Big Bass BonanzaTidebound Table
THE LAGOON EDITION

The rules of
Tidebound Table

A complete lap is optional. Eight rounds, a well-timed delivery and a few thoughtful detours decide whose logbook tells the best fishing story.

The rules of Tidebound Table
2–4 playersAbout 25 minutesRoute & collection
BEFORE THE FIRST DECISION

Set the table.

  1. 01

    Lay out the twelve-space route. Put jetties at spaces 0, 3, 6 and 9; alternate the three habitats between them.

  2. 02

    Shuffle 36 catch cards, 18 lure cards and 12 current cards into separate decks. Catch cards show one habitat and a value from one to three points.

  3. 03

    Each player takes a boat, two random lure cards and an empty catch hand. Put every boat at the home jetty; choose the first skipper.

01

Read the current

Roll a three-sided movement die, or a standard die with 1–2 meaning one step, 3–4 two steps and 5–6 three steps. Move clockwise.

02

Choose your work

On a habitat, spend its matching lure to take a catch of that habitat. Instead of casting, draw two lures and keep one. On a jetty, you may deliver any catches.

03

Keep the useful bits

Bank the printed value of delivered fish. Keep at most five catches and four lures; return excess cards to their discard piles. Pass play clockwise.

04

Close the logbook

A round ends after everyone has taken a turn. After round eight, deliver any remaining catches for one point each, regardless of printed value, then compare totals.

Making the scatter set

Collect the reef, channel and mangrove scatter symbols shown on catches you deliver. Return one of each symbol to take a free one-space move immediately. Resolve that space normally. A ripple cannot trigger another ripple during the same turn.

What decides the result?

The highest banked total after eight rounds wins. A tie goes to the skipper who delivered fish from more different habitats; if that is also equal, share the harbour honours.

After the first session

The basic lagoon game uses catches and lures. For an expanded table, give each skipper one Lagoon Scout to use once, reveal one current card at the beginning of each round, and make the Dockside Delivery bonus available to everyone. Resolve each current’s printed effect once. These additions are optional; agree on them before the first roll.

Tidebound Table is an independent tabletop concept inspired by the fishing world of Big Bass Bonanza. Here, the action takes place on a twelve-stop lake route: wooden boats, illustrated catches and the satisfying decision to cast once more or head home.

See the illustrated card guide
A SMALL INTERACTIVE EXAMPLE

Take a little
practice trip.

Try the movement part of a turn. The example boat starts at the home jetty; each roll advances it around the twelve-stop route. Cards and scoring stay outside this short demonstration.

  1. 00Home
  2. 01Reef
  3. 02Channel
  4. 03Jetty
  5. 04Mangrove
  6. 05Reef
  7. 06Jetty
  8. 07Channel
  9. 08Mangrove
  10. 09Jetty
  11. 10Reef
  12. 11Channel

Your boat is at the home jetty. Roll to explore the route.

QUESTIONS FROM THE TABLE

Before we
push off.

Ask about this edition
Is this an official Big Bass Bonanza board game?

No. Tidebound Table is a fan-made tabletop design concept with its own rules. The name identifies its inspiration; this website is not the publisher or an official game service.

Do I need to know anything about fishing?

Only the three habitat colours. The matching lure icons do the practical work, while the names give the table a little character.

What happens when a deck runs out?

Shuffle that deck’s discard pile to form a new deck. If no discarded cards are available, choose the resupply option or deliver what you already hold.

Can we play without the special movement die?

Yes. Read a normal six-sided die in pairs: one or two moves one space, three or four moves two, and five or six moves three.