Big Bass Bonanza Megaways takes Pragmatic Play's beloved fishing formula and bolts the Megaways engine onto it — up to 46,656 ways to win instead of 10 fixed paylines, a shifting 6-reel grid with 2 to 7 rows per reel, and a tumbling cascade system layered on top of the original's fisherman wild collection mechanic. Released in November 2021 through Pragmatic Play's Reel Kingdom collaboration, it carries a 96.70% RTP, high volatility, and a max win of 4,000x your stake — nearly double the original Big Bass Bonanza's 2,100x ceiling. For SA players who already love the fisherman collection tension but want more simultaneous win positions and a bigger top end, this is the natural upgrade.
How the Big Bass family compares: the original Big Bass Bonanza runs a fixed 5×3 grid with 10 paylines and a 2,100x max win — the accessible entry point. Bigger Bass Bonanza stretches that to a taller 5×4 grid with 12 paylines for a 4,000x ceiling. Big Bass Bonanza Megaways goes further still, replacing fixed paylines entirely with a variable Megaways engine of up to 46,656 ways, matching Bigger Bass Bonanza's 4,000x max win but arriving at it through a completely different reel structure. If you're new to the family, the original is the best starting point.
How to Play Big Bass Bonanza Megaways
Instead of the original's fixed 5×3 grid with 10 paylines, Big Bass Bonanza Megaways uses six reels with a shifting number of rows — anywhere from 2 to 7 rows per reel on any given spin — which generates up to 46,656 individual ways for symbols to line up and win. Wins are read left to right across adjacent reels rather than along fixed lines, and a tumble (cascade) mechanic clears winning symbols and drops new ones in from above, potentially chaining further wins within the same spin.
The fishing theme carries over unchanged from the original: a fisherman, bass and other fish symbols, tackle boxes, hooks, and boots, all set against the same warm lakeside backdrop that's made Big Bass Bonanza a global favourite. If you've played the original or Bigger Bass Bonanza, the visual identity here is immediately familiar — the mechanics underneath the reels are what's changed.
Symbols & Payouts
| Symbol | High-Value Match Payout (R10 spin) |
|---|---|
| Wild (Fisherman) | ~R2,500+ depending on ways formed |
| Big Bass (high value fish) | ~R1,500 |
| Medium Bass | ~R900 |
| Small Fish | ~R550 |
| Tackle Box | ~R280 |
| Fishing Rod | ~R170 |
| Playing Card A–J | ~R50–R120 |
Because Megaways can form far more simultaneous win positions than a 10-payline grid, the same symbol combinations that would produce a single payline win in the original can register multiple times across different ways in a single tumble — this is a large part of why the max win ceiling nearly doubles versus the original.
Bet Range in Rands
Minimum bet: R1.00 per spin. Maximum bet: R250 per spin.
Feature Breakdown
Megaways Engine
Each spin randomly sets the number of visible rows (2 to 7) on each of the six reels independently, which changes the total number of ways to win from spin to spin — anywhere up to the maximum of 46,656. This is the core structural difference from every other title in the Big Bass family, all of which use fixed grids and fixed paylines.
Tumbling Wins
After a winning combination pays out, the contributing symbols are removed and new symbols fall in from above to fill the gaps, potentially forming further wins on the same spin without an additional bet. Combined with the Megaways engine's variable ways count, a single spin can chain several tumbles across a shifting number of ways.
Fisherman Wild Collection — The Signature Mechanic
The same core mechanic that defines every Big Bass title carries over here, adapted to the Megaways structure: during free spins, when the fisherman wild lands, he collects every money symbol currently visible across the grid and pays them out, multiplied by however many fisherman wilds are visible simultaneously. Because the Megaways grid can display up to 7 rows on some reels, more symbol positions are visible at once than on the original's fixed 5×3 layout, which means more potential money symbol positions for the fisherman to collect from when he lands.
Free Spins — Scatter Trigger
Land 4 or more scatter (fish) symbols anywhere across the reels to trigger free spins, with higher scatter counts awarding more spins. During the feature, money symbols accumulate on the shifting Megaways grid while you wait for a fisherman wild to land and collect them — the same tension-and-release dynamic the Big Bass family is known for, just with more simultaneous positions in play at any given moment.
Bonus Buy
Bonus Buy: 100x your bet for guaranteed free spins entry. On a R10 spin, that's R1,000 — the same proportional cost as the rest of the Big Bass family.
