How Big Bass and the Gold Ness Monster Works
Pragmatic Play's Reel Kingdom studio has crafted a unique fusion of the beloved Big Bass fishing franchise with Scottish mythology. This isn't your typical bass fishing trip—you're hunting treasure beneath Loch Ness alongside a bearded fisherman king, where the legendary Gold Ness Monster guards spectacular riches.
The Base Game Mechanics
The slot operates on a 5-reel, 3-row grid with 10 fixed paylines. Wins form left to right on adjacent reels. Your highest-paying regular symbol is the fishing bobber (white and red float), delivering 5000x your line bet for five of a kind. Premium symbols include a stunning blue-purple dragonfly, a fishing rod and reel, and an open treasure chest filled with tackle.
Standard card symbols (A, K, Q, J, 10) are beautifully rendered in medieval calligraphic style with purple, coral, and golden hues—each adorned with Celtic-inspired flourishes and gem accents.
Understanding MONEY Symbols
The bass fish wearing a Mexican sombrero isn't just charming—it's the MONEY symbol. At every spin, these symbols are randomly assigned cash values ranging from 2x to an extraordinary 5000x your total bet. The values include: 2x, 5x, 10x, 15x, 20x, 25x, 50x, 100x, 200x, 500x, 1666x, 2500x, or 5000x. These values only pay during the FREE SPINS feature when a FISHERMAN WILD lands.
Triggering Free Spins
Land 3, 4, or 5 SCATTER symbols (the Gold Ness Monster in a circular medallion) anywhere on the reels to trigger the bonus. You'll receive 10, 15, or 20 free spins respectively. Before the round begins, you pick one card from 12 options. If you reveal a BONUS card, you get the regular FREE SPINS. Reveal THE GOLD NESS MONSTER card, and you trigger the premium GOLD NESS FREE SPINS mode.
If only 2 SCATTERs land, don't lose hope—two random features can help. The reels with SCATTERs may move down one position whilst the others respin, or an additional SCATTER can randomly appear after the initial spin result.
⚠️ Maximum Win Cap: If total wins in a FREE SPINS round reach 5000x your bet, the round immediately ends, you're paid the win, and all remaining spins are forfeited.
Regular FREE SPINS Feature
During regular free spins, the FISHERMAN WILD symbol (the bearded king with crown and fishing rod) appears on all reels. Its power: it substitutes for all symbols except SCATTER and MONEY symbols, and collects the cash value of every MONEY symbol visible on screen when it lands.
All FISHERMAN WILDS that appear are collected in a meter. Every 4th wild collected triggers a retrigger: +10 free spins are added, and the collection multiplier increases. Level 1 starts at 1x. After the 4th wild (level 2), multiplier becomes 2x. After the 8th wild (level 3), it's 3x. After the 12th wild (level 4), it jumps to 10x. The feature cannot retrigger beyond the fourth level.
GOLD NESS FREE SPINS (Premium Mode)
This is where the magic intensifies. All regular symbols fade from the reels, replaced by special reels containing only MONEY symbols, FISHERMAN WILDS, and blank positions. The round starts with 10 free spins.
Every spin, any winning payline combinations with MONEY symbols pay out. Additionally, every FISHERMAN WILD that lands collects all MONEY values on screen, multiplied by the current level multiplier. The same retrigger system applies: every 4th wild adds +10 spins and increases the multiplier (1x → 2x → 3x → 10x).
Random Features During Free Spins
Three random features can activate during any free spins mode to boost your chances:
- If FISHERMAN WILDS appear but no MONEY symbols, MONEY symbols can randomly appear in empty positions
- If MONEY symbols appear but no FISHERMAN WILDS, a hook animation pulls a random reel upward to bring FISHERMAN WILDS onto the screen
- A curtains animation can change all symbols (except FISHERMAN WILDS) to something else, creating better combinations
Ante Bet and Buy Options
Activate the "HIGHER CHANCE TO WIN FEATURE" to multiply your bet by 15x. This significantly increases SCATTER frequency on the reels, making free spins triggers more common. When using ante bet, there's also a chance that 3 SCATTERs will be added randomly after a near-miss, though the base spin result won't pay for lines when this happens.
Alternatively, buy the feature outright: pay 100x your bet to trigger FREE SPINS with card selection, or pay 270x to go directly to GOLD NESS FREE SPINS without card selection.
Why 98% RTP Matters
Big Bass and the Gold Ness Monster offers an exceptional 98.00% RTP across all modes (base game, ante bet, and both buy options). This is significantly above the industry average of 96% and means, theoretically, for every £100 wagered over the long term, the game returns £98 to players.
Combined with high volatility, this slot is designed for patient players chasing substantial wins. Expect longer dry spells punctuated by explosive bonus rounds where the 10x multiplier at level 4, combined with multiple MONEY symbols showing 1666x or 2500x values, can create life-changing moments.
