<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:psc="http://podlove.org/simple-chapters" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Road to the All-American]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p>]]></description><link>https://riverside.com</link><generator>Riverside.fm (https://riverside.com)</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2026 23:36:21 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://api.riverside.com/hosting/q5lwFweE.rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><author><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></author><pubDate>Mon, 26 Jan 2026 01:26:22 GMT</pubDate><copyright><![CDATA[2026 Jon Whitaker]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><ttl>60</ttl><category><![CDATA[Wilderness]]></category><itunes:author>Jon Whitaker</itunes:author><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Jon Whitaker</itunes:name><itunes:email>pzkx2wk5w9@privaterelay.appleid.com</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:category text="Sports"><itunes:category text="Wilderness"/></itunes:category><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 15 - The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>In this episode, we discuss our experience at the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame induction event.  </p><p>Welcome to <i><em>The Road to the All-American</em></i> - 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.</p><p>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. </p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p><p>Email us at <a href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p><p>Waterbug Bait Company<br /><a href="http://www.waterbigbaitco.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">http://www.waterbigbaitco.com</a></p><p>Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….<br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/</a><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco</a><br /><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco</a></p><p>Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. <a href="https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco</a></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">0a1c23e8-8944-4af8-a347-cb566e8d93a7</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 02 Nov 2026 05:04:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/12750addf09d0566ce4c7f50f9a334d236614889ca3b3deca4bb7601e852ceca/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIwYTFjMjNlOC04OTQ0LTRhZjgtYTM0Ny1jYjU2NmU4ZDkzYTciLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmFlODE3NDdiODE2YjEzZWI2MTVhODcwL2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tMjAyNi0xMS0yX180LTUzLTI3Lm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="101227251" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/episodes/0a1c23e8-8944-4af8-a347-cb566e8d93a7/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;In this episode, we discuss our experience at the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame induction event.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/i&gt; - 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Waterbug Bait Company&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com/&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot;&gt;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot;&gt;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. &lt;a href=&quot;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot;&gt;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:52:43</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:season>2</itunes:season><itunes:episode>15</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Episode 15 - The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 14 - Mark Menendez Joins the Podcast]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>In this episode, legendary bass fisherman Mark Menendez shares insights from his 50-year career, discussing the evolution of tournament fishing, technology impacts, and advice for aspiring anglers.</p><p></p><p>Follow Mark on Instagram<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/markmenendezbass</a></p><p></p><p>Welcome to <i>The Road to the All-American</i> - 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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p><p></p><p>Follow the show on Facebook at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> and Instagram at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> </p><p></p><p>Email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" target="_blank">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p><p></p><p>Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p>Waterbug Bait Company</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.waterbigbaitco.com" target="_blank">http://www.waterbigbaitco.com</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….</p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/</a></p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco</a></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">ad4d54c7-4c7e-4372-8650-30a9503c52d6</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:37:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/48e4d7874a693d68099efeee59207c08028d6fa19aad681c4bc74b954e407923/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJhZDRkNTRjNy00YzdlLTQzNzItODY1MC0zMGE5NTAzYzUyZDYiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE1NjU2NzU1ZTFjNDEyOTUyODkzMmZmL2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi03LTE0X18xNy0zMi01Lm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="106882239" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/episodes/ad4d54c7-4c7e-4372-8650-30a9503c52d6/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;In this episode, legendary bass fisherman Mark Menendez shares insights from his 50-year career, discussing the evolution of tournament fishing, technology impacts, and advice for aspiring anglers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow Mark on Instagram&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/markmenendezbass&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/i&gt; - 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the show on Facebook at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; and Instagram at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Waterbug Bait Company&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:55:40</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>14</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Episode 14 - Mark Menendez Joins the Podcast</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 13 - Sam Youngwirth Joins the Podcast]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to <i>The Road to the All-American</i> - 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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p><p></p><p>Follow the show on Facebook at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> and Instagram at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> </p><p></p><p>Email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" target="_blank">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p><p></p><p>Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p>Waterbug Bait Company</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.waterbigbaitco.com" target="_blank">http://www.waterbigbaitco.com</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….</p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/</a></p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco</a></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">12f80523-ee69-4a8f-8a7e-6929835e3cc6</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:08:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/09906544a0407aea014c27143b93a8d8f0816c856f3101b779d129facaa220cd/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIxMmY4MDUyMy1lZTY5LTRhOGYtOGE3ZS02OTI5ODM1ZTNjYzYiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmE0MmRmMmI4OWEwZmNmYTRiMWZhMTk3L2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi02LTI5X18yMy0xMC0zLm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="23421823" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/episodes/12f80523-ee69-4a8f-8a7e-6929835e3cc6/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/i&gt; - 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the show on Facebook at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; and Instagram at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Waterbug Bait Company&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:48:48</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>13</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Episode 13 - Sam Youngwirth Joins the Podcast</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 12 - Dean Starkey - 2 time Red Man All-American Winner]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to <i>The Road to the All-American</i> - 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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p><p></p><p>Follow the show on Facebook at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> and Instagram at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> </p><p></p><p>Email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" target="_blank">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p><p></p><p>Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p>Waterbug Bait Company</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.waterbigbaitco.com" target="_blank">http://www.waterbigbaitco.com</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….