Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways: Slot Overview

Bass… seriously, why does it always come back to more bass…? Anyway, refocused now, and it’s time to take a look at Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways, an online slot from the bass-fishing regulars at Pragmatic Play and Reel Kingdom. If you’ve somehow been living in total isolation, you may have missed just how huge bass fishing-themed slots have become. A lot of the credit (or the blame) goes to Big Bass Bonanza, a deceptively simple fishing title that absolutely took off and kicked off a wave of sequels and spin-offs. One of the more ambitious results of that evolution is Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways, combining Fish Money symbol collects + Fisherman symbol collects during free spins, a Hold & Spin feature, and Big Time Gaming’s Megaways game engine.

At its core, Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways is based on Big Bass Hold & Spinner, though it’s immediately obvious there’s far more going on visually. Megaways is a big part of that, and this is a sizeable setup: a 6-reel reel set across the lower section, with an extra 4-reel, 3-row grid stacked above it. Beyond that, the vibe stays true to Big Bass Bonanza – rippling water, fish gliding by, a cloudy sky overhead, a cheerful soundtrack, and all the familiar trimmings.

Time to cast out: in Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways, stakes run from 20 p/c to $/€250 per spin, and there are also two bonus buys on offer. However you choose to play, the default RTP is 96.7%, and volatility is rated high (5 out of 5). On the main reel set, as many as 6 symbols can land. Above reels 2-5, there are 3 more rows of symbols. The top row features only wilds and blanks, while the remaining 2 rows may show any symbols. Those upper three rows spin from right to left and are randomly locked or unlocked. Only symbols sitting on unlocked rows can count towards a win, and at the top end, up to 147,456 ways to win are possible.

Whenever a standard win lands, the winning symbols are cleared via the tumble mechanic and new ones drop in. If that tumble creates another win, the sequence continues. Symbol-wise, you’ve got chunky 10 to A royals, plus Fish Money symbols, a tackle box, a dragonfly, a reel, and a float. Hitting six of a kind pays 1 -1.5x the bet for the royals, 1.5x for the fish, and 2 to 50 times the bet for the rest. Wilds can substitute for any standard paying symbol when they land.

Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways: Slot Features

Just like the world isn’t running out of bass slots, Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways isn’t lacking in extras either. It includes Fish Money symbols, Mystery symbols, free spins, a Hold & Spin Bonus, and bonus buys.

Fish Money Symbol

Fish Money symbols can land with values of x2 to 5,000x the bet attached. Those values can be collected during free spins. In the base game, Fish Money symbols explode and tumble away when they form winning ways. In free spins, though, they don’t explode; instead, as tumbles occur, they drop down to the bottom of the screen.

Mystery Symbols

Mystery symbols may appear randomly in either the base game or free spins. In the base game, Mystery symbols transform into the same paying symbol. During free spins, if a spin lands with no Fisherman symbols and no Fish Money symbols, Mystery symbols can randomly show up and then turn into any other random symbols.

Free Spins

Hitting 3, 4, 5, or 6 scatter symbols grants 10, 15, 20, or 25 free spins, respectively. Free spins are also where the Fisherman symbol can appear on all reels but not the topmost row. Every Fisherman symbol that lands collects the values of all Fish Money symbols currently visible. Fisherman symbols are collected as well. For each set of 4 Fisherman symbols collected, +10 more free spins are added. Also, the first, second, and third time this happens, a multiplier of x2, x3, and x10 is awarded. From the fourth retrigger onward, the multiplier increases by +10 without limit. Multipliers apply to the retriggered set of spins and affect Fish Money symbol collections. Retriggered sets begin once the current batch of free spins finishes. Randomly, if only Fisherman symbols are on screen and there are no Fish Money symbols, Fish Money symbols may be added onto the reels.

Hold & Spin

Coin Money symbols can land on all reels apart from the topmost reel that shows prize values. Landing 3 or more Coin Money symbols activates the Hold & Spin Bonus. This bonus plays out on a grid where only Coin Money symbols, Diamond Money symbols, or blanks can appear. The Coin Money symbols that triggered the feature have their values added to the total win, then they are locked to the grid, and 3 respins are awarded. Each time a new Coin Money symbol lands, the respin counter resets to 3, and the value of every Coin Money symbol on screen is added to the total win. Diamond Money symbols can also land with prize values ranging from 50x to 2,000x the bet. If the feature ends and the total win was below 20x, 3 repsins are awarded.

Buy Features

Both features can be purchased from their respective buy menu. Free spins are priced at 100x the bet and will be triggered by 3, 4, 5, or 5 scatters, while Hold & Spin costs 120x the bet and starts with 3-6 Coin Money symbols triggering the feature.

Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways: Slot Verdict

If it felt only a matter of time before the Big Bass series got a hold ’n win-style round, then taking it a step further and bolting Megaways onto it also seems like a very predictable next move. Pragmatic Play, after all, is a relentless tinkerer—constantly building new ideas, reworking older ones, bending concepts, recycling mechanics, cloning past successes, borrowing inspiration—anything to keep the release schedule running at full speed in a way few others in the gambling industry would even consider.

It’s a curious strategy: some experiments land, others fade fast. Very little has landed as strongly as the Big Bass line, which is why it’s expanded so quickly and so widely. Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways feels like a premium, upgraded entry in the collection, much like Floating Dragon Megaways Hold & Spin was to Floating Dragon. It’s loaded with features and mechanics, with Megaways providing the headline appeal. Both bonus rounds benefit from the extra real estate that comes with a Megaways layout. This particular free spins format isn’t exactly new anymore, but the way the multiplier can keep climbing beyond the third retrigger adds a real spark. The Hold & Spinner is also notable because it isn’t a totally standard hold ’n win where you simply land money symbols and cash them out at the end. The key detail is that when new money symbols land, they don’t remain stuck on the reels. Instead, when fresh symbols appear, all visible values are added to the running total, then they spin away, opening up space for more to land later. To finish, the maximum win potential is 20,000x the bet, achievable in the base game, free spins, and the hold & win bonus.

That’s another Big Bass-themed review in the books. Pragmatic Play and Reel Kingdom are releasing these titles at a rapid pace. Maybe the trend will cool off—maybe it won’t. Either way, Big Bass Hold & Spinner Megaways stands out as one of the larger, more deluxe options for fans to dig into.