Big Bass Cluster Catch Slot Review
A bearded fisherman leans on a barrel of dynamite at the end of a sunlit dock, pines behind him, a frog keeping him company on the deck boards. It’s the usual Big Bass lakeside, yet the game underneath it is built on an argument: that this series works better without paylines. Pragmatic Play have kept the fisherman, the money symbols and the rod, and swapped the reels for a 6×5 grid where any five or more connected symbols pay, with tumbles clearing the winners.
The claim holds up better than it might sound, mostly because the money symbols that sit inert through the base game give every tumble something to watch. The maths is gentler than the series’ usual punch: 96.52% RTP, medium volatility and a 10,000x ceiling, with stakes from 0.10 to 500. Alongside Big Bass Bonanza and Big Bass Splash, it’s the same lake with the water rearranged.
Cluster Pays and the Tumble
All symbols pay in blocks of at least five connected horizontally or vertically. Only the highest win is paid per combination, and wins from multiple clusters in one spin are added together. Everything is multiplied by the base bet, which sits between 0.10 and 500.
After every spin, winning symbols disappear and everything above falls into the gaps, with new symbols dropping in from the top. SCATTER and MONEY symbols are spared the clear. Symbols that vanish without being part of a win can turn into MONEY symbols at random.
Tumbling continues until no new winning combination appears, and the round’s whole tally lands in your balance once the chain is done.
The Paytable
Symbols pay as multiples of the total bet:
- Lure (red and white bobber): 5x, 10x, 20x, then 50x for 8-9, 100x for 10-11 and 500x for 12-30
- Watering Can: 2x, 5x, 10x, then 20x for 8-9, 50x for 10-11 and 250x for 12-30
- Dragonfly: 1x, 2x, 5x, then 10x for 8-9, 20x for 10-11 and 100x for 12-30
- Tackle Box: 0.4x, 1x, 2x, then 5x for 8-9, 10x for 10-11 and 50x for 12-30
- Bait Plate: 0.2x, 0.5x, 1x, then 2.5x for 8-9, 5x for 10-11 and 25x for 12-30
- A, K and Q: 0.1x, 0.2x, 0.5x, then 1x for 8-9, 2.5x for 10-11 and 10x for 12-30
The FISHERMAN WILD stands in for every symbol except MONEY symbols, and it only shows up once free spins are running.
MONEY Symbols, the Fish Basket and the TNT Barrel
MONEY symbols appear on every spin, each carrying a random value from a fixed set: 2x, 5x, 10x, 15x, 20x, 25x, 50x or 1000x the base bet. In the base game they sit there looking valuable. The FISHERMAN WILD collects them all once free spins arrive.
When one or two SCATTER symbols hit, they’re gathered in the FISH BASKET above the reels. At random, a hook may swing down and pull two, three, four or five SCATTER symbols onto the board to trigger the feature outright. It’s a teaser with teeth: the basket is only a graphic, but the scatters it hoards can turn into a trigger.
The TNT BARREL works on a similar delay. Whenever a 2×2, 3×3, 4×4 or 5×5 block is cleared as part of a winning cluster, a stick of dynamite moves to the barrel. The barrel can only go up during free spins, and its chance of exploding depends on how much dynamite the base game stocked up.
Free Spins
Landing three, four, five or six SCATTER symbols anywhere on the grid awards 10, 15, 20 or 30 free spins respectively. Special reels are in play throughout. Each FISHERMAN WILD that lands collects every MONEY symbol value on screen, and wilds don’t explode during tumbles, so they stay put and keep working.
Every fourth wild collected retriggers the feature and awards 10 more spins, and the collection multiplier climbs: 2x on the first retrigger, 3x on the second and 10x on the third. After the third retrigger the feature can’t be retriggered again. MONEY symbols also pay as normal cluster symbols during the round, so a screen of fish can win twice over.
