MERCER-The Awkwardly Honest Fishing Podcast

What do pro anglers really say when the cameras are off?

In this episode, 4-time Bassmaster champion Lee Livesay joins Mercer for a completely unfiltered conversation—no notes, no prep, and nothing off limits.

From the rules shaping today’s tournaments to the rise of AI in fishing, Livesay opens up about where the sport is headed… and what’s really being said behind the scenes.

We get into:

   •   The real conversations hap...

What happens in the moments right after you win?

In this episode of the Mercer Podcast, we sit down with three champions — Jacob Foutz, Drew Benton & Mike Iaconelli — immediately following their most recent victories.

No scripts. No time to think. Just raw emotion, real reactions, and the truth that fans rarely get to see.

From adrenaline highs to honest reflections, this is what winning actually feels like right after...

Some of this...wasn't supposed to be said.

Bassmaster videographer Jake Latendresse is back with another Jake's Take - and this time, he's pulling back the curtain on what really happens behind the scenes at the highest level of professional fishing.

The moments you don't see on TV and the reactions anglers hope never get caught.

Jake is around it all - the wins, the pressure, the awkward moments...and ever...

What happens when some of the best anglers on the planet ditch the script… and go back to where it all started?

In this GGGiant episode of the Mercer Podcast, we’ve got an absolute all-star lineup:

Mark Zona, Jason Christie, Mike Iaconelli, Chris Johnston, Drew Benton, Kyle Welcher, Drew Cook, Bryan New & Kyle Patrick

And yeah… they’re definitely up to something.

We break down “Tuesday Night Live” — a brand new, no-BS,...

Fresh off his 9th Bassmaster win, Jason Christie sits down for one of his most honest conversations yet.

This isn’t just about another trophy.

Christie opens up about how bad breaks can turn into winning moments, the mindset it takes to survive the grind, and why sometimes the worst days on the water lead to the biggest victories.

We also dive into what it really feels like when Championship Sunday hits—and why Christie ha...

The questions weren’t done… so neither is he.

Bassmaster Classic Champion Dylan Nutt returns to the Mercer Podcast — and this time, nothing is off limits. More answers, more truth, and the follow-up everyone’s been waiting for.

Then it gets CRAZY…

For the first time ever, we go inside Berkley Labs for a world exclusive. Scientist Mark Sexton and product manager Nathan Ragsdale break down exactly what the Berkley Lab Series...

Dylan Nutt is fresh off his historic Bassmaster Classic win—and for the first time, he’s finally revealing the bait that made it all happen.

In this exclusive conversation, Dylan breaks down the exact setup, how he used it, and why it was the difference-maker when the pressure was at its highest. No fluff. No holding back.

We also dive into:

• The moment he predicted winning the Classic

• Outworking the field

• Hiding from the media

• ...

In this rare and revealing episode of the Mercer Podcast, former Bassmaster Tournament Director Trip Weldon sits down for one of his most candid conversations ever.

Trip pulls back the curtain on the real pressure behind the scenes — the judgment calls that fans never see, the decisions that can change careers, and the moments that kept him up at night. From tournament controversies to rule violations that shook the sport, he ex...

Seth Feider is headed back to the Bassmaster Classic, and he’s doing it the only way he knows how… his way.

In this episode of Mercer: The Awkwardly Honest Fishing Podcast, Seth sits down to talk about his big return to the Classic, lucky underwear & winning the Dirt Derby.

But that’s just the start.

Feider also reveals one of the strangest and least-known quirks in professional bass fishing… the fact that he literall...

Four-time Bassmaster Classic champion Rick Clunn joins the Mercer Podcast alongside longtime Bassmaster cameraman Jake Latendresse for Clunn-Clusion & Jake’s Take with a behind-the-scenes breakdown of the first two Bassmaster Elite Series events of the season & a Bassmaster Classic preview.

What really happened on the water?

From momentum shifts and decision-making under pressure… to what fans didn’t see on camera… Rick and ...

For this special 250th edition of the Mercer Podcast, we brought in two men who know exactly what it feels like to hoist the trophy on bass fishing’s biggest stage — the two most recent Bassmaster Elite Series champions:🏆 Hank Cherry🏆 Fisher AnayaTwo champions. Two generations. Two very different paths to the top.In this milestone episode, we go beyond the winning moments and into the mindset it takes to survive — and thrive — at...

Arrested in Thailand.

Thrown in a jail cell with the Googan Squad.

And that’s just one of the many stories that get revealed.

In this episode of the Mercer Podcast, Sam Sobi goes way beyond fishing. We talk about the dreams that built him, the setbacks that tested him, giant bass, bugling elk, true love… and the moments that shaped him

But first we have the return of Jake’s Take.

Bassmaster videographer Jake Latendresse ...

This is a real and raw conversation with Mike Iaconelli, one of the most iconic and influential anglers the sport has ever seen.

In this episode, Ike looks back on the full arc of his career — the wins that defined him, the losses that shaped him, and the moments that forced him to grow. He opens up about how his mindset has evolved over time, especially as the sport continues to change and a new generation of young, fearless an...

Matty Wong doesn’t hold back.

In this episode of The Awkwardly Honest Fishing Podcast, Matty opens up about getting cut, the on-the-water confrontations no one talks about — including the day another pro completely lost it on him — and where he really stands with professional fishing today.

No sugarcoating. No PR answers. Just real stories about pressure, ego, conflict, and what happens when the cameras aren’t rolling.

If ...

No rundown. No prep. No safety net.

Just Mark Zona doing what he does best—telling it exactly like it is.

In this unfiltered, unscripted conversation, Zona dives headfirst into the real state of pro fishing, the stuff everyone talks about off camera, and why he still loves this sport as much as ever. No notes. No plan. And absolutely no apologies.

Expect raw opinions, sharp humor, and classic Zona honesty as he breaks down:

   •   The ...

What does it really take to build a fishing prodigy?

On this episode of the Mercer Podcast , Brandon Palaniuk looks back at his own rise—and then flips the script. We reverse-engineer the process, breaking down the mindset, discipline, support system, and decisions required to build the next generation of elite anglers.

Brandon dives into his personal history, the lessons learned the hard way, and how today’s young anglers fa...

What happens when tournament fishing meets new knees, old pain, and zero filter?Gerald Swindle delivers exactly what fans expect—pain, punchlines, and brutal honesty.

In this episode, Swindle opens up about knee surgery, the grind of rehab, and what it really takes to keep competing at the highest level while your body is screaming at you. From fishing through pain to adapting to new rules on tour, he doesn’t sugarcoat a thing. Alon...

Jason Christie hates losing.

And in this episode of Mercer: The Awkwardly Honest Fishing Podcast, he doesn’t sugarcoat a single thing.

Jason sits down with Dave Mercer for a no-filter conversation about the mental obsession of competition, what losing really does to him, and why that edge has defined his career. He also breaks down his new YouTube series, what he’s trying to show fans what cameras usually miss, and how his mindse...

On this episode of Mercer : The Awkwardly Honest Fishing Podcast, Dave Mercer sits down with the greatest angler of all time—Kevin VanDam—for one of his most open, honest, and wide-ranging conversations yet.

KVD dives deep into the future of professional bass fishing, sharing real, unfiltered thoughts on where the sport is headed, the changes he believes are coming, and what pro fishing must do to keep growing.

He also tackle...