General information about Bigger Bass Blizzard – Christmas Catch
Bigger Bass Blizzard – Christmas Catch is a Pragmatic Play slot published on the provider’s website on November 20, 2022. The lake is frozen, but the fish are still biting: the familiar symbols got a winter makeover, and snowmobiles appeared on the reels.
The grid is 5×4 with 12 fixed paylines. The RTP in the base game and with the Ante Bet is 96.08%, and with the Bonus Buy 96.07%. Bets range from $0.12 to $240 per spin; the Ante Bet increases the bet by 1.5 times.
The max win is capped at 4,000x the bet; with the Ante Bet it is 2,667x the increased bet. According to the provider, the max win occurs about once in 980 thousand spins. This is one of the most frequent figures in the series, although the model remains highly volatile.
Bigger Bass Blizzard – Christmas Catch specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Provider | Pragmatic Play |
| Release date | November 20, 2022 (date the game was published on the provider’s website) |
| Grid | 5×4 |
| Game type | Video slot on a 5×4 grid with free spins and a Bonus Buy |
| Pay mechanic | 12 fixed paylines |
| RTP | 96.08% (base game); 96.08% 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 | 4,000x the bet (with the Ante Bet — 2,667x the increased bet); probability according to the provider — 1 in 980 thousand spins |
| Min/Max bet | $0.12 – $240 per spin (demo server; casino limits depend on the jurisdiction) |
| Free spins | Triggered by 3 or more Scatters; +10 for every 4 fishermen |
| Multipliers | A growing multiplier at the retrigger levels |
| 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 instant money prizes, levels with multipliers |
| Jackpot | None |
| License | Depends on the operator’s jurisdiction |
Symbols and payouts
The paytable has four premium symbols (among them fishing rods, reels and snowmobiles), 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.
On a line, the Money symbol pays only for four and five of a kind.
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 | — | 5x | 1x | — | A symbol with a money value of up to 4,000x the bet. On a line it pays for 4 and 5 of a kind. |
| 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 instant money prizes. Every 4 fishermen move the bonus to the next level. |
| Scatter Scatter | — | — | — | — | 3 or more Scatters trigger free spins. |
Bonus features and mechanics
Triggering free spins
Three or more Scatters trigger free spins. The bonus can be bought for 100x the bet, and the Ante Bet increases the chance of triggering it.
Prize collection
In free spins, the Fisherman Wild collects the instant money prizes on the screen. Values go up to 4,000x the bet.
Levels and multipliers
To move to the next level, you need to collect four fishermen. Each level retriggers free spins and gradually raises the multiplier.
The mechanic repeats Bigger Bass Bonanza. The look, the Ante Bet and the Bonus Buy are what differ.
Pros and cons
A brief summary of the advantages and drawbacks.
Pros
- 5×4 grid with 12 paylines
- A relatively frequent max win (about 1 in 980 thousand spins)
- Bonus Buy for 100x and an Ante Bet
- Money prizes of up to 4,000x the bet
Cons
- The 96.08% RTP is lower than in Bigger Bass Bonanza
- 4,000x cap
- No modifiers before the bonus
Hands-on testing in demo mode
In the demo, the base game behaves more evenly than in the 5×3 games: 12 paylines and the fourth row give small wins more often.
In free spins on the bigger grid, several prizes are collected at once more often. A bonus without retriggers is less often completely empty, and with retriggers the multiplier makes collections meaningful.
The spread matches high volatility, but the drawdowns between bonuses are softer than in the classic games.
Verdict and rating
Bigger Bass Blizzard – Christmas Catch is a winter version of Bigger Bass Bonanza with an Ante Bet and a Bonus Buy. The 4,000x cap is more modest than in the newer games, but it is reached relatively often.
The game suits beginners and players with a small bankroll well thanks to the smoother base game. High rollers may find the 4,000x cap limiting.
Editorial rating: 7.8 out of 10.
Rating methodology
We rate every slot in the series using the same scheme so that scores can be compared with each other.
- 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/bigger-bass-blizzard-christmas-catch/ |
| Pragmatic Play — official demo server | Game configuration: RTP of modes, max win, paytable, bets | https://demogamesfree.pragmaticplay.net/gs2c/openGame.do?gameSymbol=vs12bbbxmas&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 | – |
