Is it Better to Sell Fish or Donate in Animal Crossing? An In-Depth Guide for Maximum Profits

As an investment expert, my number one tip is that it is better to sell your rare and valuable fish once you have donated the first one of each species to the museum. Here‘s why:

Donating Completes Your Collection, Selling Maximizes Profits

The key is to donate your absolute first great white shark, whale shark, oarfish, tuna, and other rare catches. This allows you to fill out the museum‘s collection while also learning some fascinating facts about each fish from Blathers.

But after that initial donation, you should shift to selling all subsequent rare fish you catch. This nets you huge profits from the high sale prices. You can reinvest the Bells earned into improving your island or even further money-making opportunities.

For example, each great white shark can earn you 15,000 Bells from Nook‘s Cranny or 22,500 Bells from C.J. That‘s a massive payday from a single fish!

Just How Much are Whale Sharks and Great Whites Worth?

Let‘s take a deeper look at the exact value of these two royalty among fish:

Whale Shark

• Sells for 13,000 Bells at Nook‘s Cranny
• Fetch 19,500 Bells from visiting NPC C.J.
• Spawns June to September (Northern Hemisphere)
• Found swimming around your island‘s ocean

Great White Shark

• Most valuable fish in the game at 15,000 Bells (Nook‘s Cranny)
• Sell to C.J. for 22,500 Bells
• Spawns June to September (Northern Hemisphere)
• Swims in ocean around your island from 4 AM to 9 PM

As you can see, both sharks are incredibly lucrative catches once you‘ve donated your first one. And that‘s just the start – keep reading for how to maximize profits!

Expert Tips to Master the Fish Market in Animal Crossing

Based on my extensive background analyzing business and investment data, here is my 5-step methodology to become a Bell millionaire by fishing:

Step 1: Choose Hot Spots and Times for Rare Fish

• Fish near rocks or pier to concentrate spawn rates
• Sharks spawn all day but are abundant 4 AM – 9 PM
• Barreleye and oarfish spawn after 9 PM

Step 2: Optimize Tools and Bait

• Use lots of fish bait to speed up catching rare fish
• Make sure to use your best fishing rod for quickest catch rate
• Drink coffee to increase your movement speed

Step 3: Milk C.J.‘s Premium Prices

• Save rare fish to sell when C.J. visits for 1.5x profit
• Check your daily announcements to know when he will arrive

Step 4: Know When to Cash In Common Fish

• Sell common fish after using a lot of bait to earn back costs
• Unload inventory before catching sharks to make space

Step 5: Invest Wisely

• Spend Bells to expand storage and upgrade tools
• Use hot item crafting to double investment overnight
• Buy turnips low, sell high to maximize return

If you follow this methodology, you‘ll earn millions in no time! Let‘s look at precisely how much you can profit from each rare catch.

Average Sale Price for the Most Valuable Fish

As you can see, the top fish earn you anywhere from 13,000 to as much as 22,500 Bells each! Even beyond these MVPs, you can earn 4,500+ Bells from catches like tuna, blue marlin, and giant trevally.

It really pays off to dedicate time to mastering fishing. And remember – a full inventory of just 10 great white sharks sold to C.J. will make you a cool 225,000 Bells!

Fishing vs. Bugs, Sea Creatures, and Fossils

Now you might be wondering – shouldn‘t I spend time catching bugs or deep sea diving instead? The short answer is:

Fish have the highest potential peak value of any creature in Animal Crossing New Horizons.

No bug, sea creature or fossil even comes close to the 15,000 Bell ceiling of the great white shark and coelacanth.

However, it is wise to mix up your hunting and selling:

• Fossils provide reliable 4,000-5,000 Bell income daily
• Bugs offer easier consistency than ultra-rare fish
• Sea creatures appear more frequently than rare fish

So by all means, dig up fossils, catch bugs offshore, and dive for sea creatures too! This diversifies your income sources. But when maximizing profits is the goal, nothing beats fishing.

And there you have it – my complete guide to dominating the Animal Crossing fish market based on my professional financial analysis expertise. I hope these tips on when to donate versus sell will help you swim in Bells! Please let me know if you have any other questions, friend.