Mark Zona “I Love This Sport So Much” on MERCER-160

Some call him Z, some call him Z Train, some call him Zona but almost nobody calls him Mark. Friend of the show, Mark Zona returns to the podcast and he lets loose on just about every topic you can think of. Mark Zona, the over-the-top host of Bassmaster LIVE and Zona’s Awesome Fishing Show is being inducted to the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame this September. He is truly one of the biggest names in the sport of pro fishing but none of that came without an incredible amount of work all fuelled by his tremendous love for the sport of professional fishing.

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it’s been a little while but I am so happy to have him back the one and only Z train Mark Zona host of zona’s awesome Fishing Show and The Bass Masters joins me this week [Music] oh I’m Bob Cobb from the bassm Welcome to Mercer welcome one welcome all friends family freeloaders fish and Freaks and of course my humpers you’re all welcome here at the awkwardly honest fishing podcast that goes by my last name which is Mercer welcome into the 160th edition of the Mercer podcast I hope you are having a wonderful week as you watch this uh God willing I’m already on my way if not already there to Columbia South Carolina Lake Murray this week that’s where we’re going right yeah Lake Murray in Columbia South Carolina that’s where I’ll be this week for the B Master Elite Series and uh if you’re in the neighborhood make sure to stop by say hello to myself and Davey height will be there with me this week so it’s always a good time I I look forward to seeing all of you there another big thing we got to talk about coming up this week it this will be your official reminder this weekend is Mother’s Day you wouldn’t be here without your mother show your mother a little love and um you know go buy her gift give her the gift of time spend some time with them and um and then there’s another thing I want to talk about real quick before we jump on with our guest and he is a wonderful guest go fishing I know that sounds stupid and simple and juvenile but literally go fishing and and I’ll tell you why it’ll make you a better person it’ll make you a happier person and I experienced that recently believe it or not I mean I fish for a living but when you fish for a living you get stuck in this grind and I’m not complaining at all but this grind of like just actually physically getting two fish and I had gone for a stretch where I hadn’t been on the water I had been talking about fishing a lot I had been um doing a lot of podcast doing a lot of different things but just not physically getting out and fishing and when I did fish I mean it was generally always with a camera there or some kind of business thing connected to it this past week I got away for several days and just went fishing with nobody just myself and and uh whether you do it alone you do it with a buddy it doesn’t matter but I was just reminded just like it is freaking therapy for me and and my wife has always been that way where she’s always said you need to fish like when I get so distracted and you know everybody deals with stresses in life but when I go fishing they all go away when that boat floats off the bunks of the trailer when I first launch it when I first pull away from the dock and I start absorbing myself in the outdoors and to start thinking okay where would the fish be and you start making those decisions and then you just get yourself into a world where nothing matters but the fish that is therapy to me and I believe if you’re listening to this podcast it is most likely therapy to you so make sure you tell your mother you love her on Mother’s Day give her a gift be kind but go fishing cuz it is our therapy IND the world needs a little bit more kindness and happiness I can tell you right now I was a lot better person driving home from that fishing trip than I was driving to that fishing trip and and it’s always like that for me so go freaking fishing that’s my message for you this week a guy who doesn’t need to hear that message is Mark Zona this week’s guest he spends an incredible amount of time on the water he is um he’s one of the major reasons that I got the job that I have at Bass and uh he is one of my best friends on the planet and this show we talk about well um well everything we literally from his Chicago Bears draft stories to bass fishing to Smallmouth Evolution to everything going on in the Elite Series everything going on in the industry good better and different we kind of try to cover most of it here and um I think you guys will enjoy this one we travel all the way to Sturgis Michigan to hook up with the one and only Z train Mark Zona Z train yes sir you’ve been on this podcast before it’s been while but this is your first time officially as a freaking Hall of fam oh my gosh oh my gosh it’s uh I makes me feel uncomfortable actually even like hearing that um yeah it’s strange very strange I was talking to somebody last night about that and it it oh my it’s very hard hard to comprehend um you Dave you know me pretty well I’m not out of big uh you know Awards and you know Karen boxed up I think a hundred tournament plaques and we gave them away it’s just not uh but that one is I I guess now that I’ve thought you know and I have like when I’m driving I’ve thought about it a little bit and it’s weird like I’m I I my hands shake when I think about it um really in all honesty it uh look dude I’m a dork you’re a dork Dave you know and when something like that comes across uh it it puts in a perspective it puts into perspective the people that you and I that we work with of how good they are um because you know to to have a personal to have a personal um achievement like that people got you there really intelligent people from from everybody in in 1200 Scott Street at at uh JM Associates you know Middleton and McKinnis and and Tommy um and it’s it’s really bizarre to to go into the Hall of Fame with Mike McKinnis um I look up to him I look you know we’re we’re we’re uh we’re all Best Buds and and you know kind of all that side of it but but those people in that build that building are so talented um all the way back to to vanam you know 21 years ago saying man have you ever thought about being on television and it’s just very it’s very it’s what’s weird is it’s more of a how how I look at it now you know you you we love our job but you miss a lot of family stuff yeah you know through you miss a lot of family stuff and for some really really weird uh it’s more it’s more for Karen and the boys uh than anything it uh God I’ll start crying man I will it uh there what’s weird is I was thinking about this last night um because the neighbors were talking to me about it a little bit and I remember 30 40 years ago I would be on this Lake and I’d catch a bass and I’m like where is all this going like where because I was so addicted then to last night on the pontoon boat just catching a 12inch bass um to this day and and I guess you know the other side of it I also looked at Karen I looked at Karen I’m like all right got in the Hall of Fame Let’s uh let’s wrap this up let’s wrap it up but uh it it uh it it is such and I and I mean this I mean this it is such an honor to have worked side by side with the best people in this you being one of those I’m so I’m so fraking lucky dude I’m so so fortunate um in so many ways so many ways so what I take from that is you’re totally going to ball during during this the induction cerem I’m going to I’m going to keep it I’m actually not going to the dinner I’m not going to the cerem that would be the ultimate Zoda thing to do I know it would be too it’s crossed my for for for the for the the Dave Mercer podcast there’s a few people that don’t know I am genuinely horrified of human beings horrified and being in a room with um important people terrifies me um in a big in a very big way and you know I I thought about doing the the the the Irish goodby where I’m like all right I gotta go to the bathroom and I just don’t come back in right it was funny was Dustin Dustin from from Bass Pro Shops he’s the head of marketing he knows he knows my massop phobia and he’s like wow looks like you got to go to that dinner I said absolutely it’s it’s not it’s not mandatory it’s not mandatory so but yeah I I’m gonna cry I’m gonna cry I’ll cry right now uh I I mean I’m not giving up on the live via satellite and you could pull it off because I’m freaking MC in it dude so you could tell nobody but me and I could be like and here’s Mark Zoda and up on the screen we could get away with it so there is a chance I’ve thought about it I’m not it’s weird because that that is truly what’s strange is I can speak to a not well but I can can speak to a camera but I still to this day get anxiety if I have to go speak to a you know 10 seventh graders in a junior high I’m terrified like I start sweating um to this day and I’m still that way where uh it is my