RTP & Volatility
RTP: 96.70% standard Volatility: High Max Win: 4,000x stake
RTP Variant Table
| Version | RTP |
|---|---|
| Provider Default | 96.70% |
| Low RTP Variant | 95.66% (some SA casinos) |
| Low RTP Variant | 94.62% (some SA casinos) |
High volatility, in line with the rest of the Big Bass family, but the Megaways engine's variable ways count and tumbling mechanic add extra shape to the outcome distribution compared to a fixed-payline game. Sessions can swing between quiet stretches with few visible ways and hot stretches where a high-row spin combined with tumbles produces several chained wins in a row.
Bets & Max Win in Rands
| Setting | Amount |
|---|---|
| Minimum Bet | R1.00 per spin |
| Maximum Bet | R250 per spin |
| Max Win | 4,000x stake |
| Max Win at R10/spin | R40,000 |
| Max Win at R25/spin | R100,000 |
| Max Win at R50/spin | R200,000 |
The 4,000x ceiling is nearly double the original Big Bass Bonanza's 2,100x, a direct result of the Megaways engine creating far more simultaneous win positions for the fisherman collection mechanic to work across during free spins.
Myth-Busting
"More rows on the Megaways grid means a guaranteed bigger win." A higher row count increases the number of ways to win on that spin, which increases the opportunity for wins to form — it doesn't guarantee a win occurs or that its size will be larger. The RNG still determines which symbols land in those positions.
"Big Bass Bonanza Megaways pays better than the original because it has more ways to win." Both games are built by the same provider with broadly similar high-volatility profiles, but "more ways" doesn't equate to "higher RTP" — the theoretical return is a function of the full paytable and feature design, not the ways count alone. Check the specific RTP figure for each game before assuming one out-pays the other.
"The fisherman collects less on a Megaways spin because there are more symbols to share the pot." Money symbol values are independent of how many total positions are on the grid. The fisherman collects the full value of every money symbol visible when he lands, multiplied by the number of fisherman wilds present — the presence of extra rows doesn't dilute individual money symbol values.
"You should always play at the maximum row count for better odds." The number of rows per reel is randomised each spin and isn't something a player can select or influence. There's no setting to force a higher-row spin.
"Bonus Buy is worth more on Megaways because the max win is higher." The Bonus Buy's expected value tracks the game's overall RTP, not the headline max win figure. A higher max win ceiling means a wider spread of possible outcomes from the buy, not a better average return from it.
Strategy & Tips
Big Bass Bonanza Megaways sits alongside the rest of the Big Bass family as a high (not very high) volatility game, meaning it's more forgiving on bankroll than Gates of Olympus-tier titles while still requiring sensible sizing.
Bankroll Sizing
| Bankroll | Recommended Bet | Expected Spins |
|---|---|---|
| R400 | R2.00 | ~200 spins |
| R1,000 | R5.00 | ~200 spins |
| R2,000 | R10.00 | ~200 spins |
| R5,000 | R25.00 | ~200 spins |
Understanding the Ways Count
Because the number of ways to win shifts every spin, don't judge a spin's potential purely by how the reels "look." A visually busy grid with 7 rows on multiple reels does carry more win positions than a sparse 2-row spin, but the outcome on any individual spin is still RNG-determined — treat the ways count as a structural feature of the game, not a signal to change your bet.
Comparing Bonus Buy to the Rest of the Family
If you've bonus-bought the original Big Bass Bonanza or Bigger Bass Bonanza before, the same 100x cost and EV logic applies here. The higher max win ceiling (4,000x vs 2,100x) means slightly wider variance on individual buy outcomes, but not a better long-run return.
Stop-Loss
50% of session bankroll — consistent with the high (not very high) volatility profile shared across the Big Bass family.
Mobile Experience
Big Bass Bonanza Megaways runs on the same well-optimised Pragmatic Play mobile framework as the rest of the family, with the added visual complexity of the shifting Megaways grid.
Android: Very good. The shifting row count and tumble animations render smoothly on mid-range and flagship devices, though the taller grid states (6-7 rows) are easier to read on larger screens.
iOS: Clean Safari performance with no noticeable slowdown during high-row spins or extended tumble chains.
Orientation: Landscape is recommended given the variable grid height — portrait mode can feel cramped when several reels display their maximum row count simultaneously.