</p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/</a></p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco</a></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">a63bfcad-389e-4ad8-ba6e-dc1bff2f5270</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 20 Jun 2026 17:02:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/b0071e6957c59c76506cec65eafb746cf0f7087058b4908ab1e3f544e7f8602b/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJhNjNiZmNhZC0zODllLTRhZDgtYmE2ZS1kYzFiZmYyZjUyNzAiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmEzNmM3MThhYWRiYmNkNjZmNmI5MmQ4L2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi02LTIwX18xOS0wLTgubXAzIn0=.mp3" length="64612355" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/episodes/a63bfcad-389e-4ad8-ba6e-dc1bff2f5270/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/i&gt; - 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the show on Facebook at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; and Instagram at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Waterbug Bait Company&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:33:39</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>12</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Episode 12 - Dean Starkey - 2 time Red Man All-American Winner</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 11 - David Fritts Joins the Podcast]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to <i>The Road to the All-American</i> - 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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p><p></p><p>Follow the show on Facebook at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> and Instagram at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> </p><p></p><p>Email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" target="_blank">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p><p></p><p>Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p>Waterbug Bait Company</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.waterbigbaitco.com" target="_blank">http://www.waterbigbaitco.com</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….</p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/</a></p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco</a></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">b80e8cf8-90a8-4797-905e-a095022c6de6</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2026 21:52:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/fb41584f791c7a19ab2ca82b734fe14dc964cddadc30b00654f081ee6fe86c89/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJiODBlOGNmOC05MGE4LTQ3OTctOTA1ZS1hMDk1MDIyYzZkZTYiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNmEwY2RhZDIwMDIxNjEyYzBhY2ZkMzVmL2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi01LTE5X18yMy00OS01Lm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="78608136" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/episodes/b80e8cf8-90a8-4797-905e-a095022c6de6/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/i&gt; - 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the show on Facebook at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; and Instagram at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Waterbug Bait Company&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:40:56</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>11</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Episode 11 - David Fritts Joins the Podcast</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 10 - Terry Battisti Joins the Podcast]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Bass Fishing Archives Website:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bass-archives.com" target="_blank">https://bass-archives.com</a></p><p></p><p>Bass Fishing Archives on Social Media:</p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/BassFishingArchives/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/BassFishingArchives/</a></p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/bassfishingarchives/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/bassfishingarchives/</a></p><p></p><p></p><p>Welcome to <i>The Road to the All-American</i> - 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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p><p></p><p>Follow the show on Facebook at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> and Instagram at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> </p><p></p><p>Email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" target="_blank">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p><p></p><p>Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p>Waterbug Bait Company</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.waterbigbaitco.com" target="_blank">http://www.waterbigbaitco.com</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….</p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/</a></p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco</a></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">38de3677-39c8-4dd5-8b7b-de1e18839ad4</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 09:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/50891de589dcfd11e3cb09991c1029d03a38a62ec8dc8c103425d2e9bec5fbc5/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIzOGRlMzY3Ny0zOWM4LTRkZDUtOGI3Yi1kZTFlMTg4MzlhZDQiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjlmNzVkOWNmMzRlY2I2NmFmMzJlN2FlL2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi01LTNfXzE2LTM3LTE2Lm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="113001161" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/episodes/38de3677-39c8-4dd5-8b7b-de1e18839ad4/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Bass Fishing Archives Website:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://bass-archives.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://bass-archives.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bass Fishing Archives on Social Media:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/BassFishingArchives/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/BassFishingArchives/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/bassfishingarchives/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/bassfishingarchives/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/i&gt; - 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the show on Facebook at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; and Instagram at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Waterbug Bait Company&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:58:51</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>10</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Episode 10 - Terry Battisti Joins the Podcast</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 9 - Whitaker's Tournament Memories]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to <i>The Road to the All-American</i> - 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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p><p></p><p>Follow the show on Facebook at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> and Instagram at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> </p><p></p><p>Email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" target="_blank">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p><p></p><p>Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p>Waterbug Bait Company</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.waterbigbaitco.com" target="_blank">http://www.waterbigbaitco.com</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….