The Road to the All-American

A podcast exploring the history of Operation Bass and the Red Man Tournament Trail. Discover how Mike Whitaker’s vision turned weekend anglers into contenders and reshaped tournament bass fishing.Operation Bass was founded in 1979 in Gilbertsville, KY by Mike Whitaker, a former teacher and football coach who believed competitive bass fishing should be accessible to everyday anglers. At a time when the sport was dominated by expensive, multi-day professional events, Mike Whitaker set out to create affordable, one-day close to home weekend tournaments. Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.