Feature Breakdown
Another entry in the Fishin’ Frenzy series, and this one adds a fish upgrade system to a formula that has barely changed since the original Fishin’ Frenzy first appeared. Fishin’ Frenzy The Big Catch is a 5-reel, 10-payline slot from Blueprint Gaming, built under licence from Reel Time Gaming, and if you have played any game in this series before, you already know roughly what to expect. The same cheerful ocean backdrop, the same fisherman wild collecting cash-tagged fish during free spins, and the same medium volatility rhythm. What The Big Catch adds is a progressive upgrade path for fish values across the bonus round, which is genuinely the only meaningful difference between this and its predecessor. For more games in the franchise, see the full Fishin’ Frenzy series page.
Wild Symbol
The fisherman acts as the wild and substitutes for all symbols except the scatter and the fish symbols. In the main game it simply completes paylines. During free spins it takes on a much more important role, collecting the cash values attached to every fish symbol visible on the reels whenever it appears.
Scatter and Free Spins
The boat scatter triggers the free spins round when three or more land anywhere in view. Three scatters award 10 free spins, four award 15, and five award 20. During free spins, fish symbols display cash values. Whenever the fisherman wild appears on the same spin as one or more fish, he collects the total value of all visible fish and adds it to your bonus winnings. This collection system is the core of every Fishin’ Frenzy game and works identically here.
The Big Catch Fish Upgrade
This is the feature that separates The Big Catch from the original. Every fisherman symbol that lands during free spins is counted on a collection meter. Once four fishermen have been collected, the lowest-value fish symbols on the reels upgrade to the next tier. This means the 2x and 5x fish become 10x and 15x fish. Collect another four fishermen and the next lowest tier upgrades again. The process can repeat through seven possible upgrade levels, and collecting four fishermen also awards five additional free spins each time. By the end of a long bonus round, it is theoretically possible for only the highest-value 50x fish to remain on the reels, which is how the game reaches its stated 50,000x maximum.
How to Play
Rules & Paytable
Fishin’ Frenzy The Big Catch uses 5 reels, 3 rows, and 10 fixed paylines. Wins form on adjacent reels from left to right, with only the highest win paid per line. Bets range from £0.10 to £100 per spin. The game runs at medium volatility with an RTP of 96.12%, though a lower 95.32% version exists on the Jackpot King variant. Line wins are multiplied by the value bet on that line, so at a £1.00 total bet you are staking £0.10 per line.
Demo Payouts
Symbol values below reflect a £0.10 bet per line (£1.00 total bet). All payouts scale with your selected stake.
| Symbol | 5 on a Line | 4 on a Line | 3 on a Line | 2 on a Line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelican | 2000 | 200 | 50 | 5 |
| Fishing Rod | 1000 | 150 | 30 | – |
| Lifebuoy | 500 | 100 | 20 | – |
| Fish (any) | 200 | 50 | 10 | – |
| A / K / Q / J / 10 | 100 | 25 | 5 | – |
Fish symbols also carry cash value tags during the free spins round, ranging from 2x to 50x your total bet. These values are collected by the fisherman wild and paid as additional prizes on top of any standard payline wins.
UltimateSlots Verdict
Fishin' Frenzy The Big Catch adds one genuinely good idea to a series that otherwise resists change. The fish upgrade system gives the free spins round a progression arc that the original lacked, and watching low-value catches get replaced by bigger fish creates real anticipation as the bonus unfolds. Beyond that single addition, this is the same Fishin' Frenzy experience that has been available for years. Solid, familiar, and unlikely to surprise anyone who knows the series.
✓ What We Like
- The fish upgrade system adds meaningful progression to an otherwise static free spins format
- Collecting four fishermen for five extra spins keeps the bonus round alive longer than the original
- 96.12% RTP sits about average and the medium volatility keeps sessions relatively steady
- Clean, readable interface that loads quickly and works well on mobile
✗ What Could Be Better
- Visually and mechanically almost identical to the original Fishin' Frenzy outside of the upgrade feature
- Despite being a 2022 title, as of 2026, it's definitely starting to look a bit dated and a bit of a recycled format
- The 50,000x stated maximum is theoretical and requires an extreme chain of upgrades that most sessions will never approach
- Standard play offers very little engagement between bonus triggers
Detailed Review
Slot Demo Play Notes:
The Fishin’ Frenzy series has always traded on familiarity, and The Big Catch is no exception. Open it up and the same bright underwater scene greets you, the same pelicans and lifebuoys populate the reels, and the same gentle soundtrack plays underneath. If you are coming to this slot from the original, the transition is seamless because almost nothing has changed on the surface.
Where the demo earns its keep is inside the free spins. The upgrade path transforms what was previously a straightforward collection round into something with actual stakes. Early in the bonus you are catching 2x and 5x fish, which barely register. But every four fishermen collected push those values upward, and by the third or fourth upgrade level the fish remaining on the reels start carrying 20x and 25x tags. The maths shift noticeably. A single fisherman appearing alongside three upgraded fish suddenly delivers a meaningful payout instead of the pocket change the early spins produce.
The comparison to other Fishin’ Frenzy variants is inevitable. The Big Catch sits between the stripped-back original and the more volatile Megaways version. It offers more win potential than the classic but far less structural change than Megaways or Even Bigger Catch. Players who want the familiar Fishin’ Frenzy rhythm with one extra layer of depth will find exactly that here. Players looking for something genuinely new from the series will need to look further along the lineup.
Blueprint Gaming has built an entire franchise around iterating on this template, and The Big Catch represents a careful, conservative step forward. The upgrade system works. The session feel remains accessible. But the review experience also highlighted how little else has evolved, and for a game released in 2022 the presentation feels dated compared to what other developers were producing at the same time. Worth a free play session to test the upgrade path, but probably not a game that becomes part of your regular rotation unless you are already a committed fan of the series.
Pictures
The loading screen introduces the game, showcasing details about The Big Catch upgrade.
A small 4.50 win gave us a jolt with the buzzing classic slot arcade sound effects.
