Big Bass Splash Pokie Review – Pragmatic Play's 2022 Bass Fishing Game

Big Bass Splash comes from Pragmatic Play, a studio that has produced dozens of fishing-themed pokies. This one is built on a 5x3 grid with 10 fixed paylines. Wins form when matching symbols land on a line from the leftmost reel, which is standard for this format.

What sets it apart from a typical 5x3 pokie is the theme and the way the bonus game works. The setting is a bass fishing trip, with a Mega-truck and tackle box as part of the visual package. The main character is a fisherman who acts as a wild symbol.

The base game is straightforward: spin the reels, match symbols, and hope for scatters to trigger free spins. The real action happens in the bonus round, where the fisherman collects fish money values. That mechanic is the core of the game's appeal.

To play Big Bass Splash, set your bet using the selector, which ranges from $0.10 to $250 per spin. The game uses a 5x3 grid with 10 fixed paylines, so winning combinations must land on a line from the leftmost reel. The paytable and game information are available via the info button, which shows the RTP version and feature details. The spin button starts a round. If you want to enter the bonus round directly, you can use the bonus buy option, which costs 100x your current bet. This is a significant outlay, so it's best used when you have a large bankroll and prefer skipping the base game.

Big Bass Splash is high volatility, meaning wins come less often but can be larger when they land. For a session, you need to account for dry spells. With a $50 bankroll, a sensible bet is around $0.50 per spin, giving you 100 spins to work with. For a $200 session, you could go up to $2 per spin, which gives the same 100-spin buffer.

The bonus buy costs 100x your bet. If you bet $1, that's $100 per attempt. At $0.50, it's $50. This is a significant outlay, so it suits players who want to skip the base game and go straight to free spins.

No betting system changes the RTP. The game's return is fixed by the maths, so bet sizes only affect how long your bankroll lasts, not your expected return.

The key features in Big Bass Splash are:

• Free spins trigger: Land 3, 4, or 5 scatters to get 10, 15, or 20 free spins respectively.
• Two-scatter assist: With 2 scatters on the reels, you get reel respins or a hook mechanic to help land the third scatter.
• Wild fisherman collection: During free spins, the wild fisherman collects the value of all visible fish money symbols. For example, if three fish symbols show $5, $10, and $20, the fisherman adds $35 to your win.
• Extra spins and multipliers: Every 4 wilds collected adds +10 spins and increases the multiplier level: x2, x3, then x10.
• Random pre-feature modifiers: Before the bonus round, you may get extra money symbols, wilds, or extra spins.
• Bonus buy: Pay 100x your bet to enter the free spins directly.

A win could build like this: you trigger 10 free spins, collect 4 wilds to get +10 spins and a x2 multiplier, then land a fish money symbol worth $50, which becomes $100.

The default RTP for Big Bass Splash is 96.71%, as listed on the official Pragmatic Play page. However, the game is available in a range of versions from 94.60% to 96.71%. This means the version you play can vary depending on where you play.

To put it in dollars: at 96.71%, for every $100 wagered, the theoretical return is $96.71, so the house edge is $3.29. At 94.60%, the return is $94.60, so the house edge is $5.40. That's a difference of $2.11 per $100 wagered.

The maximum win is 5,000x your stake. If you bet $1, that's a potential $5,000 payout. At $0.10, it's $500.

Always check the RTP version in the game's info panel before you play, as it can affect your long-term returns.

The demo version of Big Bass Splash uses play credits but runs the same maths and RTP version as the real-money build at the casino you open it in. A demo session is useful for understanding the high volatility and how often the free spins trigger, as well as how the wild fisherman collects fish money symbols. You can also test how different bet sizes feel across the range, from $0.10 to $250, without risking real money. When you switch to real AUD, bets become real, and the minimum and maximum limits apply, so you'll need to manage your bankroll accordingly.

Big Bass Splash is available at Chica Bonita, More Chilli, where you can play in AUD. There is a demo mode, so you can try the game for free before wagering real money.

When you play for real, check the RTP version in the game's info panel, as it may differ from the default. If you or someone you know needs help with gambling, contact Gambling Help Online at 1800 858 858.

Starlight Princess — Both are high-volatility Pragmatic Play pokies with a 5,000x max win. Starlight Princess uses a 6x5 scatter-pays grid with tumble wins and multiplier symbols, while Big Bass Splash uses a 5x3 payline structure and a collect mechanic. The free spins features differ significantly.

Legacy of Egypt — This Play'n GO pokie shares high volatility and a 5,000x max win with Big Bass Splash, but uses a 5x3 layout with 3-20 free spins and random multipliers. Big Bass Splash's wild fisherman collect mechanic and multiplier progression set it apart.

John Hunter and the Tomb of the Scarab Queen — Another Pragmatic Play title, but with medium volatility and a 10,500x max win. It uses a 5x3 layout with a Money Collect feature, similar to Big Bass Splash's fish collection, but the free spins trigger and multipliers differ.