Big Bass Bonanza

Theme and Design

A Simple Fishing Slot That Has Become An Iconic Series

Part of the enduring appeal of a game like Big Bass Bonanza is it simple but attractive design. The 5x3 transparent reel set floats in a cross section of water with the surface just visible at the top of the screen, dappled in sunlight. The colors are bright and the cheerful atmosphere is completed by an upbeat banjo tune and the perma-smiling bearded fisherman who represents the important wild symbol in the game. The game design has become one the slot world’s most iconic and it shows that games don’t need overly-complicated production to be successful.

RTP and Variance

Big Bass Bonanza has just TWO RTP rates – most other Big Bass games have three – and they are 96.71% and 95.67%. The first of those is very good and you should seek out slot sites that run the game at that rate. My recommendation would be MrQ from Lindar Media or Barz Casino from White Hat Gaming, both of which were running the game at 96.71% when I checked.

You can find out what RTP rate your casino runs the game at by hitting the ‘I’ button under the reels then scrolling through until you see the Game Rules page with volatility at the top. Scroll down until you see Return to Player. If it’s not set to 96.71% then try elsewhere.

The volatility of Big Bass Bonanza is 4/5 on Pragmatic’s own scale. That is a little less than later games from the same series but in practice it will still feel like a volatile slot, prone to runs with low returns before a smash and grab free spins round turns your session around.

Maximum Win

Perhaps the only disappointing aspect of Big Bass Bonanza, at least for anyone whose played more recent Big Bass games, is the top payout. It is just 2,100x. You can spin for much bigger potential on games like Amazon Xtreme, Splash, and Day at the Races, all of which max out at a much better 10,000x.

For other slots with big potential from Pragmatic, check out our list of their highest max win slots.

Symbols and Paytable

The Big Bass Bonanza game area comprises 5 reels and 3 rows. And as standard there are 10 paylines to win across, with wins triggered by landing 3 or more identical symbols across a line from left to right starting at the left most reel.

Low payers are the cards, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace. These are valued at from 0.5x for 3 10s up to 10x for 5 Aces. The premiums are the bass, tackle box, mayfly, rod and reel and float. These are valued at from 1x for 3 bass up to 200x for 5 floats. Uniquely, the float also pays out at 0.5x for just TWO on a line.

The wild is represented by the fisherman. It will substitute for all pay symbols to complete lines and it ONLY appears during free spins. The wild also performs another function in collecting cash as we find out in the next part.

Features and Gameplay

Big Bass Bonanza is ALL about hitting the free spins round. Before then, there is not much else going on beside paylines wins. There aren’t even any wilds. So, your time is spend looking for scatters to drop in the form of leaping bass with the word ‘scatter’ printed underneath. Three or more are needed to trigger the free spins as follows:

• 3 scatters – 10 spins
• 4 scatters – 15 spins
• 5 scatters – 20 spins

During free spins, bass symbols land with money values printed on them. These can be 2x, 5x, 10x, 15x, 20x, 25x, 50x or 2,000x. To activate these prizes, a fisherman wild must land at the same time. These wilds collect the values of ALL visible cash prizes.

Wilds are also collected and every 4^th one extends the round by 10 spins and increases a progressive multiplier applied to cash collect wins to 2x, 3x then 10x. After the 12^th wild has been collected, no more spins can be added.

And finally, a near-miss award is sometimes given if you land a fisherman wild when there are NO fish to catch. In this case, fish symbols MAY be randomly added anywhere on the reels to help you out.

And that’s it!