number one biggest phobia is public [Laughter] speaking well it’s going to be a lot of fun in September I can’t wait to watch that all go down it’ll be something yeah yeah later that night it’ll be fun oh yeah I bet I bet um you had a lot of fun last week I mean I saw something sweet something something that I haven’t seen like I mean we’ve been friends a long time now Z but it I saw four Bears fans a family unit together and the smile on your faces as you and the whole Zona family went to the draft it’s hope it’s hope Dave and I gotta tell you I’m not I’m not I I’m not a jealous human being but I am horribly jealous of you and the Chiefs Nation or whatever you guys call yourself the kingom and and here and the kingdom and here’s my problem with the kingdom okay there’s there’s two things with the kingdom and and it stems back next to the Bears next to the Bears I love the Buffalo Bills I love the Buffalo Bills because they’re kind of this hopeless loser that I’ve I and and I have so many buddies in Buffalo like I truly I asked you the first time I met you how are you not a Bills fan you’re so close to to the bills and and what’s really bizarre about it is like I was genuinely somewhat happy for you and McKinnis and Stan lippelman from you know he lived in Spring like you guys were so happy when you guys won your first Super Bowl with momes and I was like well that’s kind of cool and then then after the second one I was like no I don’t like them I don’t like honestly it got personal Dave it still is personal and here’s why it’s personal here’s why is the Bears told Patrick Mahomes that they were gonna take him and they and they got Mitch trabis and I have a problem with that like have a bad but here’s the other side of that I told McKinnis this the Bears would have broke P Patrick Mahomes they would have broke they would have broken him like all right so it’s weird like I almost think I don’t want to say this I don’t want to say this it’s almost like I feel Caleb Williams is Bears proof like stop it stop it stop all right so let me tell you what happened at the draft you ready let me I have not told you this story I but it’s it I’ll never forget this so unnecessary name drop Mike gock and Frank ragnell got us NFL Hospitality uh badges right so we’re all jacked up we get to the draft and they turn NE next to the next to the actual sea of human beings they turned a Texas Day Brazil into the hospitality Hospitality viewing area and I’m like that’s where we went for my birthday did we just walk into heaven because I think we walked into heaven so it was cocktails steak but here’s what’s interesting okay you couldn’t see the stage I’m not kidding you could not see the but there’s big screens everywhere look dude it’s steak and big screens of the draft but you could see the sea of people in front in front of you and the the boys it’s weird they went they had like a deck outside of the that but you cannot the deck okay so I walked out and Hunter and Jacob were like we can’t go see the draft I’m like well just watch it right there on the TV we’re all good we’re all good just enjoy yourself and I’m sitting there and I could see that they were like they were they were crushed they were crushed and Karen’s like we can’t see the stage and I was like I know it’s all good let’s just enjoy it bringing me though yeah sirloin more so anyway so I you had a few cocktails and I looked at Karen and I went I can get to the stage she’s like what are you talking about I said I I can get up there she’s like uh okay take a selfie when you get there mark So I walk up to there was there was like nine rows of gates of security to get to the stage and the very first lady that I walked up to she’s so kind like I could picture her face I said uh so I’m all alone I walked up to her I got my Hospitality badge and I said ma’am the NFL guy in the hospitality told me that he pointed at you uh they the draft is in 45 minutes and they want me up at the the the the front row she goes what’ you say baby I said the NFL she goes what NFL guy I said I I have no idea he said what are you talking about I said she he’s up in the hospitality he pointed at you and I said I got to be up there like now and she’s like well come with me walks me to the front row but here’s the problem now I don’t have my family I text Karen literally I can show you the picture I text Karen this picture okay I text her this photo let me let me show you this literally I am in the front row I’m in the front row and she’s like what about us I’m like what about you so then I start feel so it’s 7:15 8:00 draft start and I start feeling like really guilty but I don’t want to leave like I’m in I’m in the trench right I got in so I start pacing a little bit and I’m like all right this is horrible I walk out and she’s like how’d you do that I’m like I just BS my way down to there and I said let’s go try I said let’s go try so the kids we go to the I go back to the lady and I said ma’am I forgot my family and she goes all right I’m starting to call BS on you she said go back in the hospitality thing I said no I got the family the NFL guy went she goes there’s no NFL guy I said there is an NFL guy and he wants he wants he wants our family down there she goes go up in the hospitality so we turn around and I is there no joke I hear Mark Zona and I turn back around and there is a cop and he goes I watch all your shows I’m like you got to get me down to the front row butd and he’s like come with me and the lady looks at me and she’s like go ahead and he walked way down to the like here’s what’s funny is he walks us down and he goes this is your table do not leave your table do not misbehave enjoy the draft and he checked on us a few times to make sure we were not misbehaving wow wow yeah so there you go hey I mean you make your living talking if you can’t talk your way into the draft you can I literally when Roma dun was picked that was the to me that for you know for us pathetic Bears fans everybody you knew Caleb Williams was gonna be number one but all the like like I I’m I’m a I’m a I’m a podcast stalker where I call in the podcasts and I and the biggest thing was was pick number nine um I I thought the be the Bears can mess this up they will mess this up and they’ll pick some some somebody that nobody knows and like when they said his name like we all just went crazy it was great it was great great memory great memory you got right up front row and you were you were screaming at Rome when when I mean you like it was cool to see you as a fan girl I lost it I literally l lost it and what’s funny is his agent has texted me and we’re going to go fishing in June together this is so nuts and I’ll tell you what was really what was what was really I I know this is a fishing podcast but let’s talk more about the draft is so there’s this dude with glasses and I’m looking at him and like all these people are just walking up to this dude pictures and pictures and pictures and the kids are like hey that sketch yeah I’m like what what does that mean I said he looks very important like very important yet not like and so he came over to our table we’re talking and we were talking about and he looked at me and he goes he goes yeah my dad and I we we we hunt white tail bucks I want to go I want to go white tail buck hunting and largemouth bass fishing with you I’m like sketch let’s go let’s go so that like that like Captain off the entire and what was funny was I did not know before that evening I did not know who or what sketch was and um um I it was amazing because like the dude plays video games and and and just what’s up brother what what is up brother like it was unbelievable like he hung out with us for like a while and I I kept I had the boys like explain what he does for a living it’s almost like telling somebody that you commentate bass tournaments where you’re like I don’t understand what you’re saying I don’t understand that he’s um I had a similar experience I didn’t get to hang out with him or anything but I swear to you like I don’t know three weeks ago whatever at our last event I’m doing a thing with Swindle and swindle says something what’s up brother and does this his hand movement that sketch us and I’m like uh what is that and people are like you don’t know sketch and I’m like no he’s like huge on Tik Tok and I’m like I I didn’t know who he was my kids couldn’t believe I didn’t know who sketch was and literally since that moment forward if I put on any social media anything all I see is what’s up brother sketches is everywhere everywhere everywhere just and what was funny was he had this and I was again again Dave not a jealous person but he had this badge where he could walk any like anywhere and I’m a little bit bigger than sketch right and I literally was sitting there contemplating stealing his badge like rough talking him and taking his badge and like I saw myself walking backstage to the area before the guys were like there was a part of me that thought about