Big Bass Mission Fishin’ Review: Free Spins or Stack The Cash? We’ll Help You Choose.

Another Day, Another Bass? Not Quite!

Right then, let’s be honest. You can’t browse a casino lobby these days without bumping into our favourite bearded fisherman. He’s been to the Amazon, he’s been to the races, he’s even had a go with Megaways. So, when “Big Bass Mission Fishin'” landed in front of me and my mate, my first thought was, ‘Here we go again, another fishing trip.’ But I have to hold my hands up – I was wrong. This isn’t just another re-skin.

Pragmatic Play has swapped the sunny riverbanks for a high-stakes, underwater covert operation set at night. Our man is now a secret agent in a wetsuit, armed with gadgets and a spear gun, on a mission to stop some kind of robotic fish menace. It’s a brilliant, fresh take on the series that feels more like a spy thriller than a lazy Sunday fishing session.

But the theme isn’t the biggest news. The real game-changer is that when you trigger the bonus, you get a choice. A massive choice. Do you stick with the classic, progressive Free Spins round that Big Bass fans know and love? Or do you take on the brand new, nail-biting “Stack The Cash” feature?. This guide is your mission briefing. We’re going to break down exactly how it all works, what’s new, and most importantly, help you decide which bonus mission to accept to maximise your fun and your potential winnings.

The Basics: Your Mission Briefing

Before we dive into the deep end, let’s get the basic intel sorted. At its heart, Big Bass Mission Fishin’ is built on a familiar chassis. It’s played on a 5-reel, 3-row grid with 10 fixed paylines, so if you’ve played any of the other games in the series, you’ll feel right at home. You can get in on the action for as little as 10p a spin, or if you’re a high roller, you can crank it all the way up to £250.

Now, the most important thing to understand about this mission is its volatility, which is rated as high. In simple terms, this means the game can be a bit ‘all or nothing’. You might have some quieter spells where you’re just watching the reels spin without much happening, but the wins, when they do hit, can be proper whoppers. Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint; you’re playing for that one big catch, not lots of little tiddlers.

This design choice is deliberate. The quiet base game, which can sometimes feel like a bit of a grind, builds a real sense of anticipation. You start craving that bonus round, and the near-misses with two scatters just make you want it more. So when it finally hits, the feeling of relief and excitement is massive, making the feature feel even more valuable and rewarding.

The game’s Return to Player (RTP) is a very respectable 96.50%. Don’t get too bogged down in the numbers; think of it as the theoretical amount the game is designed to pay back over millions of spins. It’s not a guarantee for your session, of course, but it’s a good indicator of fairness. Just be aware that some casinos might offer a lower version, so it’s always worth a quick check of the paytable before you start.

The Big Choice: Breaking Down the Bonus Rounds

This is where the action really is. Land three or more of those robotic fish scatter symbols, and you’ll be faced with the game’s crucial choice. This isn’t just a cosmetic difference; these two bonus rounds offer completely different experiences, appealing to different kinds of players. It’s a brilliant move that gives you, the player, more control over your own adventure. Let’s break them down.

Feature 1: The Classic Free Spins Round

If you’re a veteran of the Big Bass series, this will feel like coming home – but your home has been kitted out by Q from James Bond. Landing 3, 4, or 5 scatters gets you 10, 15, or 20 free spins respectively.

Before the spins even start, the spy theme kicks in with a fantastic pre-game. You’re presented with six top-secret files and you get to pick them one by one to reveal mission-enhancing modifiers. This is your chance to load up on gadgets! You can uncover five different perks:

• More Fish: Adds more cash-value fish symbols to the reels.
• More Fishermen: Adds more of our secret agent Wild symbols.
• More Gadgets: Increases the chance of the Dynamite, Hook, and Bazooka features triggering.
• Start From Level 2: A huge boost that starts you on the second level of the progressive trail.
• +2 Spins: Adds two extra spins to your starting total.

You keep picking and stacking these upgrades until you reveal a boot, which ends the briefing and starts the main event.

Once you’re in, the goal is the same as it’s always been: land the Fisherman Wild at the same time as the fish money symbols, and he’ll reel in all their cash values for you. The real thrill, however, comes from the progressive meter at the top of the screen. Every Fisherman you land is collected, and for every four you gather, you level up. Each level-up awards you 10 more free spins and increases the multiplier for all your fish collections. It goes from 2x on level two, to 3x on level three, and finally to a whopping 10x multiplier on level four.

This feature is all about the build-up. It’s a journey of progression, where every fisherman you land feels like a step closer to a massive payday. The excitement escalates as you climb the levels, chasing that incredible 10x multiplier where the game’s biggest wins are hiding.

Feature 2: The “Stack The Cash” Bonus

If you choose this option, prepare for a completely different kind of mission. The regular reels disappear and are replaced by a new grid containing only special Fish Coin symbols and blank spaces. This is a “hold and respin” style bonus, and it’s all about survival.

You start the round with four “lives,” or respins. Every time you land a Fish Coin symbol, it locks in place and, crucially, your respin counter resets back to four. This creates a wonderfully tense, edge-of-your-seat experience. You can have three dead spins in a row, thinking it’s all over, only to land a single coin on the fourth spin and be right back in the game.

