Tackle Talk - Bass Fishing Podcast
A business-focused podcast for serious bass anglers, going behind the scenes with executives from the tackle industry's biggest companies.
This is not a typical "how to catch more bass" show; it's a "how the bass industry actually works" show. It treats fishing tackle with the seriousness of tech hardware, dissecting corporate strategy, brand management, and the careers of the people running the companies that dominate the sport.
“Unlike most fishing podcasts that focus on techniques or tournament recaps, Tackle Talk takes a unique business-journalism approach. Its recent "Big Four" series, interviewing leaders from the four largest parent companies in tackle, is a prime example of its unique access and focus.”
Who hosts this show
Andrew Hayes hosts this deep-dive podcast on the bass fishing industry. The show often features long-form interviews with high-level executives from the industry's largest companies, exploring brand strategy, product development, and corporate history. While interview-heavy, the show also mixes in episodes covering industry news, listener mailbags, and spotlights on smaller tackle businesses.
Credentials & credits
- Podcast Host & Producer
- VP of Sponsor Sales for the Dayton Dragons (minor league baseball team)
Other ventures
- Haze Fishing LLC
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01
- 02
- 03
- 04
- 05Ep. 350 - MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: Unveiling Our Next 4-Part Mini Series!May 26, 2026 · 26 min
- 06
- 07Ep. 348 - SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Featuring TONS of Great Small Tackle Companies!May 12, 2026 · 58 min
- 08
Notable episodes
- 01The "Big Four" Mini-Series (Eps. 351-354)
An ambitious four-part series providing a behind-the-scenes look at the largest parent companies in fishing tackle, featuring interviews with senior executives from each.
- 02Ep. 352 - The Big Four: Episode 2 - Rapala/VMC w/ Travis Tuma
An interview with the President of Rapala USA, offering a top-level view of the iconic company's strategy, regional growth, and record sales.
- 03Ep. 348 - SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Featuring TONS of Great Small Tackle Companies!
Showcases the podcast's commitment to the entire fishing ecosystem by highlighting smaller, family-owned tackle companies suggested by the audience.
What you'll be asked on this show
Andrew Hayes typically opens by asking guests for a "CliffsNotes version" of their career path to establish their background. He demonstrates deep industry knowledge, often listing a company's brand portfolio from memory to frame questions about strategy and differentiation. Hayes probes on business specifics, asking guests to define a brand's identity or confirm financial trends like sales records, but maintains a conversational, respectful tone that allows guests ample time for detailed answers.
The show alternates between deep-dive interviews and mixed-format episodes covering news and listener mailbags. Host Andrew Hayes often prefaces interviews with detailed monologues and groups all ad-reads at the start for an uninterrupted conversation. The podcast opens with an introduction from legendary angler Bill Dance.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
10 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
origin
1- Q.01
“What's the short version of your career path to your current role?”
This is the standard opening question to establish the guest's background and entry into the industry.
personal
1- Q.01
“How does your past experience in other roles help you in your current leadership position?”
Used to connect a guest's early career moves to their present-day responsibilities and perspective.
process
4- Q.01
“What does a typical day look like for you as President/VP?”
This question provides a concrete look into the day-to-day responsibilities of a senior executive.
- Q.02
“How do you approach managing the historical or legacy brands in your portfolio?”
Asked to leaders of companies with iconic, long-standing brands to explore their stewardship strategy.
- Q.03
“How do you create separation and avoid overlap between your company's own brands?”
A strategic question about preventing brand cannibalization within a large product portfolio.
- Q.04
“Is [The Midwest] still your company's strongest sales region?”
A geographically-focused question used to understand market dynamics and regional strengths.
craft
1- Q.01
“What is the specific brand identity of [YUM/BOOYAH/etc.]?”
Drills down into the specific marketing, target audience, and positioning for a single brand.
money
2- Q.01
“Is it true you're coming off several record sales years?”
A direct question, often based on the host's research, to get a pulse on a company's financial health.
- Q.02
“Do you see e-commerce as a net positive or a net negative for your sales volume?”
Probes the business impact of a major industry shift on the guest's company and sales channels.
industry
1- Q.01
“How have tackle sales in general changed over the last two decades?”
A big-picture question that asks for a high-level, long-term industry perspective.
Signature segments
- · "The Big Four" mini-series
- · Bill Dance introduction
- · Ad-reads grouped at the start of episodes
- · Small Business Spotlight episodes
- · Listener mailbag segments
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
The show books senior executives from the fishing industry's largest manufacturers—Presidents, Vice Presidents, and Directors—to discuss their companies' strategies, history, and product development.
- Nathan Ragsdaleon Ep. 354 - The Big Four: Episode 4 - Pure Fishing
- Mark Sextonon Ep. 354 - The Big Four: Episode 4 - Pure Fishing
- Chad Warneron Ep. 353 - The Big Four: Episode 3 - PRADCO Outdoor Brands
- Travis Tumaon Ep. 352 - The Big Four: Episode 2 - Rapala/VMC
- Crispin Powleyon Ep. 351 - The Big Four: Episode 1 - GSM Outdoors
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
Sponsors include established fishing-adjacent brands like The Rod Locker (storage), Amped Outdoors (batteries), Humminbird (electronics), and Minn Kota (trolling motors). The audience consists of serious, gear-focused anglers likely to invest in high-end equipment.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- Who is the host of Tackle Talk?
- The podcast is hosted by Andrew Hayes.
- What is the podcast's format?
- It's primarily a long-form interview show focusing on the business side of the fishing industry, but it also releases episodes with news, gear talk, listener mailbags, and spotlights on small companies.
- Is the podcast still active?
- Yes, it releases new episodes weekly on Tuesdays.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- It is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcast platforms.
- What makes Tackle Talk different from other fishing podcasts?
- It focuses heavily on the business and corporate strategy side of the fishing tackle industry, interviewing high-level executives rather than focusing purely on fishing techniques or tournament results.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Tackle Talk Podcast Official Websitetackletalkpodcast.com
- [02]About the Host | Tackle Talk Podcasttackletalkpodcast.com
- [03]Tackle Talk - Bass Fishing Podcast on Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [04]Tackle Talk - Bass Fishing Podcast Channelyoutube.com
- [05]The Evolution of Bass Fishing Lures - with Andrew Hayesyoutube.com
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