taking his badge and announcing the Bears number one draft pick I I don’t think you could take sketches badge I mean look he’s so beloved by people like he was wore a Texans shirt out and they still cheered him like everybody else they booted uh but they cheered him everybody I think you if sketch is a a treasure I mean he’s also what’s wrong with the future because he literally 100% had a job as a real estate agent I guess but never did it like like said he made one call a day and would s home and he he said he prayed that he wanted to just be famous you know idea one day he said I’ll start streaming and guess what let’s get just famous my father my f I explained what was funny was Karen I’m bouncing all over but Karen posted that the picture of of us hanging out and what is funny is how many 25 years like our our friends children went crazy when we posted that and to the right now Dave I still don’t get it I do not understand it but uh yeah we’re going to go bass fishing get the sketch what is up sketch what’s up brother exactly I I I I’m a big fan of sketch I mean I’ve been into him but but I worry that like he might be one of those dudes that like when you shoot with him in a month or so he’ll be at the height but by the time the show ends people will be like who sket but he’s a good dude like really does seem like he’s a very normal good dude yes agree 100% And I know we had I’ll be honest like like sketch off camera is a lot of fun too like he fit right in with our table if you know and I noticed he was not leaving our table too like yeah got bit right in in so so many ways so many ways so many ways maybe you can bring him to the classic or something I don’t think that’s going to happen because I literally like I literally like da I I was like sketchy don’t bass fish he’s like and and sketch is colorful like profanity and and like he was like oh I do I do I do bass fish like I can’t give you the exact words but he he he says he’s got a lot of game that in white tail bucks yeah we’re going white tail buck hunting I’m like no we’re not good we’re not ever going white tail buck hunting together he’s surprisingly athletic so I think he can fish like I mean he can play golf he can yeah I mean he’s good for him good for freaking sketch absolutely like you could see sketch flowing through the classic Expo hanging out with Chas Anderson like I could see I could see it all coming together KN of the Champions I don’t know he is a champion he is a champion that’s for sure yeah so that was the draft that was the that was the whole thing it was it was one of the the I like what’s weird is I never thought a draft would be but you know obviously with the Bears situation it made it like Amplified but I’m not kidding you Dave because I texted you I was like hey are you gonna go Dave it was one of the most fun evenings just the just the the atmosphere it was it was total the entire thing is total chaos is the best way to describe it chaos it it looked like a very successful draft I mean Detroit freaking nailed it like I mean why do you think this one was so do you think it’s just like I mean I think the Chicago Bears having the first pick and being that close to Detroit plays but I also think the fact that no that the lions are it’s volcano they’re good everybody wants a piece of that and and I’ll tell you yes like um you can feel you could feel wow we don’t suck anymore you know what I mean like dude they were the when when the Lions had it’s interesting and I and I have I’ve verbally beat vanam down like I would when when they had Stafford and domkin Sue uh Brandon pedigree and Calvin Johnson and I looked at vanam I’m like dude if they don’t win with that team it’s not in the car it’s just not in the right and you also knew when you also knew when when Stafford got out of his rookie contract and they had to pay him it’s almost like it prolonged the pain because they weren’t able to not only that you know what’s really strange while we’re talking football if you look at what the Chicago Bears have done for Caleb Williams wouldn’t you think like just Dustin Fields is like what why didn’t you help me he abandonment issues like yes I mean dude they got him DeAndre Swift Keenan Allen DJ Moore radun in offensive line and you feel so bad for Justin Fields where like why why’ y’all hate me so much right so bad so bad but anyway moving on if it all works out you’ll forget about Justin Fields it’ll be oh no he’s already in the rear like we um the jerseys are gone we got new jerseys I bet you do yeah don’t worry don’t worry all right so if you’re gonna make a successful fishing podcast the worst thing to do is spend the first 20 minutes talking about NFL football because some people are probably pissed and not here anymore but it’s all right it’s who we are and yes yes um so talk to me about fishing there’s nothing going on in that world is there you know it what’s weird is I just got back from taping we had a big big big big big week taping and and I got to see something on camera this week fishing that it we had we had 31 pound and I thought of you and a lot of your you know a lot of your viewers and I said this during the show we had 31 pounds per five small mouth on camera and I remember like what’s weird is I remember when a four pound Smallmouth meant something yeah you know what I mean like and then there was the the next level of a five pounder and every now and then you’d hear about the unicorn of a six pounder and what I what I got to see and this is what’s really bizarre is I I was taping with my buddy Vandy who was my old tournament partner and it all came together it all came together totally by mistake and I know that sounds weird but I was gonna go to Sturgeon Bay and Strike King called me and said hey we got a new lure we’re going to send you a picture we’re going to W Day to you and I it was it’s a really really really really cool soft plastic and I said well heck I’m going to switch from Sturgeon Bay and I’m going to go to Lake Mich Mig up north just because that lure fit in with with where I thought we could knock a show out with it that and that’s no joke I just sight unseen all right let’s go up North and what was funny was I know this sounds crazy da but you’ll totally relate to this is we had five that weigh 31 pounds and it was so tough that sounds insane but we started in the morning and it was dead slick home and I caught I caught and I had my scales with me and I don’t even know why like dude you’ve been in my boat I I never I never carry a scale or a net and I had both of those in the boat so anyway I catch a six pounder in the morning and I weigh it it was like 5.98 and Neil catches a four pounder and it goes totally dry totally dry till 10 o’ and I said we need to we need to we need to get I’m getting getting too locked into this area but it’s a it’s a big fish area when they’re in it it’s deep you know it’s like 20 to 30 something feet of water and there’s scattered wood and I moved like I moved like 500 yards to work my way back into it because you you know this if there’s a six pounder somewhere there’s there’s there there’s a load he’s not there by mistake yeah right and then all of a sudden all of a sudden Neil catches backto back six and a half Pounders and it’s on a a spot like I’m on I’m on spot lock and he looked at me and he goes we’re going to do 30 I was like let’s let’s go and as God as my witness I caught back to back six and a half Pounders and like wow and what’s weird is I knew we were at 31 Pounds what’s weird is I got done that day and if you put that in I know especially on the East End of Ontario and you guys trophy season that that that’s I hate to use this word but a 30 pound Stringer is actually becoming common yeah nowadays which is here here’s what’s weird about it Dave is what is the ceiling right what is the ceiling like I seen Nick kis K yeah kis caught 34 8555 sure why not right um and and I and you look at that and you’re like what what seriously what is the seedling you know you see what what what also goes on out in you know Idaho and stringers like that where you’re like how how is this how is this happening um and and what’s funny Dave is you you would hook those fish you’d hook them and they would look down in that clear water they would look like they’re about that big and all of a sudden they would come to the surface and you’re literally I hate to say this you’re like holy [ __ ] look at the size of that thing man right and and you get them you get them in the net every single one of them you would get them in the net and just stare at them like they they would come to the surface and and look and you’ve done this they would look like bokeh pass grouper yeah where your where your your eyes and and what was funny was by the end of the day a five pounder meant nothing and you know this like the you when you’re taping and you so need a five pounder right and they meant nothing by the end of the day and and and I I truly believe what I’m going to say