The fishing theme is one of the most popular themes throughout the iGaming community, with a wide range of slot providers jumping on the bandwagon of creating slot games based around the activity of fishing. From Big Bass Bonanza to Kingfisher, there are a host of slot games that feature different mechanics, yet all are based on catching fish! Here, we will look at some of the best fishing-themed slot games on the market and what makes them so special!
Fishin’ Frenzy
It wouldn’t be right to talk about fishing-themed slot games without mentioning one of the greatest of all time, Fishin’ Frenzy. Released in 2014 by Reel Time Gaming, Fishin’ Frenzy was one of the first fishing-themed slot games to really take off with huge popularity. Using an animated art style, the charming graphical design sets the tone with animated fish and seagulls being used throughout the reels.
The most interesting part about Fishin’ Frenzy is the bonus feature, which can be activated by landing three scatter symbols on the same spin. Landing 3, 4 or 5 scatter symbols will award the player with 10, 15 or 20 free games, depending on how many symbols land. In this bonus mode, the fisherman symbol will collect all cash value symbols that land in the same spin, with the fisherman reeling in all of the different fish. The fish cash value symbols can come with different values, making for an interesting bonus feature.
Big Bass Bonanza
Big Bass Bonanza is another titan in the fishing-themed slot games catalogue, gaining impressive popularity and standing toe-to-toe with the great Fishin’ Frenzy. Released in 2020 by Reel Kingdom, Big Bass Bonanza looks very similar to other fishing games, with the playgrid taking place underwater, yet there are plenty of other symbols used, such as tackle boxes and dragonflies, to make sure Big Bass Bonanza is distinctive from other fishing-themed games.
One aspect that helps Big Bass Bonanza stand out from other fishing-themed games is the array of bonus features available, including cash value symbols, wild symbols, and free spins! The free spins bonus also implements an interesting feature with every wild collected being added to a metre, which can award more spins and even an increased multiplier, making this bonus feature very interesting.
Kingfisher
One of the biggest differences between Kingfisher and the other online fishing-themed games is the theme and aesthetic of the game. Instead of being set underwater, Kingfisher is set on a lakeside where we can see the tranquil lake and scenery. Wishbone released the slot title in 2024 and really focused on creating a relaxing theme throughout the slot game.
Whilst also having a different aesthetic, the bonus mechanics here are unique, which help the game stand out from the crowd easily. Above each reel, there is an egg which can hatch in the free spins mode, which will modify the gameplay in a different way from multipliers to respins! There are still some hints to other releases, such as Big Bass Bonanza with the fish cash value symbols, which are present in almost every fishing-themed slot game.
The Rodfather Megaways
Perhaps one of the unique additions to this list would be The Rodfather Megaways, which not only features the popular fishing theme but it utilises the extremely popular Megaways mechanic, which allows for more paylines as different amounts of symbols can land on each reel. The Rodfather Megaways was released in 2022 by Booming Games and is not only based on freshwater fishing but also on fishing in the ocean, with octopus and swordfish being used as some of the symbols.
What makes The Rodfather Megaways so popular is the Fishin’ Time bonus, which is basically the exact same feature that we have seen in Fishin’ Frenzy with a collect symbol collecting any fish symbols that land on the same spin. However, there are also mystery symbols which all transform into the same symbol, which is a feature not seen in other fishing-themed slot games.
Shark Hunter
Released by Atomic Slot Lab in 2024, Shark Hunter is a fishing-themed slot game with a twist, as much of the gameplay focuses on sharks! With an animated art style, the charming and bubbly graphics of Shark Hunter stand out as they look incredibly modern. With symbols such as octopus and, of course, sharks, the imagery and aesthetic of Shark Hunter is slightly different compared to others such as Kingfisher.
One of the best parts of Shark Hunter is the bonus feature, which is split up into two separate parts with the free spins and the gold spins. The free spins operate in a very similar way to Fishin’ Frenzy, as the collect symbol will collect values. The gold spins give the player an opportunity to multiply their free spins amount by landing golden sharks, making for an exhilarating experience!
