Abstract: A bottom-seal bag for wickets comprises wicket holes positioned outside an interior side gusset fold when the bag is in a lay-flat condition. The wicket hoes pass through the back panel and side gussets, and in some embodiments, the front panel. Front cut lines in the front panel and front gusset portion reduce the separation force of the front panel of the bag from the wicket as compared to the back panel of the bag. The front cut lines are positioned outside the interior side gusset fold in a lay-flat condition. The cut lines may be continuous or non-continuous. The cut lines allow the front panel and front gusset portions of the bag to be easily separated from the wicket with a low pulling force to reduce operator fatigue and improve reliability of bag filling and separation operations. Additional pulling force separates the back panel and back gusset portion from the wicket, completely releasing the bag.