to you I know this sounds crazy um there was another angler out there really really really good fisherman and caught one of the biggest five fish stringers I had ever heard about it over 35 pounds out there and he gave me room that like he was out there that day and he came up and he said hey I just want to say hi and I said hey what’s up Andrew and he was with his father in-law who flew in to fish with him he said dude I’m going to I’ll give it I’ll give you the area and it was weird when we hit that Mark I could see him miles away and I called him and I said are you catching him and he’s like no I’m not catching him and I said man I I feel really really bad I said listen we we’ve got 31 pounds I said bring your dad over here right now and he goes are you being being honest I said absolutely and they came over and they started crushing them big ones and then my selfish side I was like all right now go on now go on now get go back go back where you got a little bit yeah it was a it was Dave I I mean this it was a very special experience and to do that on camera with the crew you knew something was happening because we were all kind of just looking at each other after the the fourth one where you’re like wow this this going to happen it’s going to happen so yeah you know those are you you said you were jealous of me at times with the Chiefs that’s when I’m jealous of you at times because you you really have I mean put your show I mean you have the best fishing show on television right now and I’m in the television show business and I can clearly look at you and say but you’ve put your show ahead of anything else in life you know ahead of bass Mas oread of like when when the taping is good you cat you you’re out fishing and and I always find it frustrating to watch and I’m like I want to be out there but here’s one I think about those fish dude when I’m on the St John’s river and I’m watching people weighing 30 pounds 31 Pounds yeah it’s so weird to me like I’m surrounded by large mouth but all I can think about is those 30 plus stringers a smallmouth because it makes it even more amazing when you’re watching a guy weighing 31 pounds of largemouth and you’re like well they’re catching nine Pounders right it it’s amazing that small moth are even what what do you think the ceiling is I don’t know I don’t know man I I I it’s weird I’ve heard Van Dam say you know the good old days are right now um because I I don’t know I don’t know what the ceiling is like how and I’ll tell you what’s weird talking about vanam is there was something that happened I was fishing against I remember fishing against aumi in an ever start Dave I don’t know what year I’m going to say it was like 200 and oneish and what was funny was this is no joke there was a a bass open in the late 90s where on Lake Ontario I think it was taken like 17 or 18 pounds a day to win okay and then there was a span where a bass open or ever started nobody we they they do now they they have a tournament there every every week you know in the summer but what was funny was there was a span of about five years okay where there was not a national tournament there and then this ever start showed up and Kevin called me Kevin called me and he’s like how you doing I said dude these things are bigger he’s like what big what do you mean you you know you know what explain that I said I I I I think I think um I think it’s going to take 20 something pounds a day to win this tournament he’s like what are you on I said I’m on like 18 he’s like dude if you catch 18 a day you’re winning that tournament and I remember like the first day or something I don’t know I get caught a heavy heavy 17 and in the bag line I’m just staring at these 20 20 20 20 20 20 and you didn’t you you think to yourself well maybe we just hit some magic window and that magic window has been for 20 something years where it kind of I guess in my opinion the Zebra muscles and Gobi started there kind of and then faded faded West throughout the the the Great Lakes um and I don’t know what the ceiling is like I did a solo I remember calling you I did a solo show in Buffalo just west of Buffalo and that was two years ago th it was this week two years ago and I caught just under 30 pounds alone and you say to yourself where does it end you know what I mean and and what’s funny is Dave that there there has been um like a lot of gobies now have gotten in to Inland Lakes yeah you know I heard there in cuga i a lake that I took AER to where we had 30 pounds on camera um I don’t know you know what is the it’s weird is the next goal 35 pounds is the next goal 40 pounds um it has to be I guess you know it’s weird if you look how it’s I mean it has to be I I don’t see where it falls I mean obviously it has to slip up but I mean when you’re saying that I’m thinking about like I remember many many years ago weighing 23 pounds and having people go holy like absolutely I’m not talking spring or fall but then I also remember that you know just a few years later 23 pounds was nothing now it’s like we’re seeing 25s and 28s and now 30s and you know what’s weird what’s weird is When Corey and Shak broke 100 pounds is like dude I never thought I never thought that would could would happen in my lifetime of course it was a tournament that I I wasn’t working to and and I remember watching it and and you’re kind of like what in the heck is going on man um and to where to where no it’s not a it’s not a perfect scenar scario of conditions it’s what it is yeah it’s what it is yeah yeah I think the only thing that stops them from cracking a 100 there every time we go there is time this year yeah it might be very difficult because we’re running from Wasington so but the but the difference is they’re all going to run now like they unless they shut that Lake down which I don’t think that they are um they’re all going they’ve all seen it now they they all they the other side of it is if you don’t go you should have your you should have your brain chck like literally I get I get playing it safe but you are not in you are sorry you are not in contention if you are not out there in that Lake and I’ll tell one last thing on that Dave is I I heard you know like when goes kind of arrived and you heard well the Smallmouth are going to get big but they’re they’re not going to breathe and there’s not going to be you know there’s not your the the year class is going to be absent that is so untrue it’s so untrue um for the simple fact I I got to see this last week you could get away where where you could get away from where those Alphas were where those true giant Smallmouth were and you could catch 112 inchers every single like it’s good the future is good um because I was worried about that you know are there and and I’ll tell you one God I could talk about this I I could really talk about this for hours is I have also seen with my eyeballs you know a lot of folks said well you know those Gobi they live around they do they live around rocks uh and pester Smallmouth when they’re spawning I have seen especially St Clair to where Smallmouth have relocated where they spawn and will actually spawn on sand now they will absolutely to to get away from that nasty little pest they will spawn on hard sand so I guess what what the the point I’m I’m elongated they have figured out how to evolve to get away from that pest when when they reproduce yeah I mean same thing’s happening on Eerie there’s a lot of fish spawning on Sand I mean there was stuff that we fished for years that we thought they were pre-spawn oh wow these are they they go they come in here to pre we thought you know what I mean you read enough Bassmaster magazines you believe your [ __ ] so we thought you know that we found this spot where they come pre-spawn and then it wasn’t until we put a camera down there or 360 got so much better and you can literally see the beds I mean they’re they’re they’re bedding out in that it it’s fish evolv what’s what’s very fishable ball that is so spoton what’s very bizarre was two years ago when I did that deal in Buffalo um I I the day before I fished with Chris Johnston and I was on him I was on him pretty good um and what was funny was Chris left we got a show shot and I said well I’m I’m gonna come up this is a layup right and in the morning in the morning you know where I fish you know exactly like the are and there’s nobody there’s just no nobody there it’s one of those special areas and and and never forget this in the morning I caught two great big ones so you know when you get when you score two touchdowns to start a show the rest of the day is a layup right totally went dry to the point I looked at Eevee and I said I don’t know dude they left they rolled um and it was it was it was big big boulder with Hard Scrabble broken rock around it in like 15 to 25 fet of water and I’ll never forget this I looked at Brian because I wanted to get it was a Friday and I wanted to get the crew home to their families and I said guys if I don’t catch