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 tackles the forward-facing sonar debate head-on, offering his true perspective on how the technology is shaping competition, influencing the next generation, and changing the way anglers think on the water. No politics, no sugarcoating—just Kevin’s authentic take.

As always, KVD brings the stories. He reveals behind-the-scenes moments from decades on tour—funny, chaotic, surprising, and honest glimpses into life at the highest level of the sport.

Kevin also weighs in on the youth invasion, discussing the hungry new talent shaking up the standings, whether the sport is harder or easier for young anglers today, and what separates the good from the great.

And perhaps most revealing of all, he reflects on what it was really like when he was a rookie—the pressure, the learning curve, the mistakes, the moments that fueled him, and the early experiences that forged one of the most dominant careers in fishing history.

This is Kevin VanDam unfiltered, real, thoughtful & Awkwardly Honest!

A must-listen for every angler, fan, and follower of professional fishing.

Jacob Wheeler is the youngest angler ever to win the All American and the Forrest Wood Cup. He also won the first two Elite Series events he fished. But that was just the start. To date he has won 14 tour level events and he has won 4 out of the last 5 Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year titles and he is only 35 years old.

But it has not always been easy. At one point in his childhood his family literally lost their home. But through that adversity Wheeler learned his endless motivation and tireless work ethic.

This week, he joins the podcast and talks about all that plus the future of pro fishing, confidence, career mistakes, building a brand, rookie scars, real life, raw emotion and turning haters into motivators by literally drinking your haters words for breakfast?

Who the heck are these rookies joining the elite series and could they actually be a dream team of anglers?? Well, prepare to get some answers because we have all 10 of them ram-jam packed into this episode. That’s right! We thought it was a good idea to book Fisher Anaya, Russ Lane, Aaron Jagdfeld, Austin Cranford, Sam Hanggi, Matt Messer, Caleb Hudson, Tristan McCormick, Pake South, and Brock Reinkemeyer all on one episode. So kick back, relax and enjoy because only a rookie would miss this episode!