Epic Fish Marlin Madness

Chasing the Black Marlin in the Coral Sea

Epic Fish Marlin Madness is the second instalment in Quickspin's Epic Fish series, moving the fishing action from tropical shallows to the Coral Sea in search of a fabled Black Marlin. It plays out on a 5-reel, 3-row grid with 10 paylines, a 96.1% RTP and a 7,673x maximum win.

Theme and gameplay feel

Head angler Bazza McReel leads the charge here, and the presentation sticks closely to the series template: a gaming grid floating beneath blue water, a palm-fringed shoreline above it, and an odd Celtic-tinged backing track that feels slightly out of step with the tropical visuals. It is competent rather than distinctive, though the changing locations across the Epic Fish range do give the series a nice sense of travelling somewhere new each time.

RTP and what it means

At 96.1% for the top configuration, Epic Fish Marlin Madness sits just above the usual benchmark, with three lower RTP settings also available depending on where you play. That is a reasonable return for a fishing slot of this style, and worth confirming before you settle into a session.

Volatility and hit frequency

Quickspin rates this one 3 out of 5, medium volatility, with a hit frequency of 24%. That translates to a fairly steady rhythm of wins without huge base-game swings, leaving the bigger multipliers to build during the three free spins modes rather than the regular reels.

Betting, the extra row and paytable

Stakes run from 0.10 to 100 per spin. Activating the extra bet doubles the stake and adds a fourth row to the bottom of the grid, which the developer states boosts the chance of triggering the Fish Collection feature by 203%. During free spins, if the Black Marlin appears on that extra row it boosts the Black Marlin multiplier meter directly. On the regular paytable, 10-to-Ace symbols pay 2x to 7.5x for five in a line, while fish, a can of worms, binoculars, shellfish and turtles sit in the higher-paying tier.

Max win potential

The Black Marlin itself is the headline chase here, with its value able to climb as high as 5,000x across the three free spins tiers, and the game's overall ceiling sitting at 7,673x once everything lines up. It is a slow-build structure rather than a single explosive trigger, rewarding patience through the free spins progression.

Verdict

Epic Fish Marlin Madness will not surprise anyone who has played a fish-collector before, but the extra row mechanic and the Black Marlin chase give it a bit more shape than most. Medium volatility keeps things approachable for a wider range of bankrolls. Fire up the free demo at johnessyslots.com to see the extra row in action before playing with real money.