another bass we’ll turn this into like a little internet show and we won just won’t use it for Zona show and I said we’ll put it on the trailer in the next hour and I could see it was kind of De demoralizing to the crew and I was idling from one Rock area to another rock area and I was going over pure sand about 300 yards away from where Johnston and I caught him the day before and I saw a school on My Side Imaging dude if you see a school of bass smallmouth bass they’re big to show up right and I looked at e and I said that’s them I said that’s them they moved they’re on the sand and I’ll never forget this a grab my rod and I launch a tube behind the boat and I wave I wave the camera boat off I said back up back put it in neutral and my my line go just jumps and and I catch one I catch one that’s a that’s a light six and what was funny was it was right it was right when Mega live came out and and imagine this that sand made the ripples sand ripples right and you’d see one like peekaboo he’d poke his head up and when you hook them they would come out of those sand trenches by the hundreds right and I looked at eveve and I said I’m gonna beat their ever loving brains in for the next two hours but but I guess what what’s funny is to the exact word you use is Smallmouth do things now that I did not I never saw saw or experienced 20 30 years ago they do they do things and they live in areas that they did not um decades ago yeah I mean nature evolves small M evolve and and I mean everything that the world said was going to destroy small MTH bass fishing is the same things that people are saying made it better and and I think you know forward facing sonar gets a lot of negative from some people but dude one thing it’s done has taught me how many fish there is yes like we as Anglers get our heads stuck in thinking oh yeah you know there was a few up there and and I caught them all and then you realized before you’re you’re not you’re not even close like you’re not even scratching the tip of what’s down there I said something to Lou Stout um and I said I hate to say this and I’ve heard Clen talk about this a lot um boy we really did not know anything about we did not know as much as we thought we knew about a bad from and what’s what what I what what what I’ve been most they’re very hard tournaments to commentate I’ve told you that off you know camera doing a doing a an all forward- facing sonar event when everybody in the top 10’s doing it is almost like earily similar to a to doing a bed fishing tournament where everybody’s bed fishing it’s just very hard there’s no diversity in it but what what I what what has been interesting to learn okay is we all thought three years ago you Davey because we’ve talked about it to each other is well yeah you know when we go to Lakes like like a lanir or especially when we go up north they’re going to be forward facing but when we go to the Gunners bills and we go to the the the the Toledo bands and that’s going to be the equalizer those are going to be normal tournament because those bass don’t act like that yeah they do and the other thing that that that it’s taught us is the more pressured a body of water is a Toledo Banda Gunnersville Sam Rayburn the more pressured those historically awesome Lakes are the more those fish live the majority of their life suspended pressure put them out there yeah yeah it is wild it’s a wild time in the sport and and I think yeah it is in many ways in many many ways um T let’s talk about the Elite Series what’s your take on the rookie class boy they’re they’re they’re nasty they’re very um you know it uh and we kind of all knew and I know a lot of your viewers know this too is I I don’t want to say I don’t want to say when when you were able to qualify through three events um some guys were and then some guys were not ready you know getting out of whatever region they were from um they were going to take their licks they were going to take their lumps in you know for a year or two and you saw you you got to see you know a Jordan Lee or somebody like that who they were ready but I think college fishing got a lot of the younger Anglers ready um the way that the opens are set up now if you qualify you’re ready you’re ready but what’s been interesting also that Trey mckenny boy said did something that I really really respected um and look he’s gonna get hate he’s gonna get hate because he’s he’s really good I hate his guts he’s 19 years old he beautiful young man he can evidently catch a bass without even trying I mean how do you not hate him it he’s really good at and he’s gonna look he’s not going to be he’s he’s going to be a superstar but I yeah yeah it one thing that was Dave I gosh I have not told you this in 21 years of covering this he is the only anger the very first time I spoke to him on the phone was the night before the first day of the St John’s river and we kind of went through how he’s catching them you know what’s going on and blah blah blah and I was very um soft serving I didn’t want to terrify you know I kind of enjoy sometimes Terri people and we were getting done with a call and he said Mr Zone he goes I I I I have a question for you I said what do you need and he said uh how how do I get better I said excuse me said how do I get how do I get better and I said better what do you mean and he goes look he said this he goes I I I got this fishing thing figured out but when he said that I was like and he said I I I want to be I want to be great all around just not the fishing aspect and he’s been the only anger in 21 years to ask me that only one ever and it was smart it was smart and I gave him my opinion um of how I thought he he could be you know the the total package it’s funny because he asked me the same thing and it stood out to me but the weird thing is there’s several of those rookies that have now asked me the same you know interesting I feel like forward facing sonar aside I mean whether it stays goes I honestly believe that will it affect some of the rookies it might but it’s short term I mean they’re obsessed with fishing they are literally it’s it’s the and I feel like what we’re watching front of our very eyes and some people hate to hear this but it’s an evolution of the sport in the way that it happens in every other sport I’ve told the old analogy of I remember Steve ler who Stanley Cup winner played for the Blackhawks played for the New York Rangers and I remember doing a charity event with him when I was in my early 20s and I remember him saying uh the NHL isn’t what it used to be and I’m like well what do you mean and he said well he goes now we we used to show up to training camp to get in shape he says now these kids they train all year that’s all they care about they don’t have girlfriends they don’t have they literally all they’re focused on is and that’s not the NHL I signed up to be part of I think that very same thing is happening right in front of our very eyes right now because you got people like Tyler Williams who literally left his house after Thanksgiving he will not be home to Maine I mean in Maine is out of the way but it’s not Idaho it I mean you get back to main he will not return to Maine until after the tournament in Wasington New York he is living and breathing I mean he’s he’s he’s those rookies those NHL rookies that showed up in shape yeah not a good analogy for Tyler but but yeah I’ll tell you what what’s also it’s when I when I talk to a lot of the rookies I’ll ask them hey besides fishing what are you into like what’s your what’s your jam you know are you into the the NFL draft or nothing nothing fishing fishing fishing and you it’s it you’ve seen that a lot the last couple years and and really the way the way the sport used do go was there was always when you got to our age Dave you there was always for a lot of the veterans there was a slow exit not in you know what I’m saying it doesn’t feel like that right now it’s like if you don’t perform you’re going to go on go like and that’s sad it’s it’s sad in a way but it seems like if you don’t put the ball in the end zone you’re not gonna you’re just not gonna make it at this point um and it’s it’s weird but you’re seeing that at an accelerated rate right now with a lot of the younger guys immediately showing up and replacing a lot of the stars um because you could see that frustration with a lot of the veterans you know what exactly what I’m saying um you see a lot of that and I think that’s a um and I feel for a lot of those guys that but if you don’t put it in the end zone there are people here to take your job and that’s what professional sports are yeah and every other sport is like that fishing has not been like that for a long time Ronnie Ronnie’s trying to do that to me right now in studio and I all of us but you know and and and and here is here is a here is a credit to to to young dudes um they’re Relentless Ronnie is Relentless he’s an Fass fishing he’s a hard worker and at the end of the day that is what