General information about Big Bass Bonanza – Reel Action
Big Bass Bonanza – Reel Action is a Pragmatic Play slot published on the provider’s website on May 19, 2024. It is an update of the first game in the series: the same 5×3 grid with fishing rods and dragonflies, classic free spins, but now with an Ante Bet and a Bonus Buy.
The game runs on 10 fixed paylines. The RTP is 96.50% in the base game, with the Ante Bet and with the Bonus Buy. Bets range from $0.10 to $250 per spin; the Ante Bet increases the bet by 1.5 times.
The max win is capped at 2,100x the bet, as in the original. With the Ante Bet it is 1,400x the increased bet. According to the provider, the max win occurs about once in 3.9 million spins. The model is highly volatile, but with a moderate ceiling.
Big Bass Bonanza – Reel Action specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Provider | Pragmatic Play |
| Release date | May 19, 2024 (date the game was published on the provider’s website) |
| Grid | 5×3 |
| Game type | Classic video slot with free spins, an Ante Bet and a Bonus Buy |
| Pay mechanic | 10 fixed paylines |
| RTP | 96.50% (base game); 96.50% with the Ante Bet; 96.50% with the Bonus Buy. A casino may use a version with a different RTP — check the game’s info screen |
| Volatility | High (the provider does not publish a scale on its website; the max win and its frequency point to it) |
| Max win | 2,100x the bet (with the Ante Bet — 1,400x the increased bet); probability according to the provider — 1 in 3.9 million spins |
| Min/Max bet | $0.10 – $250 per spin (demo server; casino limits depend on the jurisdiction) |
| Free spins | 10, 15 or 20 for 3, 4 or 5 fish Scatters; extra spins for every 4 fishermen |
| Multipliers | A progressive multiplier of up to 10x (after 12 fishermen) |
| Bonus Buy | Yes: 100x the bet |
| Ante Bet | Yes: bet ×1.5 |
| Demo version | Yes, free on this page |
| Mobile/desktop version | Yes: HTML5, smartphones, tablets and desktop |
| Bonus mechanics | The fisherman collects Money symbols, levels with multipliers |
| Jackpot | None |
| License | Depends on the operator’s jurisdiction |
Symbols and payouts
The paytable repeats the original: four premium symbols, a Money symbol and five low ones. The top symbol gives 200x for five and 0.5x already for two on a line. All low symbols pay the same: 10x for a full line.
Money symbols carry values from 2x to 2,000x the bet and pay like regular symbols on a line.
Payouts are shown as a multiple of the total stake.
| Symbol | 5× | 4× | 3× | 2× | Role in the game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Premium Symbol I
|
200x | 20x | 5x | 0,5x | The highest-paying symbol in the game. Pays already for 2 matching symbols on a line. |
Premium Symbol II
|
100x | 15x | 3x | — | |
Premium Symbol III
|
50x | 10x | 2x | — | |
Premium Symbol IV
|
50x | 10x | 2x | — | |
Money Symbol Money
|
20x | 5x | 1x | — | A symbol with a money value from 2x to 2,000x the bet. On a line it pays like a regular symbol. |
Low Symbol I
|
10x | 2,5x | 0,5x | — | |
Low Symbol II
|
10x | 2,5x | 0,5x | — | |
Low Symbol III
|
10x | 2,5x | 0,5x | — | |
Low Symbol IV
|
10x | 2,5x | 0,5x | — | |
Low Symbol V
|
10x | 2,5x | 0,5x | — | |
Wild (Fisherman) Wild
|
— | — | — | — | The Fisherman Wild collects money values in free spins. Every 4 fishermen add spins and raise the multiplier. |
Scatter Scatter
|
— | — | — | — | Fish Scatter: 3, 4 or 5 award 10, 15 or 20 free spins. |
Bonus features and mechanics
Triggering free spins
Three, four or five fish Scatters award 10, 15 or 20 free spins. The bonus can be bought for 100x the bet, and the Ante Bet increases the chance of triggering it in the base game.
Money symbol collection
In free spins, the Fisherman Wild collects the money values of all symbols on the screen. Values range from 2x to 2,000x the bet, and the total win is capped at 2,100x.
Levels and multipliers
Every four fishermen add free spins and activate a progressive multiplier. After twelve fishermen it reaches 10x.
The mechanic is entirely classic, so the outcome of the bonus depends only on how often fishermen land and on the fish values.
Pros and cons
A summary for those choosing between the original and this version.
Pros
- The classic mechanic of the original
- Bonus Buy for 100x and an Ante Bet
- Money symbols of up to 2,000x the bet
- The same 96.50% RTP for all modes
Cons
- A 2,100x cap, as in the original
- The 96.50% RTP is lower than in the original
- No modifiers before the bonus
Hands-on testing in demo mode
In the demo, the base game behaves as in the original. Small wins on low symbols happen often but don’t make up for the bets, and the balance gradually declines.
The 100x Bonus Buy noticeably speeds up the session, but free spin results are widely scattered. Some bonuses don’t pay back the buy price, and big wins come after retriggers with a multiplier.
The variance matches high volatility. The 2,100x ceiling limits the rare big results.
Verdict and rating
Big Bass Bonanza – Reel Action is the original with the tools it was missing: an Ante Bet and a Bonus Buy. The cap has not changed, though, so the game remains moderate in potential.
The game suits beginners just as well as the original. For long sessions with a micro bankroll, it is better to play without the Ante. High rollers may find the 2,100x cap limiting.
Editorial rating: 7.6 out of 10.
Rating methodology
The rating is made up of several independent criteria; we check each of them against official data and in the demo version.
- Mathematical model (30%) — RTP of the base game and extra modes, the max win and its frequency according to the provider, the bet range.
- Bonus features (30%) — how free spins are triggered, how meaningful the multipliers, modifiers and retriggers are.
- Session balance (20%) — how often small wins occur in the base game and how far the bankroll stretches between bonuses.
- Usability (10%) — readability of the grid, demo loading speed, controls on a smartphone.
- Transparency (10%) — whether the rules, paytable and RTP information are available right in the game.
Official sources
| Source | Type of information | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Pragmatic Play — game page | Description of mechanics, RTP | https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/games/big-bass-bonanza-reel-action/ |
| Pragmatic Play — official demo server | Game configuration: RTP of modes, max win, paytable, bets | https://demogamesfree.pragmaticplay.net/gs2c/openGame.do?gameSymbol=vs10bbbrlact&jurisdiction=99&lang=uk&cur=USD |
| Pragmatic Play — game catalog | List of the provider’s games | https://www.pragmaticplay.com/en/games/ |
| Game rules (info screen in the slot) | Full rules, paytable, RTP of the specific version | – |
