The Forward-Facing Sonar debate has been driven by strong opinions. But now, for the first time, we have a full season of results to test them against.

A year ago, the always opinionated Todd Castledine joined the show and made some bold predictions about what would happen when the Bassmaster Elite Series split its schedule between FFS and non-FFS events.

Now the 2026 season is over—and Todd is back to find out whether those predictions held up.

Did the anglers who dominated with Forward-Facing Sonar stay on top without it? Did the non-FFS events expose a different group of elite competitors? And did banning FFS actually change the competitive landscape, or did the same names keep finding a way to win?

With five events allowing FFS and four events without it, we finally have enough data to move beyond speculation.

This isn’t about what might happen. It’s about what actually happened—and whether Todd saw it coming.

The season is over.

The predictions have been made. Now it’s time to see who was right.

Welcome to The Mercer Podcast & the Final Forward Facing Sonar Debate.

Three Bassmaster winners. Three very different journeys. And one question they ALL have to answer: What’s the biggest lie in professional fishing?

This week’s Mercer Podcast is absolutely a JAM-PACKED, TRIPLE BANGER with three of the hottest names coming off huge moments in their careers.

Bryan Schmitt — Lake Champlain Bassmaster Elite Series Champion

Evan Kung — Thousand Islands Bassmaster Elite Series Champion

Caleb Hudson — 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year

Three separate conversations. Three different perspectives on winning, pressure, life on the Elite Series and what it really takes to succeed at the highest level of professional bass fishing.

But there’s one question they all get asked…

What is the BIGGEST LIE in pro fishing?

The answers might surprise you.

We also dig into the moments that changed their seasons, the pressure that comes with chasing a Bassmaster trophy, what people on the outside misunderstand about tournament fishing, and plenty of the awkwardly honest stuff you’ve come to expect from the MERCER Podcast.

Three winners. One packed episode.

Trey McKinney is officially the Bassmaster Angler of the Year — but there’s a whole lot that happened inside his boat that you didn’t get to see.

Bassmaster cameraman Jake Latendresse spent the biggest moments of Trey’s AOY run on the back deck, giving him a front-row seat to EVERYTHING.

On this episode of Jake’s Take, Jake takes us inside Trey McKinney’s boat to talk about the nerves when everything was on the line, the massive waves, Trey’s locked-in confidence and the subtle bait adjustments that helped make the difference.

We also tackle the bigger question: after what Trey has accomplished at such a young age, how does he actually stack up against the all-time greats of professional bass fishing?

The cameras captured the action.

Jake saw EVERYTHING else!

Less than 24 hours after making history, Trey McKinney sits down at a picnic table with Mercer to talk about becoming the youngest Angler of the Year in Bassmaster history.

After finishing second in the AOY race in each of the last two seasons, Trey finally got it done. But what does it actually feel like when the thing you’ve chased, dreamed about and come painfully close to finally becomes reality?

With barely any time to process what just happened, Trey talks about the pressure of the final event, the emotions of Championship Sunday, the heartbreak of the last two years and what it means to finally be able to call himself Bassmaster Angler of the Year.

No studio. No time to prepare the perfect answers. Just a picnic table and a brand-new Angler of the Year talking about the biggest moment of his young career.

Trey McKinney made history. Less than 24 hours later, we talked about all of it.

The Bassmaster Elite Series season has come down to this — and there’s a LOT on the line.This week, Jake Latendresse is back for another Jake’s Take, and the timing couldn’t be better. We dig into some of the rumours making their way around about Bassmaster, what we’re hearing behind the scenes, and everything that is at stake heading into the final Elite Series tournament of the season on the St Lawrence River. But the biggest story is the Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. Three anglers. One tournament. And a battle that is simply too close to call.Trey McKinney, Drew Cook & Cory Johnston. Who handles the pressure? Who makes the right decisions? And who walks away as the 2026 Bassmaster Angler of the Year?The rumours are flying, the pressure is building, and the race is on. It’s all on this week’s Mercer Podcast.

Forward-facing sonar is right up there with politics and religion as a topic you’re probably better off not bringing up… so naturally, we’re talking about it.