wins period in anything in life hard work beats the person that doesn’t work as hard yeah yeah Talent is i’ I mean it’s funny I say this to my kids all the time I’m like Talent is what everyone talks about but Talent is this much of it like if you’re a decent person and you’re willing to work your ass off that’s always the part it doesn’t matter what the job is it it literally doesn’t matter whether it’s commentating a bass tournament whether it’s competing in a tournament whether it’s cutting somebody’s La that’s the person you call the decent person who you know will work hard not the most Talent like it’s I learned I I learned that and it goes back to kind of how we started this today is I learned that building like in my life um hard JM Associates is is hard work and I remember when you started when it when you started and it was your I think your first tournament was the classic correct yep and and you you are you are you’re all to this day and I I I laugh at it because I I know I bitched at you every now and then about it you you when you are on stage to me that’s one of the hardest jobs on Earth and I’m I’m talking circles right now but you are so high you’re so high when you are mcing away in that you have a crash you have a epic crash every single day that you come off stage and I remember I remember the first tournament you called me and you’re like how’ I do I said you do fine and you’re like well no M like Mike McKinnis didn’t even say good job and I said yeah and he won’t you’re like what do you what do you mean I said the only time you’re going to hear from him or anybody body else in our circle is when you screw up yeah but if you hear nothing you did great that is how that is how our group Works uh the only time you’re gonna hear something Dave is when you epically mess up so yeah yeah well um it’s an amazing group to work with it really is and and I asked Jerry about that once I’m like why does nobody ever give like nobody’s ever critiqued me like it it’s so funny from the outside I mean all I hear is well bass tells them to say this and bass says so this it is the most untrue stuff ever other than a sponsor mention other than it is now Phoenix boat’s big bass it is now you know what I mean other than that stuff that’s it I’ve never been told anything to say on stage or on live ever ever in my whole career it it’s literally but Jerry said we hire people people that we think can do the job so when you show up and do the job we don’t need to tell you you did the job and it you know it you’re there for yeah that’s we we thought you could that’s why we hired you so you know what you know what where where I will give where I really um to me and I don’t want to go deep um the the bet the best the best leaders that that I’ve met let their co-workers be themsel that make sense they let them be themselves and instead of grooming really hard to explain but they the the one thing I can always say that working next to Sanders that that group of people always let me be who I am um for better for worse um but I but I I I respect that I respect that for never trying to hone me into something maybe that that they Vision um they they they let us be who we are and that’s um I have a lot of respect for that yeah very much very much it’s an incredible group to work with so one of the big topics that is floating around and and I’m almost at the point where I think there will always be a big topic you know but right now of the big things and I don’t know how they deal with it is where a fish is hooked and you’re well I mean yeah I guess um I guess I guess it it to me I mean it’s cut and dry on paper when you say okay well every fish has to be hooked outside the mouth but that becomes a bit of a mess in itself it does it does because we all know as Anglers there’s times when I mean you’re throwing a jerk bait that those fish are clearly trying to bite it but they don’t get hooked inside the mouth yeah you know does it have to get of them half of them yeah um it uh look the the the situation that you’re talking about obviously happened on the St John’s you know with with Corey and I I I I think Cory’s one of the best fishermen on the Elite Series um look did did somebody if you’re gonna snag a fish purposely you’re not gonna use a wacky worm number one okay but but you’re right that’s there there there’s there’s a Razor’s Edge right there of of you know and I said this to Cory I said this to Cory you know may you probably should have called the turnament director director immediately that did not happen and that’s where the Optics of the situation look was he trying to do that no no but he was sight fishing the majority of the tournament now you get into if you got perspective view are you sight fishing that’s where we’re at in this and I don’t Dave I I don’t know I’ve heard a lot of people give their opinion you’re right yeah well all fish have to be hooked in the mouth that also opens up a big Pandora’s box of of headaches and and I don’t know what the answer is man I don’t know what the answer is um I you know may maybe hindsight Corey have done something differently I can’t speak for him I I I you know I I he feels he did exactly what he was what what the right call was um and it’s up to other people to say no that was not the right call you know um I think he he they gave him a lie detector and he passed that I don’t know and I don’t know I don’t know what the answer what the correct answer is I don’t know I I feel that I say that a lot nowadays that exact State like and I’m thankful that I don’t work in the tournament Department because agree it’s a tough time to make and you’ve got so many armchair quarterbacks that are calling violations from what they see on screen and I mean I agree with you like number one you don’t use a wacky rig if you’re going to intentionally try to snag a fish and why would you ever try you’re not fishing by yourself in the middle of a lake like I could see where somebody snags a fish in the middle of the lake there’s nobody around and then they lie about it and say you’re surrounded by cameras why would you ever try to snag a fish I mean because really let’s just just say 99% of its body is in play where you literally have 1% of the body that you got to hook it and you’re going to take that risk to try and you know look man the the the Optics look bad the Optics of it look bad um I I said that I said that point blank to court uh going into the going into the last day but I said hey look this is also a topic I have to cover the rest of this event but it also it made me feel weird it still does because I don’t know you you know I I I always put I don’t know I always put myself what would I have done what would I have done um I think I think I would have called the tournament director and said hey here’s the situation um Corey did not think he did anything wrong and said I didn’t need to call anybody and do anything wrong I wasn’t look I was not looking at it okay that that’s that’s how he handled it but the Optics don’t look good it was [ __ ] apart from that face what about I mean the everybody talking about fish kitten snagged on a graph I mean and I see you you’ve got more expence with experience with forward facing sonar than I do I mean I have done a bunch of it but you you’ve done more of it a lot is is that something easily to do do you think that people are actually can you physically snag fish on it yeah yeah there’s a lot of fish out there just floating around and you can spine them with a jerk bait you know do I think people are are doing it purposely no but I I also believe you can run you can run a jerk bait over one’s back or a crankbait and and it it it is part of the it’s part of it you know what I mean um and I don’t know I don’t know what the answer is on that Dave because we’re going to get to that point um there was a fish caught in the classic that way there was a fish caught on on Harris that way where you could tell that fish actively was not biting it was not actively biting The Lure um um and then you know then you you get into you know I’ve heard exactly what you just said that well you solve it by every fish caught in the mou okay now you also opened up okay the a jerk bait scenario you know this a lot of times with a jerk bait front hook middle Hook is is in his cheek and then the back Hook is in his pin well if that one hook pops out that fish was actively biting that fish was actively biting that lure and now you can’t now you can’t weigh it in so I I damn man I don’t know I don’t know but I get frustrated I I get frustrated like with a lot of the fans of the sport and I don’t know what the the correct I don’t know what the correct answer is to it all right now I don’t know yeah it it’s what would you do if you were Dave Mercer tournament director would you do I don’t know like I honestly don’t know because there’s part of me that’s like make it black and white like everybody wants to get red or gray okay make it black and white and every