Random Features
Three random events can fire during free spins:
- DYNAMITE: when wilds are on screen but no MONEY symbols, random symbols change into MONEY symbols with random values
- BAZOOKA: same trigger condition, but random symbols, except FISHERMAN WILD symbols, change into something else, including MONEY symbols with random values
- TNT BARREL: explodes at random and adds MONEY symbols with random values in random positions
The barrel is the payoff for the dynamite the base game quietly banks. Collect more blocks in normal play and the free spins round carries a bigger bang into it.
Ante Bet and Buy Feature
The ante bet doubles the chance of triggering free spins naturally by putting more SCATTER symbols on the reels, at the cost of disabling the buy menu. It runs at 96.53% RTP against 96.52% in normal play.
Two buys are on offer:
- FREE SPINS at 120x the base bet, guaranteeing three to six SCATTER symbols on the triggering spin, at 96.52% RTP
- SUPER FREE SPINS at 500x the base bet, same scatter guarantee, at 96.52% RTP
The super version needs only three wilds per retrigger instead of four, and it hits MONEY symbols worth 1000x the base bet more often. At 500x a spin, it’s a purchase for bankrolls that can already weather the ordinary version.
Our Honest Verdict
Overall Rating: 7.8/10
Playing this is a familiar outing on a rearranged lake, and the reason to pick it is the same one that’s always drawn people here: watching the fisherman sweep a screen full of money fish into the net. What makes this version worth the trip is that the base game isn’t dead time. Money symbols sit in the grid waiting to matter, the basket hoards near-miss scatters, and the dynamite you bank early pays off later. That’s more connective tissue than this series usually builds between a spin and its bonus.
The weakness is where the money actually lives. The 10x collection multiplier only arrives after three retriggers, so the biggest results are locked at the far end of the longest runs, and medium volatility means those runs are no certainty. The super buy at 500x is a steep price for skipping the queue.
It’s an easy one to like for anyone who already enjoys the collect loop and fancies it in a shape that keeps the tumbles moving. Chasers of the genre’s tallest multiplier ladders will want deeper water. For everyone else, this is a comfortable spot on the dock, and the tackle box has dynamite in it now.
Big Bass Cluster Catch FAQs
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How does the free spins feature trigger in Big Bass Cluster Catch?
Hit three or more SCATTER symbols anywhere on the grid and the round begins: three scatters are worth 10 free spins, four give 15, five give 20 and six give 30. The FISH BASKET can also pull two to five scatters onto the reels at random after one or two have been collected. -
What does the FISHERMAN WILD do?
It appears only during free spins and stands in for every symbol except MONEY symbols. Each wild collects all MONEY symbol values on screen, doesn’t explode during tumbles, and every fourth one collected retriggers the feature with 10 more spins and a higher collection multiplier. -
Can free spins retrigger in Big Bass Cluster Catch?
Yes. Every fourth FISHERMAN WILD collected awards 10 more spins and raises the money collection multiplier to 2x, then 3x, then 10x. After the third retrigger, no further retriggers are possible. -
What is the RTP of Big Bass Cluster Catch?
96.52% in normal play and 96.53% with the ante bet. Both buy options run at 96.52%. -
Is Big Bass Cluster Catch high volatility?
No, it’s a medium volatility game. The pay range varies from low to very high, with steadier returns than the series’ more volatile entries. -
What is the grid size of Big Bass Cluster Catch?
A 6×5 grid. Symbols pay in clusters of five or more connected horizontally or vertically, with a tumble mechanic clearing winners after each spin. -
What is the minimum and maximum bet on Big Bass Cluster Catch?
Stakes run from 0.10 to 500.00 per spin. -
Can you buy the bonus on Big Bass Cluster Catch?
Yes. Free spins cost 120x the base bet and SUPER FREE SPINS cost 500x, both guaranteeing three to six scatters on the triggering spin. The super version retriggers every three wilds instead of four and hits 1000x money values more often.
