🎣 Bob Marlin Goes Deep: Slot Overview
Time to cast off, breathe in that imaginary sea breeze, and reel in some virtual wins — it’s fishing time, courtesy of Yggdrasil Gaming. While Yggdrasil isn’t the most frequent name in the fishing slot genre, they’ve dipped their toes into these waters before, and with Bob Marlin Goes Deep, they’re back for another cast. However, this isn’t your typical “catch-the-cash” fishing slot. There’s no money symbol collector mechanic here — instead, players join Bob on a slightly different deep-sea journey focused on expanding the grid and hooking high-paying symbols.
Bob Marlin himself is the star of the show — a cheerful angler who sticks close by as you spin the reels. The opening screen does a fine job of setting the tone, showing Bob at the helm of a boat cutting through crystal waters under sunny skies. The in-game visuals aren’t quite as polished, but there’s a breezy, laid-back charm that keeps the experience light and enjoyable. This isn’t a slot that overwhelms with complexity — it’s more about kicking back, spinning, and seeing if Bob can land you a catch worth shouting about.
🎰 Reel Mechanics & Payouts
Give that spin button a tap, and Bob Marlin springs into action, yanking the crank to set the 5×4 reels in motion. The base setup offers 1,024 ways to win, but as the reels expand — potentially reaching up to 7 rows high — this can increase dramatically to 16,807 ways.
Players can hop aboard this fishing adventure with bets ranging from €0.10 to €125 per spin. At its best, the slot delivers a generous 96.8% RTP, though lower versions may be offered at 90.5%, depending on the platform. True to its laid-back vibe, volatility is low, making Bob Marlin Goes Deep a smooth sail rather than a shark-infested thrill ride.
On the reels, the paytable features a mix of classic low-paying J-A royals and higher-paying fishing gear — including cans, hooks, reels, and tackle boxes. But the real catch of the day? Super high-paying symbols (blue, green, purple, and red) which only appear during Collection Free Spins. Here’s what to expect payout-wise:
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5x low-paying symbols → 0.6x the bet
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5x high-paying symbols → 0.8x to 1.4x the bet
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5x super high-paying symbols → 2.8x to 4x the bet
Interestingly, there are no wilds in Bob’s tackle box — a design choice that keeps the focus squarely on expanding reels and bonus features.
🎣 Features & Free Spins – Bob Marlin’s Big Catch
Bob Marlin isn’t just here to spin reels — he’s got a plan. His goal? Land scatters, expand the reels, hook collectible fish, and dive into Free Spins or the more lucrative Collection Free Spins, where exclusive super high-paying symbols can reel in the big wins.
🧱 Expanding Reels
Scatters can land on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th reels during the base game. Each scatter that appears adds one extra row to the bottom of the game grid. Reels can expand by up to 3 additional rows, transforming the layout to a 5×7 grid. However, reel height resets after each spin unless a bonus is triggered.
🔄 Free Spins
Landing 3 scatters in a single spin awards 10 Free Spins, which are played on the fully expanded 5×7 grid. During this bonus, scatters and Collectable fish do not appear, focusing all the action on standard symbol wins.
🐟 Collectable Symbols & Collection Free Spins
In the base game, Collectable fish symbols can only appear on the expanded rows (i.e., rows 5–7). New players start their journey with 3 Orange fish in their collection meter. Here’s how it works:
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Collect 5 fish of the same color to trigger 5 Collection Free Spins.
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If multiple collections complete simultaneously, Free Spins play in this order: Blue → Green → Purple → Orange.
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If both Free Spins and Collection Free Spins are triggered at once, regular Free Spins are played first.
Collection Free Spins also use the 5×7 expanded grid, but with a twist:
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Only super high-paying symbols matching the collected fish’s color will appear.
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These spins use the average stake used during the collection process.
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No scatters or Collectable symbols show up during Collection Free Spins.
🎣 Bob Marlin Goes Deep: Slot Verdict
Bob Marlin Goes Deep doesn’t exactly dive into uncharted waters — and unfortunately, it struggles to make much of a splash. Despite a charming opening screen and a decent RTP (if you’re lucky enough to hit the 96.8% version), the overall experience quickly loses steam.
While Yggdrasil has explored aquatic themes before — with solid results in titles like Golden Fish Tank or through partner hits like 4 Fantastic Fish — Bob Marlin Goes Deep feels oddly underwhelming. It skips the now-standard collector/money symbol mechanic found in many fishing slots, opting instead for a reel expansion and collection system that never really hooks the player.
In the base game, expanding the grid by catching scatters sounds promising, but often only adds a single row that resets right after. Without any cascading wins or increased symbol frequency, the mechanic feels shallow. Triggering Free Spins should be a highlight, but even with a fully expanded 5×7 grid, the bonus round feels flat — no collectors, no scatters, just spins with a wider play area.
Collection Free Spins offer a slight boost by introducing exclusive high-paying symbols, but it’s not enough to salvage the pacing or excitement. The collection mechanic is mildly interesting, but takes time to build, and the payoff often doesn’t justify the effort.
With a max win of 3,905x, Bob Marlin Goes Deep offers fair potential, but in a crowded sea of fishing-themed slots, it struggles to stand out. The end result? A pleasant enough trip, but one that feels more like a soggy detour than a deep-sea adventure.