fish has to be hooked inside the mouth I think on paper that seems like the right approach but I feel like you’re getting into a very slippery slope of I agree you you’re I agree you’re now changing the sport I mean I I think what that ends up happening is it evolves into even more little baits single hook baits like all of a sudden all those treble hook baits that that we love catching fish on all of a sudden they come out of Play Just Because if every fish has to be hooked inside the mouth even if I don’t have graphs on my boat I’m going to hook some of them outside of the mouth so I’m going to start throwing something that I’m guaranteed to always hook him in the mouth I think it’s just a weird I I don’t know how you fix that um I don’t either I and and what’s here’s what’s really I always have an opinion like I I always and I and and I I gota I I’m dead serious I don’t know what the correct opinion or answer is I have no idea I have no idea what where where we where we’re headed I don’t know okay so and that’s very very very very rare for me to say while we’re living in the uncomfortable World playing tournament director what’s the future of forward facing sonar in your opinion here’s really really here’s what’s really strange about that is I I do give Chase a lot of respect that he is on it on the topic right now and what’s funny is he called I told you this I told you this he called me he called me uh two months ago and said I want your opinion about it and I gave him 50% of one opinion totally for it and then I gave him 50% totally against it and he goes you do know that you just gave me two polar and I said there’s where I sit how you feel there’s where I sit um you know forward facing sonar I’ve made this comment on Bassmaster life it’s a lot like fantasy football the only person that’s really having fun is the person that’s doing it nobody else really enjoys it and and here’s what’s really bizarre uh I had a buddy I had a buddy over here the other day on our pontoon boat he said I just can’t stand watching that and I said but you do it all the time yeah oh I love absolutely love it but I can’t stand watching um and I get that I look I get that um but I I also think it’s a a very hard topic say you know you hear people of get rid of it get rid of it get rid of it I I think it’s very very hard and and this is bass since I was a boy our job now but bass’s message since I was a kid is teach us how to catch more fish yeah that’s that’s what look a lot of people don’t watch Bassmaster because of their the fishing Stars they watch Bassmaster learn how to catch one more bass whether you’re you know I want to learn how to catch one more bass in my tournament or I just want to learn how to catch one more bass you know when I on my day off um that technology does that dude it does that um I don’t know and but what you know what’s really weird and I made this comment I I talk talk to you about this is the St John’s event I made a the comment earlier this year might have been the end of last year there are going to be so many Anglers out scoping that somebody’s going to blow it away up Shallow because nobody else is up looking around shallow we saw that we saw that at the St John’s yeah when when when I talked to Corey after the day one weigh in he said dude I went back and Salt Springs on this morning and there was two boats that is a direct effect of people living and dying with that technology and didn’t check the obvious you’re going to see that happen again whether it’s this year next year I you’re going to start to see tournaments getting blown away in in well-known areas that people just aren’t even checking anymore yeah yeah well boy we’re we’re covering it all today Dave well C it all that’s what we’re here to do I ripped the Band-Aid off and I figured we might as well yeah you know again again I do I do not know what the correct answer is I don’t know I don’t know you but what’s funny is it it so strange to get so excited when you see somebody actually like bass fishing the art of bass fishing and what what’s what’s really while we’re talking about this is I told you last summer I went and shot a show where I caught large mouth out in 70 feet of water right from top to bottom and it’s funny it was probably you know I’m like you the majority of my shows are just us Mis misbehaving and and acting like hyenas is it was probably the most eye-opening learning Zona show I’ve ever shot in my entire life and I purposely I purposely you do run of shows you know when you pick all right this show is going to go week one you know first week of January second week of January and I purposely did not come out of the gate with that I did a the first week was a a frog show and then it was a a thunder Cricket show then it was a top water show and I purposely put it like show five right and and I told Karen I said when this show airs I’m going to take arrows I’m gon take I’m gonna get beat up a little bit and what was funny was watching the replies were either it was so one side or the other side of the that was the best show I’ve ever seen I I I never imagined you could do that with large mouth and then the other side was you the devil how dare you air that and what was funny was watching viewers fighting with each other you’re like what the hell is wrong what is happening here um but I I I knew that that show uh was going to ignite the for it that technology and the against it and it absolutely did that did that do you remember anything in the sport ever being like that because it is there’s no grade there’s it literally people I mean it’s like having and I’ve told him this so I’ll gladly say it’s like having Randy blockett on your podcast you’re going to get a bunch of people view it but you’re going to get a bunch of people that like I I’ve never had as many people that left comments that said I watch every single week I’ve never missed an episode I am not watching this one but then I’ve never had as many people make comments that are like well it’s interesting because I didn’t watch that one no but it there’s no there’s no middle ground it is a war it’s it’s it’s which that’s what blows me away because in fishing it’s always been you do it the way you choose like yeah I got buddies Who tie flies and they think that their way of fishing is so Superior to anything that we do and that’s what they get off on and that’s cool there’s no part of me you know we make jokes back and forth but there’s no part of me that looks at and hates them for doing it there’s no part of them that looks at me and says uh he uses electronics and braided line and I they don’t hate they just filthy scum you lower than I you know what what’s what’s I said this in that show I said this in that show the lake that I did that on with the large I remember texting you right after I said dude I just caught him out in 50 to 75 feet on the bottom large and I remember talking to you about it what’s funny was I said this at the end of the show when I was a little dude and I fish with my father a lot when you’re a kid like I’m looking at the lake I grew up on right now is when you’re a kid I would always say to my dad the biggest ones are out in the middle of the lake you don’t know nothing Mar big they’re under boat docks and what’s funny is this is no joke all we used to do growing up is we would troll we’d start at one end of the lake and just troll with a with a the lipless crankbait or stuff like that and I look back on that now like we would catch bass in the middle of the lake trolling 10 feet down and then we you’d lay on the bass and just keep going and now now that I look back on that they were always out there they were always out there and and it it here’s what I’m I’m having trouble getting this actually out of my mouth right now to but what’s funny is the lake that I shot that show on is um I used to fish a lot of tournaments and I remember I remember like we would catch him out day we would catch him in 30 to 40 feet of water and I would always think to myself in those tournaments what’s out there what’s out there what what’s living out there they were out there the entire time Giants the entire time never saw a fishing lure years and years and years of just being left alone it’s it’s it it amazes me it absolutely positively amazes me and you going back to I was talking about Lou Stout like I called him after I shot that show and I said we have been so epically off everything that we I we I’ve spewed and you’ve written was so WR wrong it was so epically wrong yeah yeah for a long time and that’s where I battle with the whole because my initial Instinct and you know this my initial Instinct was like it’s wrong it’s it doesn’t make it in other sports when something makes the sport more boring they stop that and and that was but when I hear people like Rick Clen say I’ve learned more in four events this year than I have in the previous 50 years of knowledge I’m like well how do we turn that like how do you turn that switch off