General information about Big Bass Secrets of the Golden Lake
Big Bass Secrets of the Golden Lake is a Pragmatic Play slot published on the provider’s website on March 31, 2024. The fisherman searches for the treasures of the golden lake, and the game offers two different bonus modes.
The grid is 5×3 with 10 fixed paylines. The RTP is 96.07% in all modes: 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 5,000x the bet; with the Ante Bet it is 3,334x the increased bet. According to the provider, the max win occurs about once in 3.4 million spins. The high volatility is amplified here by the fact that the bonus mode is determined at random.
Big Bass Secrets of the Golden Lake specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Provider | Pragmatic Play |
| Release date | March 31, 2024 (date the game was published on the provider’s website) |
| Grid | 5×3 |
| Game type | Video slot with two types of free spins and a Bonus Buy |
| Pay mechanic | 10 fixed paylines |
| RTP | 96.07% (base game); 96.07% with the Ante Bet; 96.07% 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 | 5,000x the bet (with the Ante Bet — 3,334x the increased bet); probability according to the provider — 1 in 3.4 million spins |
| Min/Max bet | $0.10 – $250 per spin (demo server; casino limits depend on the jurisdiction) |
| Free spins | Up to 20 for 5 Scatters; +10 for every 4 fishermen |
| Multipliers | Progressive multipliers at the retrigger levels |
| Bonus Buy | Yes: 100x the bet or 270x the bet (enhanced bonus option) |
| Ante Bet | Yes: bet ×1.5 |
| Demo version | Yes, free on this page |
| Mobile/desktop version | Yes: HTML5, smartphones, tablets and desktop |
| Bonus mechanics | A pick from 12 cards, the Golden Lake mode with golden diamonds and reel rewinds, a bonus meter |
| Jackpot | None |
| License | Depends on the operator’s jurisdiction |
Symbols and payouts
The paytable has 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. The low symbols are split into two groups paying 10x and 5x for a full line.
Golden diamonds play an important role in the Golden Lake mode, but they don’t take part in line wins.
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. On a line it pays like a regular symbol. |
Low Symbol I
|
10x | 2,5x | 0,2x | — | |
Low Symbol II
|
10x | 2,5x | 0,2x | — | |
Low Symbol III
|
5x | 1x | 0,2x | — | |
Low Symbol IV
|
5x | 1x | 0,2x | — | |
Low Symbol V
|
5x | 1x | 0,2x | — | |
Wild (Fisherman) Wild
|
— | — | — | — | The Fisherman Wild collects money values. If there are several fishermen, each of them adds the values to the total win. |
Scatter Scatter
|
— | — | — | — | 3 or more Scatters trigger a card pick. 5 Scatters give a maximum of 20 free spins. |
Bonus features and mechanics
Trigger and card pick
Three or more Scatters trigger the bonus. Five Scatters give the maximum — 20 free spins. The bonus begins with picking one of 12 cards. Most cards open classic free spins, and only two lead to the Golden Lake mode. The bonus can be bought for 100x the bet, or you can choose the enhanced option for 270x.
Classic free spins
The fisherman collects the values of Money symbols. Every four fishermen add 10 free spins and raise the multiplier. The bonus meter helps increase the number of spins and the multipliers.
Golden Lake
In this mode, the fisherman can hook golden diamonds. The reels then rewind, giving a chance to catch more prizes. The mode is geared towards bigger money wins.
Multiple fishermen
If there are several fishermen on the screen in either mode, each one collects the values, and all of them are added to the total win.
Pros and cons
A brief summary of the advantages and drawbacks.
Pros
- Two types of bonus, including the Golden Lake mode
- Reel rewinds with golden diamonds
- Values accumulated from several fishermen
- Two Bonus Buy options and an Ante Bet
Cons
- The 96.07% RTP is lower than in the original game of the series
- Only two of the 12 cards lead to Golden Lake
- 5,000x cap
Hands-on testing in demo mode
In the demo, the base game behaves as standard: small wins are frequent, and the bonus arrives irregularly.
Most bonuses end in classic free spins, because only two of the 12 cards open Golden Lake. The classic mode behaves as in the early games of the series. Golden Lake is rare, but it gives a big result noticeably more often.
The spread matches high volatility: the outcome depends heavily on which mode lands.
Verdict and rating
Big Bass Secrets of the Golden Lake is a game with a rare but valuable Golden Lake mode. It makes every card pick a tense moment.
Beginners will find the mechanic clear thanks to the classic mode, which comes up most often. For long sessions with a micro bankroll, the game works at minimum bets. High rollers should take into account the 96.07% RTP and the 5,000x cap.
Editorial rating: 7.9 out of 10.
Rating methodology
The final score is a weighted combination of maths, bonuses and usability, not an overall impression.
- 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-secrets-of-the-golden-lake/ |
| Pragmatic Play — official demo server | Game configuration: RTP of modes, max win, paytable, bets | https://demogamesfree.pragmaticplay.net/gs2c/openGame.do?gameSymbol=vs10bblotgl&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 | – |
