Play Big Bass Bonanza

Released in December 2020, Big Bass Bonanza was the game that sent Pragmatic Play and Reel Kingdom’s fisherman out onto the water for the first time. The Money Fish, retrigger meter and familiar bearded angler all started here before becoming regular fixtures in the wider series.

There isn’t much clutter around the main game. It uses five reels, three rows and 10 fixed paylines, with a set of fishing-themed symbols placed above the usual card values. The float pays the most among the regular icons and is also the only one that can form a win with just two matching symbols.

Line wins run from left to right, beginning on the first reel. That keeps the ordinary spins fairly simple: land a matching run across one of the marked lines and the corresponding paytable value is awarded.

The Fisherman stays away until the Free Spins feature begins. Once he turns up, any Money Fish beside him are collected, and his appearance is recorded on the meter above the reels. Groups of four Fishermen bring another 10 spins and move the collection multiplier to its next level.

Big Bass Bonanza is a high-volatility game, with stakes at Heart Bingo beginning from £0.10. Its total win limit is 2,100 times the amount staked.

• Log in or register. You will need a verified Heart Bingo account before playing with deposited funds.
• Find Big Bass Bonanza. Enter the full game name into the Heart Bingo slots search bar. Choose the original version rather than one of its many sequels.
• Select a stake. Use the betting controls beneath the reels to view the available amounts. The lowest stake is £0.10 per spin.
• Check the paytable. The information menu displays the 10 paylines, symbol values and complete rules for the Free Spins feature.
• Spin the reels. Regular wins form when matching symbols connect across adjacent reels from left to right.
• Look for hooked Bass Scatters. Landing at least three anywhere in view starts the Big Bass Bonanza Free Spins round.

Big Bass Bonanza uses a fixed 5x3 layout. Unlike a Megaways slot, its reel height and number of paylines remain unchanged between spins.

There are 10 paylines in total. A regular winning combination must begin on the first reel before continuing across the second, third and any additional adjacent reels.

More than one payline can win in the same round. When that happens, each completed combination is calculated before the results are added together.

Scatter symbols follow different rules. They can trigger Free Spins from any position and do not need to sit along one of the 10 marked lines.

Playing-card symbols run from 10 through to Ace and form the lower-paying group. Above them are five fishing-themed symbols: mixed fish, a dragonfly, tackle box, fishing rod and float.

The figures below show the relative payouts based on a £1 total wager. Actual cash values change alongside the selected stake.

The fishing float is the strongest ordinary symbol. It is also the only regular icon that can pay with two matching symbols on an active line.

Three special symbols control the bonus mechanics.

Fisherman Wild

The Fisherman only appears during Free Spins. He substitutes for ordinary paying symbols and collects the values attached to every Money Fish currently visible.

Money Fish

During the bonus, fish symbols can display randomly selected cash values reaching as high as 2,000 times the bet. A value is only collected when at least one Fisherman lands in the same spin.

Hooked Bass Scatter

The Scatter shows a bass caught on a hook. Three, four or five appearing anywhere across the reels start Free Spins with 10, 15 or 20 rounds respectively.

Nearly all of Big Bass Bonanza’s distinctive mechanics are contained within its Free Spins round. The Money Fish, Fisherman Wild, Dynamite modifier and collection meter work together throughout the feature.

Big Bass Bonanza Free Spins

The number of Free Spins awarded depends on how many hooked Bass Scatters trigger the bonus:

• Three Scatters award 10 Free Spins.
• Four Scatters award 15 Free Spins.
• Five Scatters award 20 Free Spins.

The Fisherman Wild becomes available as soon as the feature begins. Fish symbols can also receive cash values, but those amounts are not automatically paid simply because they appear.

A Fisherman must land alongside them to complete the collection.

How the Money Fish Feature Works

Each Money Fish displays a multiple of the current bet. When a Fisherman lands, he collects all the visible values and adds the combined amount to the bonus win.