and be like okay when we’re just GNA write articles about shs in the moon faces back but you can Dave you can also go to okay to play against it they they you cannot in golf you cannot use a rangefinder and a club selector or a you know what I mean or a cart but everybody that goes golfing same exact same thing when they do it for fun I mean they wouldn’t even think of walking the course I mean they use a cart right and I again again I I wish I wish it there was Clarity to you’re like this is what we’ve got to do this is what we’ve got to do and I will tell you I respect the Anglers that have contacted me about it um on one side or the other I respect both of their opinions on it because I don’t disagree with either of them I don’t I don’t I don’t but but the other side is it is not my job it’s not your job um to to be the you know beat the drum of one side or the other my job my job is to articulate how where and why that is what my job is it’s what it’s always been uh and that’s what I’m going to make sure it continues to be yeah so yeah the and the one part and I’ll get roasted for just saying this but I mean I just feel it has to be said because nobody says it the one part of it that I hate is the well you know bass is forcing them you bass never brought forward face forward facing sonar to Bass Fishing I mean the Anglers just showed up with it and and they loved it and now it’s like well bass is making bass is making nobody I mean B all the bass is done absolutely not slow down we know that there has to be a call made on this we want to study it we’re going to make a call what that call is nobody knows but but the last thing because dude if if bass wanted to push it if bass said hey this is what we need like if it if B truly was what people say they are in the comments the first two people they would have talk to or me and you and everybody we work with who would say Hey you know talk about that positively but again I’ve never once been told what to say or what not to say at all at all and and to it uh here’s what’s really B like I I talk to people that work for electronics companies that are totally against it they’re totally they totally against it and then there’s people that work for electronics companies that are totally for it and that’s um there there’s no there’s no electric electronic companies saying we have got to there’s it’s just not there there’s not this this big behind the scenes initiative going on there’s not um not that I know about um and I I I think I’m plugged in at work I don’t know maybe I’m not some some some days I’m not but it uh I I do respect how they’re currently handling it and looking and instead of making a a knee-jerk you know just a knee-jerk reaction um and and and hopefully coming to an educated call on it and look whatever whatever decision or they make or don’t make um you’re gonna piss somebody off yeah that’s what our world is man people get ory people get or get mad at us dude I have so much respect for Chase just simply because I mean you look what he’s been through like in his ownership I mean bass has had some incredible owners throughout the years and I’ve always said they had the right owners at the right time Ray Scott had to be the guy that started it he sold the world on bass fishing you know what I mean and then yeah Helen seir made it a lot more corporate built it up and then ESPN came through and obviously we’ve seen how incredible that was to grow it and then when we needed an ownership that just really cared about bass fishing Jerry McKinnis Don Logan and Jim Copeland come along and then Chase Anderson comes and and you know they were part of the ownership previous to that but but they they took the Anderson Group took control of this yeah 60 of 70 of the Anglers end up leaving right away say that to yourself just when that just when that gets smooth we’re like okay we made it through that I don’t know how Along Comes forward faing sodar yeah I’m going to give you I’ll give you a a quick um you know I did this last year I called Chase before the season ended and I said you’ve got a tornado meeting a volcano headed your way I remember making the call and he goes do you really think it’s going to be that big of a topic I said yeah I at the time we didn’t know Dave no because at at the time we thought it was oh like you know I’m circling back we thought it was just going to be Northern fisheries and clear water fishery blah blah you know um but but it was something it was something that I had a Vibe was coming and then it it arrived it totally arrived so definitely did yeah um what’s your future length boy you’re just you’re tackling everything today um I’m gonna do I’m gonna do I’m going to do some Pon tuning I’m GNA do some Pon tuning and uh this like my last day off and uh I Dave I don’t know I I you know what what’s funny is is uh Zona Zona show is has it it is such a blessing but it takes a lot of time it takes a lot of time takes a lot of um a lot of commitment and and I love it and I’m so lucky of of the goofballs like me that that like the show um but I I don’t know you know one one day one day the the the ride on bassm is gonna it’s gonna end you know no um yeah it it is it is gonna um it is gonna but the nice thing is it uh it uh gosh dang I owe that company so much from all the owners um whether it’s next year or the year after whatever year it is um I I owe that company and I owe the viewers um so much and what’s really weird is before we did this podcast I was thinking about it this morning is both jobs are so totally different like commentating a tornament and then Zona world they’re they’re so polar opposite um occupation uh but I’m so it’s really weird I heard you make this comment like somebody’s going to figure out and they’re gonna fire us one of these this has been so this has been so much fun somebody’s gonna be like you’ve had too much fun go on out you’re you’re fired um and and I it’s what’s weird is I I still feel that way and when you first said that to me we were having a beer somewhere and you’re like somebody’s going to figure out that we just Chase B around for a living and I and I remember laughing but I think about it now um you know what’s this has nothing to do with your question but I love and I know you do and I know your viewers do I love this sport so much and I care about this so much that it consumes my it consumes my mental capacity for it to be be right and to be true and to be in to have integrity um and I I get you know this I get frustrated when I get very frustrated when when when things aren’t right in in in our mind and in our viewers mind you get frustrated um but it’ll it’ll it’ll find it it’ll find it it’ll find its way I I believe that I believe that lot of topics though lot of topics lot of topics lot of topics I I’ve taken enough of your time I got one more question for you well um give me a question for our next guest without even knowing who our next guest is just go any direction you want to go make them as uncomfortable as you want to make them what’s going on up in there really what’s going on up in there that’s what I want to know that’s what I want to know yeah that’s a good one what color is it up in there what’s happening not you genuine I I genuinely wonder that about everybody like I look at my little puppy I’m like what’s going on in there what do you think is going on in that puppy’s head treats man treats treats treats and let’s play fetch come on how simple of a life is that uh Dave I love you I do I uh I think I I think we we’ve we’ve we’ve tackled it all I think we’re we have we’ve attacked it all yeah I’m sure somewhere in there we have pissed somebody off too so yeah yeah I’m sure I’m sure but what you know circling back on the forward facing sonar if you live on the fence like I do you don’t you don’t make anybody mad but I I feel like def fense is the only place you can because we don’t have enough facts I mean if there was it’s a safe place that’s what yeah I mean let’s all get along if it was if it wasn’t if it was an easy call come on man it it uh it’s not it’s not and I uh again I don’t know what the call is but I love being on the Mercer podcast let’s go let’s go I love having you on here but I know you love ponon and more so go Pon I do I do you’re the best bud thank you very much I love you brother I appreciate every moment that you give me thanks bro see you always good stuff with Z train and I thank him for being so so open and so honest and having such a a revealing conversation I hope you guys enjoyed this week’s show if you did make sure to like comment subscribe just leave a thumbs up give me a Knuckles whatever in the comments all of that helps stroke the algorithm so help me stroke the algorithm so we can keep making these shows until next time enjoy being I hope to see a bunch of you at Lake Murray and as always Bob cob take it away thanks for watching please like comment and sub subscribe because Bob Cobb of the Bass Masters told you to you hear