Big Bass Bonanza Review
Big Bass Bonanza is the fishing slot that started the whole Big Bass series. Fish carry money values, and in free spins a fisherman wild collects them. Every 4 fishermen give you more spins and a bigger multiplier.
About the game
The game was made by Reel Kingdom and is released through Pragmatic Play. It's a simple 5-reel, 3-row slot with 10 paylines. The base game is just line wins. Almost everything interesting happens in the free spins.
Since this game came out, there have been dozens of Big Bass versions, but the original is still the easiest one to understand.
Big Bass Bonanza Features
Fish with money values
The fish symbols show a cash value on every spin: 2×, 5×, 10×, 15×, 20×, 25×, 50× or even 2,000× your bet. In the base game they only pay as normal line symbols. You can only collect their values in free spins.
Free spins
3, 4 or 5 scatters give you 10, 15 or 20 free spins. During the round the fisherman wild can land on any reel. When he lands, he collects the values of all fish on the screen.
If there's only one fisherman on the screen at the end of a spin, the game can add fish at random spots. That makes a single wild more useful.
Retriggers and multipliers
Every fisherman you land is counted. At 4 fishermen you get 10 more spins and fish values are now paid at 2×. At 8 it's another 10 spins at 3×, and at 12 you get 10 more at 10×. After that the round can't be extended any more.
Graphics
The reels are underwater, with bubbles rising past the symbols. On the intro screen a bearded fisherman stands on the shore with his rod, and a big bass jumps out of the water. The high symbols are fishing gear: a float, a rod, a dragonfly and a tackle box, plus the fish. The low ones are A, K, Q, J and 10.
How to play
Pick your bet and spin. Wins pay from left to right on 10 lines. The scatter pays anywhere on the screen. You need 3 scatters for the free spins. There's no bonus buy in this game, so you have to trigger them yourself.
Symbols and payouts
The float pays the most: 200× your bet for 5 on a line. It's also the only symbol that pays for 2. The table from the game:
| Symbol | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Float | 0.5× | 5× | 20× | 200× |
| Fishing rod | — | 3× | 15× | 100× |
| Dragonfly | — | 2× | 10× | 50× |
| Tackle box | — | 2× | 10× | 50× |
| Fish | — | 1× | 5× | 20× |
| A, K, Q, J, 10 | — | 0.5× | 2.5× | 10× |
RTP, volatility and max win
RTP in the demo is 96.71%. The game info says there are other RTP settings too, so check it at your casino. The max win is 2,100× your bet, and Pragmatic Play says it happens about once in 3.9 million rounds. The game is high volatility.
Other versions
Bigger Bass Bonanza adds a fourth row, Big Bass Splash adds random extras in the free spins, and Big Bass Bonanza Megaways moves to Megaways. Most newer versions also have a bonus buy and higher max wins.
Big Bass Bonanza Pros and Cons
Strengths
- Simple rules
- Multiplier goes up to 10× after retriggers
- Fish worth up to 2,000×
- 96.71% RTP in the demo
Limitations
- Base game is just line wins
- Max win is low for the series
- No bonus buy
Our Verdict
Big Bass Bonanza is still worth a try, even with all the newer versions. The free spins are easy to follow and get tense as you count the fishermen towards the next retrigger. If you want more features and a higher max win, go for one of the newer games.
Big Bass Bonanza FAQs
How many free spins does Big Bass Bonanza give?
10, 15 or 20 for 3, 4 or 5 scatters, plus 10 more for every 4 fishermen collected.
How do the retriggers work?
4 fishermen give 10 more spins at 2×, 8 give 10 more at 3×, and 12 give 10 more at 10×.
How much can a fish be worth?
From 2× up to 2,000× your bet.
Can you win fish values in the base game?
No, only in free spins when the fisherman lands.
What is the RTP?
96.71% in the demo. Other settings exist.
What is the max win?
2,100× your bet.
Can you buy the bonus?
No, this game doesn't have a bonus buy.
