Are Fish For Prizes Apps Worth Playing?

I’m sure you’ve all seen those ads for apps telling you you can win a bunch of money just for playing a simple fishing game. Could it really be true? Was it really that simple? Or was it all a sham? After reading some of the reviews on Google Play Store, I figured I’d give it a shot and see what it was all about and if what they were saying were true. What I can say is that they are true; they do give you prizes for playing their fishing game, but there are a few catches. Here are a few pros and cons about these types of apps.

The game itself is really simple. You cast your line in the water, swipe your finger left and right, catch a few fish, and earn coins. Along the way, you are offered the chance to use the coins you’ve earned to increase the depth your line will go, thus being able to catch new sea creatures (the depth only increases enough to catch one new sea creature each time you invest). After you catch a new sea creature, you are able to increase the amount of that specific creature saved in your tank by 10. If you want to increase the amount of that creature, you’ll have to watch an ad to do it, but it’s fairly worth it if you want to rack up more coins while you’re away from the game. And the other option you are offered to use the coins you’ve earned is to increase the strength of your line, thus being able to catch more fish (the number only increases by 1 or 2, so don’t be surprised if you don’t notice a big difference). One of the things you’ll notice about the game is the number of each creature in the game is fairly random each time you cast your line. Sometimes you’ll end up with a lot of creatures that get you a lot of coins, at other times you’ll barely get any. Another thing you’ll notice about the game are the rainbow (they literally look like a tie dye shirt) colored creatures. These creatures bring in a bunch more coins than their regular counterparts (I’m not sure how much exactly as I can never seem to follow along on how much each fish gets. The counting of each fish and its worth goes too fast for me. If you know, do comment and let everyone know). One of the bonuses you get along the way are the treasure chests. You’ll see them randomly throughout the game. If you’re looking to get more coins to increase your depth or to strengthen your line, this is a great way to get a ton more coins. Snagging this chest will turn all of the fish you catch in the next round into all rainbow colored (even if the fish’s color in the game is still normal, it will change once caught on the line).

(Sort of like a Message-in-a-bottle, but with money instead of a note)

Yes, it is what it says it is. This is how you get paid, so you’ll want to catch these. The amount in each bottle varies randomly. The only way to find out how much each bottle holds is to catch it and open it.

The game really is simple. You swipe your finger left and right to catch whatever you can. If you’re really into the game and wanting to gain as many coins as possible, you’ll want to catch as many high paying creatures as possible or take your chances that you may find some rainbow creatures in shallower waters.

Yes, you do in fact get money for playing these games. Each app lets you “cash in” once you’ve reached the $10 point. (Your prize money will be via Paypal, so if you don't already have an account, you'll want to sign up. FYI: It's completely free!)

I don't know anyone who doesn't like money. We all need it to pay for bills, to buy food, and to pay for other necessities. If there's an easy way to get a few dollars here and there for simply playing a game during your free time, why not give it a shot? Although you won't be rolling in the dough every day, you'll at least get something for your time. And who knows, you may get lucky and find a big prize!

The Ads, my goodness, the ads! There are so many ads that pop up sometimes, it can get really annoying. One of the things about these apps is if you want to double the amount of coins you won per each cast of your line, you have to watch an ad to do it. If you want to use your treasure chest, you’ll need to watch an ad. If you want to add the cash in your bottle to your “wallet”, you’ll need to watch an ad. It gets pretty overwhelming at times, so if you get easily frustrated by ads, I wouldn’t suggest using these apps.

It can get a pretty boring swiping your finger back and forth. A lot of times you think you’re almost done using up your amount of casts, but realize you’ve scored a few more along the way. It’s really up to you if you want to continue, but if you want more cash, playing more games is the only way to find more of those bottles.

The amount of money you get per each bottle starts off great. It seems like you’ll get to $10 in no time. You keep playing, but soon realize the amount of money in each bottle seems to be getting smaller and smaller. You’re not imaging it, it really is getting smaller. Then you realize you’re hardly finding any bottles. Again, no, you’re not imagining it, they really are getting less and less frequent as well. Why keep trying if you’re getting less money and finding less bottles? Because you’re almost there! If you’re as determined as I am to reach the end of the line (no pun intended), you’re bound to want to keep going. And of course catching these bottles will have a trick to them. The tricky thing with catching these bottles is actually catching them. Sometimes you’ll think you’ve got it and next thing you know, your lure is coming to the surface without it. (I’ve missed more than a few times when I thought I was right under that bottle. It does get frustrating). The only tip I can give is to put your lure right under it and forego any of the fish around it. Taking the chance of getting that bottle really is up to you. The thing to remember when deciding to go for the bottle or not is that’s how you get more cash in you “wallet”. You will get another bottle eventually, but who knows when (?).

As mentioned above, the apps start off throwing money at you, so you think, “oh great, I’ll be at $10 in no time!” But as the game goes on it really does slow down and then you realize, “Ok, this may take way longer than I thought”. Yes, it will take longer than the app makes you think in the beginning. The amount of money you get as time goes on really starts to get less and less in amount and frequency. It really starts to feel like it’s a complete waste of time to continue and you’ll never reach the $10 mark.

It’s definitely not the most enjoyable at times or the fastest way to get money, so I wouldn't suggest it if getting money quick is what you're after. The multiple ads start to really get annoying and it does take quite a bit of time to see the end. If you don't have the patience, this is definitely not the best option for you.

All in all, I’d say it can be worth it to download and play on these apps. If you have some time to use up during your commute (please don’t play if you’re driving) to and from work or school, this might be worth giving a shot. If you’re going to play a game in your free time anyway, you might as well play one that’ll reward you in the end. These types of apps are not for everyone, so I hope everything I’ve mentioned above helps you decide whether or not to download any one of them (or more). If you're easily annoyed and frustrated by watching ads, I would not suggest downloading any of these apps. To those of you who want to take a chance at winning free cash and prizes, Good luck and happy fishing!