For example, suppose three fish show values of 2x, 5x and 10x. One Fisherman appearing alongside them would collect a total of 17x.

More than one Fisherman can arrive in the same round. Each one collects every Money Fish in view, meaning the same combined values can be awarded more than once.

The provider lists possible Money Fish values reaching up to 2,000x. However, the complete feature remains subject to the game’s overall 2,100x maximum-win limit.

The Fisherman Wild Meter

Every Fisherman that appears during the feature is counted on the meter above the reels. Progress remains in place between Free Spins.

Reaching each group of four Fishermen produces a retrigger:

• Four Fishermen: 10 additional Free Spins and a 2x collection multiplier.
• Eight Fishermen: Another 10 Free Spins and a 3x multiplier.
• Twelve Fishermen: A final 10 Free Spins and a 10x multiplier.

The new multiplier applies during the retriggered batch of spins. Once active, it increases the amounts collected by the Fisherman from any Money Fish appearing alongside him.

Only three retriggers are available. Starting with 20 Free Spins from five Scatters and unlocking all three additional batches would create a maximum of 50 spins during one feature.

Dynamite Modifier

The Fisherman can still help when he appears without any Money Fish available to collect.

In this situation, a Dynamite modifier may activate and replace some ordinary symbols with new Money Fish. Their values can then be collected by the Fisherman already in view.

The modifier is not guaranteed every time an empty Fisherman lands. Like every reel outcome and bonus event, its appearance is decided by the game.

Big Bass Bonanza has a maximum win of 2,100 times the bet.

Once the accumulated return reaches that limit, the round ends and the capped amount is awarded. Any Free Spins still remaining at that point are not played.

The Money Fish can display a value as high as 2,000x, but that does not raise the game’s overall limit. All payline wins, collections and multipliers contribute towards the same 2,100x cap.

Big Bass Bonanza Tips

No strategy can change the symbols produced by the game or make Free Spins appear more frequently. Every result is generated independently.

There are still a few practical points worth remembering:

Check the Selected Stake

Confirm the amount shown before pressing Spin. Altering the stake changes the cash value of every payline win and Money Fish collection, but it does not improve the chance of landing a particular symbol.

Understand the Collection Feature

Money Fish values are not automatically collected during Free Spins. At least one Fisherman must appear in the same round.

Set Limits Before Playing

Big Bass Bonanza has a high-volatility profile, so returns can vary sharply over a short period. Decide on a spending and time limit beforehand rather than changing either in response to previous results.

Do Not Chase the Final Multiplier

The 10x level requires 12 Fishermen during a single bonus. Its appearance is never guaranteed, and no betting pattern can move the meter forward faster.

Big Bass Bonanza and Big Bass Splash belong to the same series, but they are separate games.

The original Big Bass Bonanza uses five reels, three rows and 10 fixed paylines. Its Free Spins round starts with between 10 and 20 spins, and its maximum win is 2,100x.

Big Bass Splash keeps the Fisherman collection format but introduces additional modifiers and raises the maximum-win limit. It also uses different symbols and moves the fishing trip to another location.

Players looking for the simplest version of the collection mechanic may prefer the original. Big Bass Splash adds more activity around the reels while preserving the main Wild Meter structure.

• Fishin’ Frenzy: Fishin’ Frenzy is another well-known fishing slot built around a character who collects values from fish during Free Spins. It predates Big Bass Bonanza and uses its own five-reel payline setup.
• Fishin’ Pots of Gold: Gold Blitz: Fishin’ Pots of Gold combines angling imagery with Irish folklore. Its mechanics move away from the familiar Big Bass Wild Meter while retaining a fishing-led setting and collection features.
• Big Bass Splash: Released after the original, Big Bass Splash moves the action to a new fishing location and adds modifiers capable of introducing Wilds or Money Fish during the feature. Its maximum win is higher than the original’s 2,100x limit.

Heart Bingo’s slots catalogue also contains newer Big Bass releases for players who want the same central mechanic with different reel layouts or modifiers.