Data usage: Slightly higher than the original Big Bass Bonanza due to the extra animation complexity of the shifting Megaways grid and tumble cascades.
Graphics & Sound
Big Bass Bonanza Megaways keeps the warm, cheerful fishing aesthetic of the original while adapting the presentation to the taller, shifting Megaways grid.
Visuals: The lakeside sunset backdrop, detailed fish and tackle symbols, and animated fisherman all carry over from the original, now displayed across a grid that visibly expands and contracts row by row each spin. The tumble animations are smooth and the fisherman collection sequence remains the visual highlight of the free spins feature.
Sound: The same country/folk-tinged soundtrack and satisfying collection jingle from the original Big Bass Bonanza carry through, with the escalating reel sound during a fisherman collection scaling appropriately with larger Megaways win totals.
Overall production quality: 9/10. A faithful and well-executed adaptation of the Big Bass formula onto the Megaways engine, without losing the charm that made the original popular.
Who Should Play / Who Should Skip
Play Big Bass Bonanza Megaways If You:
- Already enjoy the fisherman collection mechanic from the original Big Bass Bonanza
- Want a higher max win ceiling (4,000x) without stepping up to extreme-volatility cluster pays titles
- Like the variable Megaways engine over fixed paylines
- Have a bankroll that supports 200+ spins at your chosen bet
- Want more simultaneous win positions in play on each spin
Skip Big Bass Bonanza Megaways If You:
- Prefer the simplicity of fixed paylines
- Are completely new to the Big Bass family — start with the original first
- Need very frequent small wins rather than tension-and-release feature mechanics
- Are chasing the 50,000x-tier ceilings of Pragmatic Play's most extreme cluster pays titles
- Find shifting grid heights visually distracting
FAQ
What is the difference between Big Bass Bonanza Megaways and the original Big Bass Bonanza?
The original uses a fixed 5×3 grid with 10 paylines and a 2,100x max win. Megaways replaces the fixed grid with a shifting 6-reel structure of 2 to 7 rows per reel, generating up to 46,656 ways to win, and raises the max win to 4,000x. The fisherman wild collection mechanic is shared across both.
What is the maximum win on Big Bass Bonanza Megaways?
4,000x your stake. At R10/spin that's R40,000. At R25/spin it's R100,000. This is nearly double the original Big Bass Bonanza's 2,100x ceiling.
How does the fisherman mechanic work in Big Bass Bonanza Megaways?
During free spins, when the fisherman wild lands, he collects all money symbols visible on the grid and pays their combined value, multiplied by the number of fisherman wilds visible simultaneously. The Megaways grid's extra row capacity means more potential money symbol positions are in play compared to the original's fixed grid.
What is the RTP of Big Bass Bonanza Megaways?
The default RTP is 96.70%. Some SA casinos may run lower configurations around 95.66% or 94.62% — check the game info panel before playing.
How do I trigger free spins in Big Bass Bonanza Megaways?
Land 4 or more scatter (fish) symbols anywhere across the reels. Higher scatter counts award more free spins.
Does Big Bass Bonanza Megaways have a Bonus Buy?
Yes. The Bonus Buy costs 100x your bet for guaranteed free spins access, the same proportional cost as the rest of the Big Bass family.
Is Big Bass Bonanza Megaways better than Bigger Bass Bonanza?
Both share the same 4,000x max win, but they reach it through different structures — Megaways uses a shifting-row engine with up to 46,656 ways, while Bigger Bass Bonanza uses a fixed taller 5×4 grid with 12 paylines. Preference comes down to whether you like fixed paylines or a variable ways engine.
Can I play Big Bass Bonanza Megaways on mobile in South Africa?
Yes. It runs on the same HTML5 framework as the rest of the Big Bass family and performs well on Android and iOS, ideally in landscape orientation.
Conclusion
Big Bass Bonanza Megaways takes a formula SA players already know and love and gives it a genuinely different engine to run on. The shifting Megaways grid, tumbling wins, and nearly doubled max win ceiling of 4,000x make it a worthwhile step up from the original for players who want more variance and more simultaneous win positions, without leaping all the way to the extreme volatility of Pragmatic Play's cluster pays titles.
The fisherman wild collection mechanic — the heart of every Big Bass game — remains just as satisfying here, arguably more so given the extra grid real estate the Megaways engine provides during a hot free spins run.
More Pragmatic Play slot reviews and bankroll guides at NocturneBets game guides.