At the bottom of each of the five reels, a little robo-crab is waiting. If you manage to fill an entire reel with three Fish Coins, the crab below it gobbles them up, adding their combined value to its own counter and clearing that reel so more coins can land.

But the real star of this show is the Bomb. Whenever a new Fish Coin lands, a bomb can randomly drop on one of the reels. This explosive device DOUBLES the value of all the coins currently on that reel, and it also doubles the total value already collected by the robo-crab underneath it. This is the game-changer. You could be building up a decent pot on one of the crabs, and a single bomb can turn a good win into a spectacular one in a flash. This feature is less about a slow build and more about punctuated moments of high drama and sudden, explosive wins.

The Verdict: Which Bonus Should YOU Pick?

So, you’ve landed your scatters and the choice is yours. Which mission do you accept? There’s no right or wrong answer, as it completely depends on what kind of thrill you’re after. Think of it as choosing your own emotional rollercoaster.

The Free Spins round is a journey of progression and escalation. You’re always building towards a clear goal: that next level on the multiplier trail. The excitement grows steadily as you get closer to the 10x finale. The Stack The Cash round is a journey of survival and sudden spikes. You’re constantly on the edge, fighting to stay in the game, with the potential for a random bomb to completely change your fortunes in an instant.

Here’s a simple breakdown to help you decide on the fly:

Choose Free Spins if…

• …you’re a fan of the classic Big Bass experience. This is the feature you know and love, just with some cool new spy gadgets.
• …you enjoy the thrill of a progressive feature, where you feel like you’re building towards something massive.
• …you’re chasing that one, single, screen-clearing monster win. The potential of that 10x multiplier is where the 5,000x top prize is most likely hiding.
• …you prefer the relative safety of a guaranteed number of spins over a more volatile “lives” system.

Choose Stack The Cash if…

• …you love the modern “hold and win” or “respin” style of bonus that’s become so popular.
• …you prefer watching your winnings pot build up visually in real-time on the crabs below the reels.
• …you get a bigger buzz from sudden, game-changing moments, like a Bomb doubling your take in a flash.
• …you enjoy the tense, nail-biting feeling of trying to reset your spin counter and “survive” for as long as possible.

To make it even clearer, here’s a quick head-to-head comparison:

Feature	Best For…	Vibe	Key Thrill
Free Spins	Chasing that one legendary, multiplier-powered win.	A progressive build-up, mission-style.	Collecting the 4th fisherman to level up to the 10x multiplier.
Stack The Cash	Watching your winnings stack up steadily with sudden boosts.	Tense, life-by-life survival.	Landing a “bomb” on a full reel to double your pot in a flash.

The Look and Feel: Is the Spy Theme Any Good?

In a word: yes. The spy theme is a brilliant change of pace for the series. Moving the action to a dark, underwater setting at night immediately gives the game a more serious and exciting atmosphere. The usual cheerful, banjo-led soundtrack has been replaced with a pulsating, spy-movie beat that perfectly complements the on-screen action and keeps the tension high.

The developers have paid great attention to detail with the symbols, too. The old tackle box is now a sleek spy briefcase, the dragonfly has become a high-tech drone, and our fisherman is kitted out in a full scuba suit, armed with a spear gun instead of a rod. These changes show a real commitment to the theme.

Crucially, the theme isn’t just a pretty coat of paint; it cleverly justifies the new game mechanics. The pre-bonus pick game feels like a proper “mission briefing” where you select your gear. The Stack The Cash round, with its robo-crabs and bombs, feels like a high-tech mini-game you’d expect a secret agent to play. It all fits together perfectly, making the new features feel natural and integrated rather than just tacked on. It’s a fun, well-executed concept that genuinely elevates the entire experience.

Our Final Catch: Is Big Bass Mission Fishin’ Worth a Spin?

So, after all the espionage and underwater action, what’s the final verdict? Let’s weigh it all up.

On the plus side, the power of choice is a massive win. Having two genuinely different and equally exciting bonus rounds to choose from adds huge replay value and lets you tailor the game to your mood. The 5,000x maximum win potential provides that massive target that keeps every spin exciting. And, of course, the fresh spy theme is brilliantly done, breathing new life into a familiar series.

On the other hand, you can’t ignore the high volatility. This game can be tough on the bankroll and requires patience, so it might not suit players who prefer smaller, more frequent wins. And while the new features are fantastic, it’s true that the base game still shares a lot of DNA with previous titles, particularly Big Bass Splash. If you’re completely burned out on the core Big Bass loop, this might not be different enough to win you back.

So, what’s the final catch? Big Bass Mission Fishin’ is an absolute must-play. It takes the formula we all know, injects it with a shot of adrenaline from a cool spy theme, and then hands YOU the power to choose your own adventure with two fantastic bonus rounds. It’s the most innovative and engaging entry in the series for a long time.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the fisherman or a newcomer wondering what all the fuss is about, this mission is one you’ll definitely want to accept. Give it a spin – you won’t regret it.

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