This week on the MERCER Podcast, three different pro anglers with three very different perspectives weigh in on one of the biggest questions in professional bass fishing:

Did Bassmaster’s split forward-facing sonar schedule actually work?

Greg Hackney, Mike Iaconelli and Kyle Patrick give their opinions on how the season played out, what worked, what didn’t, and whether splitting the schedule between events with and without forward-facing sonar accomplished what Bassmaster hoped it would.

Did it create a more balanced playing field? Did it make the competition better? Did it prove anything at all? And most importantly—is this the format Bassmaster should stick with moving forward?

Three pros. Three perspectives. One topic that bass fishing just can’t stop arguing about.

Forward-facing sonar: did the split season work?

With just two Bassmaster Elite Series events remaining, Trey McKinney is once again right where he’s been knocking on the door for the last two seasons — in the hunt for Bassmaster Angler of the Year.

But this time, he’s the one everyone is chasing.

After finishing 2nd in AOY in each of his first two Elite Series seasons, Trey enters the final stretch leading the race and with a chance to finally finish the job.

This week on the Mercer Podcast, Trey talks about the pressure of leading AOY, what he’s learned from coming so close the last two years, and what it will take to close it out.

However we don’t avoid the tough stuff.

Does Trey get help from locals to find fishing spots? How does he handle the rumors, criticism and scrutiny that come with being one of the most successful young anglers in the sport? And does any of that noise actually get to him?

With two tournaments left and everything on the line, Trey McKinney answers the tough questions.

During one of his best seasons ever 3 time Bassmaster winner Cory Johnston sits just two events and 1 angler away from capturing the coveted Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. But with all that success has come an unexpected conversation—some anglers close to home even think that he should be banned.

This week Cory swings by for a face-to-face honest conversation about an incredible season, the pressure of the AOY race, and what it’s really like competing at the highest level of professional bass fishing.

Whether you’re following the AOY race or just love hearing the stories behind professional fishing, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

This week, Jake’s Take returns—and this one might be the most powerful yet.

Bassmaster videographer Jake Latendresse has spent years behind the camera, capturing some of the greatest moments in professional bass fishing. But this episode isn’t about the biggest catches or the biggest trophies. It’s about the moments that meant the most.

Jake counts down the five most emotional stories he has ever filmed during a Bassmaster event, sharing the behind-the-scenes details and personal memories that viewers never got to hear.

From Lee Livesay’s unforgettable triumph, to Jason Christie’s raw emotion, Brandon Palaniuk’s incredible perseverance, Brandon Cobb’s shocking hook set, Takumi Ito’s inspiring journey, and Drew Cook’s unforgettable sight fishing moments —these are the stories that remind us that fishing is about so much more than just winning tournaments.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to witness history through the lens of a camera, this episode gives you a front-row seat. Honest, emotional, funny, and full of incredible storytelling, Jake once again takes us behind the scenes of the biggest moments in Bassmaster history.

If you love the people behind the sport as much as the competition itself, you won’t want to miss this one.

Fishing has changed—and keeping a secret might be harder than ever.

This week on the Mercer Podcast, Bassmaster Elite Series Pro and Forrest Wood Cup Champion Justin Atkins joins us for a VERY honest, wide-ranging conversation about what it’s really like to chase a career in professional fishing.

We dive into whether fishing secrets still exist in the age of social media and instant information sharing. Has it become impossible to keep a productive pattern, a winning bait, or a special spot under wraps?

But that’s just the beginning.

Justin opens up about the financial risks of chasing a childhood dream, what it takes to survive on tour, his relentless desire to win, and the sacrifices that come with making professional fishing your career. Along the way, the conversation takes plenty of unexpected turns—including hilarious tour stories, embarrassing moments, life on the road, and the realities that fans rarely get to hear.

It’s funny, honest, and full of the kind of behind-the-scenes stories that only happen when two friends who love the sport sit down and have a real conversation.

If you’re passionate about bass fishing, tournament competition, or just love hearing the stories behind the anglers, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.