In Animal Crossing New Horizons, the way many players get their Bells is by selling fish and bugs. Each kind has a different price though, and so players often try to fish after shadows of a certain size and only catch certain bugs.
This is because there are some bugs and fish that are just not worth the effort. You would be better off selling DIY projects made of garbage than some of these creatures. Also, surprisingly, not all of these bugs and fish are common despite their low price!
Here are the five most useless bugs and fish that sell for barely any Bells.
10 (Fish) Tadpole - 100 Bells
While they aren't exactly fish, tadpoles are classified as such in Animal Crossing. They are some of the smallest shadows you will see in the ponds of your island. They are cute and can be exciting to add to your museum. They are baby frogs, so it is a little strange since you can have frog villagers. Just don't think about that too much.
Selling them only gets you 100 Bells. You are better off selling a much more common fish like a sea bass.
9 (Bug) Cicada Shell - 10 Bells
This catch is a little gross, as it isn't even the bug . . . just its shed skin. It sells for about as much as a weed! It takes ten of these to make the price of one tadpole.
Cicada shells are donatable to the museum, so you will want one at one point. Besides that though, they are basically useless.
8 (Fish) Frog - 120 Bells
A lot of players make fun of the fact that you have frog villagers but can also catch frogs out of your ponds. What is less discussed is how little frogs actually sell for.
They are only 120 Bells at Nook's Cranny, but you can sell them for 180 to C.J., so at least there is that?
7 (Bug) Ant - 80 Bells
The way you capture ants is pretty creative and a lot of players only learn by looking it up. You have to leave out your turnips to rot. Once rotten, it will attract ants.
Despite the waiting, the turnip sacrifice, and other efforts, ants sell for very little. You are better off catching a common butterfly. Just catch them once for your museum and don't think about them ever again.
6 (Fish) Crucian Carp - 160 Bells
Curcian carp are some of the most common fish in Animal Crossing, so it should come as no surprise that they don't sell for a lot. They are around for all months of the year and for every hour of each day. A way to avoid them is to not fish for the small shadows in your rivers.
They sell for only 160 Bells.
5 (Bug) Fly - 60 Bells
A little like the ants, the fly is a bug that takes a little more initiative than the others. You have to leave garbage out like a can, boot, or tire that you fish out of the water. Eventually, the trash will attract a fly.
Once you catch and donate it, don't bother attracting more. They only sell for 60 Bells.
4 (Fish) Bluegill - 180 Bells
Bluegill are a little bit like crucian carp in terms of their commonness. They are around for every month and every day of the year. However, they are only catchable in the afternoons.
Like crucian carp, they also are river spawning fish. Maybe it is best to just avoid fishing in rivers and ponds at this point.
3 (Bug) Flea - 70 Bells
When players see fleas, it is their duty to catch them so that they stop torturing your villagers. Also, it is pretty annoying to see them hopping on the heads of the innocent.
Once you catch it though, your only worthwhile reward is a grateful villager. They sell for only 70 Bells. If you set them down though, you can watch them hop under a clear cup. So that is a little neat.
2 (Fish) Horse Mackerel - 150 Bells
Even the ocean has its cheap and useless fish. The horse mackerel is another creature that is caught way too often. It sells for 150 Bells though, which makes it at least better than some of the river and pond fish. However, it is definitely the worst of the ocean fish to catch.
Like the crucian carp, the horse mackerel isn't going anywhere. It is in your oceans every day, every hour, for every month.
1 (Bug) Stinkbug - 130 Bells
Stinkbugs are not available for every month, but they are certainly priced as though they are. However, when they are around . . . they can be found all day long. They are pretty easy to spot too because they do not blend in with bright flowers. Though they might look a little like a leaf if they are near the stems.
Whatever the case, stick to the butterflies. Stinkbugs aren't worth it. Man-faced stinkbugs are better as well.