Overview
Released by Pragmatic Play on December 3, 2020 - the original title that started the Big Bass series, later followed by Big Bass Splash and a string of other spin-offs.
A lakeside fishing theme built around a fisherman on a jetty, with a jumping bass, tackle box, and bucket symbols set against calm blue water.
Bonus Features Breakdown
Fish Scatter & Free Spins Trigger
Landing 3, 4, or 5 fish scatter symbols on a single spin awards 10, 15, or 20 Free Spins respectively.
Fisherman Wild & Fish Collection
The Fisherman Wild substitutes for all other symbols except scatters, and collects the cash value of any Money Fish symbols visible on the reels when it lands during Free Spins.
Wild Meter & Retriggers
Every Fisherman Wild collected during Free Spins fills a meter; every 4 wilds collected delivers a retrigger of 10 additional spins, alongside a rising multiplier that climbs from 2x up to 10x across retriggers.
Betting Range & Jackpot
Total bets run from $0.10 up to $250 per spin. Big Bass Bonanza doesn't carry a jackpot round - its biggest built-in win comes from the Fisherman Wild's cash-collection mechanic during Free Spins, capped at 2,100x your total stake (Pragmatic Play cites this as roughly a once-in-3.8-million-spins result).
RTP & Volatility
RTP: 96.71%. Volatility: High.
Our Take
Big Bass Bonanza is the game that started the entire fisherman-and-cash-collection formula later reused across Big Bass Splash, Blast the Bass, and dozens of imitators - so it's worth playing for that reason alone if you've enjoyed the newer entries in the series and want to see where the mechanic began.
That said, it shows its age next to its own sequels in a couple of concrete ways. The 2,100x max win is meaningfully lower than the 5,000x cap on Big Bass Splash and Blast the Bass, and there's no bonus buy option here at all - if you want to skip straight to Free Spins, this specific title doesn't give you that choice the way its newer siblings do.
The core wild-meter retrigger mechanic is still solid, though: every four Fisherman Wilds collected during Free Spins both extends the round and pushes the multiplier up a tier, so a hot run can meaningfully compound rather than just handing out a fixed number of extra spins. It's a simpler system than the Active Booster Panel in Blast the Bass, but it's the same underlying idea in a more stripped-back form.
Pragmatic Play also publishes this title in multiple RTP configurations (we've seen 96.71%, 95.67%, and 94.5% cited), the same pattern as its newer Big Bass siblings - check the in-game paytable rather than assuming the headline 96.71% figure is what's actually live at your casino.
Pros & Cons
What We Liked
- The original version of a cash-collection formula that's since become one of the genre's most-copied templates
- Wild-meter retrigger system rewards sustained Free Spins runs with a genuinely escalating multiplier, up to 10x
- Confirmed, consistent 5-reel, 3-row, 10-payline structure with a straightforward $0.10-$250 bet range
Where It Falls Short
- No bonus buy option - unlike Big Bass Splash and Blast the Bass, there's no way to pay directly into Free Spins
- 2,100x max win is noticeably lower than the 5,000x cap on its newer Big Bass series siblings
- High volatility means longer dry spells between meaningful wins
- More basic, dated visual presentation next to newer entries in the same series
Where to Play Big Bass Bonanza
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the RTP of Big Bass Bonanza?
Big Bass Bonanza has a default RTP of 96.71%, though Pragmatic Play also publishes lower configurations (as low as 94.5%) that individual casinos can choose to run instead - check the in-game paytable to confirm which version you're playing.
How do I trigger Free Spins in Big Bass Bonanza?
Land 3, 4, or 5 fish scatter symbols on a single spin to trigger 10, 15, or 20 Free Spins respectively. There's no bonus buy option on this title, so Free Spins can only be triggered naturally.
What is the maximum win on Big Bass Bonanza?
The maximum win is 2,100x your total stake, awarded through the Fisherman Wild's cash-collection mechanic and retrigger multipliers during Free Spins.
Is Big Bass Bonanza high or low volatility?
Big Bass Bonanza is a high-volatility slot - wins land less often than on a low-volatility title, but individual wins, especially during Free Spins, can be considerably larger.
What's the difference between Big Bass Bonanza and Big Bass Splash?
Big Bass Bonanza is the original 2020 release that started the series - it has a lower 2,100x max win and no bonus buy option, compared to Big Bass Splash's 5,000x cap and 100x bonus-buy feature released later in the series.
Where can I play Big Bass Bonanza?
Big Bass Bonanza is available at Beef Casino and Irwin Casino from our ranked casinos, both of which carry Pragmatic Play's game library.
For similar games, check out our Fishing Slots page.