, I’ll explain what Drip Fish are, how you can find them, how to check which ones you are missing, and whether you should sell them or use them in the Reel of Fortune. I’ll also cover the best time to farm them and some of the variants that can take much longer to find.
How to Fish Game Drip Fish: How to Find and Use Them
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How do you spot one? | Look for rainbow-colored name text and a unique skin |
| How many are there? | 49 normal creatures and 49 Drip variants |
| Do you need special bait? | No |
| What are they used for? | Fishipedia collection and the Reel of Fortune |
| When is the best time to farm them? | After finishing the main story |
The easiest thing to remember is this: if you see a creature with rainbow-colored text, kill it. You can press Tab afterward to check whether you have added that Drip variant to your collection.
What Is a Drip Fish in How to Fish?
A Drip Fish is not a completely new species. It is a special variant of an existing creature with a different appearance.
For example, you might find a normal Pike and later encounter a Drip Pike. They are based on the same creature, but the Drip version has a ridiculous or unusual cosmetic design.
I found one of my first Drip creatures as a Drip Rock Crab on the Lighthouse island. At the time, I honestly had no idea what made it different until I noticed the rainbow-colored name above it.
Some variants have surprisingly funny designs. You can find creatures wearing strange accessories, outfits, or completely ridiculous-looking skins.
The important part is that normal creatures and Drip creatures are tracked separately.
When you press Tab, the encyclopedia shows two separate collections:
- 49 normal creatures
- 49 Drip creatures
Getting the normal version of a creature does not complete its Drip entry, and getting the Drip version does not complete the normal entry.
This is easy to overlook when you first start collecting. I actually made this mistake myself with a Drip Mackerel because I assumed I had already completed the Mackerel entry. Always check the encyclopedia before selling something you are unsure about.
How to Find Drip Fish in How to Fish
There is no special Drip Lure.
You do not need a particular bait or special fishing rod to force a Drip creature to appear. Drip variants come from the same creature pools as their normal versions.
Because of that, the best way to hunt them is to first figure out where the normal version of the creature appears.
For example, if you are missing a Drip fish from a pool on Island 3, you should go to Island 3 and use the lure that normally catches that creature.
Here is a simple breakdown of where you should look:
| Area | Rod / Lure |
|---|---|
| Lighthouse | Crab Fishing Rod with Free Lure or Hot Dog |
| Island 2 / Forest | Fishing Rod with Free Lure or Beginner Lure |
| Island 3 / Desert | Fishing Rod with Standard Lure |
| Island 4 / Rocks | Fishing Rod with Professional Lure |
| Island 5 / Volcano | Fishing Rod with Scientific Lure |
So instead of searching for a special bait, your goal is to identify the normal creature’s fishing pool and farm that pool until its Drip version appears.
Ground Creatures Can Also Have Drip Versions
Not every Drip creature requires you to cast a fishing line.
Some creatures that you find on the ground can also have Drip variants. This includes things such as clams and crabs around the islands.
That means you should keep an eye on creatures you encounter while exploring.
If you see rainbow-colored text above a ground creature, don’t ignore it just because you are not fishing. It can still count toward your Drip collection.
You Need to Kill the Drip Creature
There is another important detail that can easily cause confusion.
Simply catching a Drip creature is not enough. The creature has to die for the Drip entry to register.
So if you reel in a Drip creature and it is lying around on the ground, make sure you actually finish it off.
You can use whatever method you normally use to kill creatures. The important part is that the Drip variant is killed so the game records it in your collection.
If you are still progressing through the story and have not unlocked all of the islands or better lure tiers yet, I recommend focusing on progression first rather than trying to complete the entire Drip collection immediately.
How to Check Which Drip Fish You Are Missing
The easiest way to track your progress is to press Tab and open the encyclopedia.
The game keeps your normal creatures and Drip creatures in separate collections. Any blank entry on the Drip side means you have not collected that particular variant yet.
I recommend checking this before starting a farming session.
Instead of randomly fishing and hoping something new appears, look at your missing entries first. Then work out where that creature normally spawns and go there with the appropriate lure.
There is one limitation: the encyclopedia tells you which creature you are missing, but it does not necessarily tell you which island you need to visit.
So once you are down to only a few missing Drip variants, you may have to match the creature to its normal spawn location yourself.
Should You Sell Drip Fish or Use Them at the Reel of Fortune?
Once you find a Drip creature, you have two main choices.
You can sell it for money, or you can take it to the Reel of Fortune and use it for a chance at a weapon skin.
The Reel of Fortune is available on the islands and specifically asks you to insert a Drip creature.
When you use one, the reels spin and you receive a weapon skin. Some of the possible rewards include rare and legendary skins.
So the question becomes: should you gamble your Drip creatures or sell them?
Personally, I would look at the creature’s value before deciding.
| Drip Creature | Sell Value |
|---|---|
| Drip Rock Crab | $5 |
| Drip Salmon | $14 |
| Drip Parrotfish | Higher-value catch |
For cheap Drip creatures, I usually think using them at the Reel of Fortune makes more sense.
For example, if you have a Drip Rock Crab worth only $5, there is not much money to gain by selling it. You might as well use it for a Reel of Fortune spin and see what you get.
On the other hand, if you find an expensive Drip creature, selling it can be the better choice, especially if you are still saving money for better equipment or lures.
When I found a valuable Drip Parrotfish, I would much rather take the money than throw it into a slot machine.
Drip Creatures Respawn
The good news is that Drip creatures are not permanently missable.
They can respawn, so if you use a Drip creature at the Reel of Fortune, you have not permanently ruined your collection.
You will eventually be able to find another one.
The same applies if you sell one before realizing you needed it. You may have lost the opportunity to add that particular catch at that moment, but you can continue hunting for another spawn later.
The real cost of Drip hunting is time, not the permanent loss of the creature.
The Hardest Drip Fish to Find
Some Drip variants can take much longer to find than others.
There is no official published spawn rate that tells us exactly how rare each variant is, so I would be careful with anyone claiming an exact percentage.
Some of the variants players have reported having trouble finding include:
Drip Voxelfish
The Drip Voxelfish can be particularly frustrating because you first need to get into the correct fishing pool on Island 4.
Some players have reported spending hours using the Professional Lure without finding the Drip version.
If you are hunting this one, don’t assume you are doing something wrong just because it does not appear quickly. You may simply be dealing with an unlucky run.
Drip Goldfish and Drip Goby
Drip Goldfish and Drip Goby are two other variants that can be annoying to complete.
Both belong to the Island 2 pool, and it is possible to find several other Drip variants from the same area while these two refuse to show up.
If you are missing either one, the best approach is simply to keep farming the appropriate pool and check your encyclopedia regularly.
Drippy Dipper
Drippy Dipper is another variant that players have reported spending a long time hunting.
Some players have described going through hundreds of baits without seeing it.
Because there is no confirmed official spawn rate, treat these numbers as player experiences rather than a guaranteed requirement.
You might find yours quickly, or you might have one of those sessions where nothing seems to cooperate.