</p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/</a></p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco</a></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">80e62345-bd8b-412a-b7e5-122e64e1eaf3</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/b335e0c1d0ed804a3da160f9b34625836d27b5bf8f6385e018b5def1f3739b37/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI4MGU2MjM0NS1iZDhiLTQxMmEtYjdlNS0xMjJlNjRlMWVhZjMiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjlkYzZhYzgzMDhmZmUxMTc0MzIyZWZiL2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi00LTEzX182LTItMTUubXAzIn0=.mp3" length="76154298" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/episodes/80e62345-bd8b-412a-b7e5-122e64e1eaf3/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/i&gt; - 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the show on Facebook at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; and Instagram at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Waterbug Bait Company&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:52:53</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>9</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Episode 9 - Whitaker&apos;s Tournament Memories</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 8 - The Relaunch of Waterbug Bait Company]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to <i>The Road to the All-American</i> - 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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p><p></p><p>Follow the show on Facebook at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> and Instagram at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> </p><p></p><p>Email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" target="_blank">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p><p></p><p>Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p>Waterbug Bait Company</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.waterbigbaitco.com" target="_blank">http://www.waterbigbaitco.com</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….</p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/</a></p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">e39e5678-ab38-49af-9597-b8ccc20e5ac7</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/f390864c76d6487ddf3b3bbb6a5d5d995a0bd9701d5240bd22a068105766a521/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJlMzllNTY3OC1hYjM4LTQ5YWYtOTU5Ny1iOGNjYzIwZTVhYzciLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjlkMjkzZTdlOTBkNWJkZDJiOWM0NjJlL2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi00LTVfXzE4LTU1LTMubXAzIn0=.mp3" length="85609161" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/episodes/e39e5678-ab38-49af-9597-b8ccc20e5ac7/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/i&gt; - 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the show on Facebook at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; and Instagram at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Waterbug Bait Company&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;http://www.waterbigbaitco.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow Waterbug Bait Company on Social Media….&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/waterbugbaitco/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.tiktok.com/@waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:59:27</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>8</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Episode 8 - The Relaunch of Waterbug Bait Company</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 7 - Shaw Grigsby Joins the Podcast]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to <i>The Road to the All-American</i> - 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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p><p></p><p>Follow the show on Facebook at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> and Instagram at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> </p><p></p><p>Email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" target="_blank">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p><p></p><p>Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Shaw on Instagram:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/shawgrigsby" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/shawgrigsby</a></p><p></p><p>YouTube Video:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://youtu.be/QibmAFZEkcI?si=CUsySu2rZ6Mhd39-" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/QibmAFZEkcI?si=CUsySu2rZ6Mhd39-</a></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">925a4fb2-e105-451f-94e2-03c990694d24</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/8738ebdf6446de5b6cfb192484519ef1172d9d860d4097ba6c7ef4499eb66c48/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI5MjVhNGZiMi1lMTA1LTQ1MWYtOTRlMi0wM2M5OTA2OTRkMjQiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjljOWUxMTNiYWNlMmI4ZWMyYWZhOWFjL2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi0zLTMwX180LTMzLTU1Lm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="53444067" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/episodes/925a4fb2-e105-451f-94e2-03c990694d24/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/i&gt; - 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the show on Facebook at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; and Instagram at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow Shaw on Instagram:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/shawgrigsby&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/shawgrigsby&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;YouTube Video:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://youtu.be/QibmAFZEkcI?si=CUsySu2rZ6Mhd39-&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://youtu.be/QibmAFZEkcI?si=CUsySu2rZ6Mhd39-&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:37:07</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>7</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Episode 7 - Shaw Grigsby Joins the Podcast</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 6 - Coorporate Sponsorships in Bass Fishing]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to <i>The Road to the All-American</i> - 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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p><p></p><p>Follow the show on Facebook at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> and Instagram at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> </p><p></p><p>Email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" target="_blank">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p><p></p><p>Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">55d15ee0-b268-4518-affa-2f5d87959405</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 09:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/c4aa136271094963fbff12cac9beb5d366bda10fab85b86d8be610bea2349ba3/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI1NWQxNWVlMC1iMjY4LTQ1MTgtYWZmYS0yZjVkODc5NTk0MDUiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjljMGJjZGQyY2VhMzM0ZjUzNzk0MjA0L2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi0zLTIzX181LTktMS5tcDMifQ==.mp3" length="67861778" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/episodes/55d15ee0-b268-4518-affa-2f5d87959405/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/i&gt; - 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the show on Facebook at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; and Instagram at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:47:08</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:season>6</itunes:season><itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Episode 6 - Coorporate Sponsorships in Bass Fishing</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 5 - Charlie Evans Joins the Podcast]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to <i>The Road to the All-American</i> - 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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p><p></p><p>Follow the show on Facebook at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> and Instagram at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> </p><p></p><p>Email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" target="_blank">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p><p></p><p>Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">0e10657a-3984-467a-878b-61e9ad9d44c2</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/c09c8ca3ab13e12d501646fad53db0237957d1a6a121332a595452073d4014b2/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiIwZTEwNjU3YS0zOTg0LTQ2N2EtODc4Yi02MWU5YWQ5ZDQ0YzIiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjliNzYwNzVhYmVjNTEwNTE4MjRjNDE0L2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi0zLTE2X18yLTQ0LTIxLm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="77358020" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/episodes/0e10657a-3984-467a-878b-61e9ad9d44c2/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/i&gt; - 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the show on Facebook at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; and Instagram at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:53:43</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>5</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Episode 5 - Charlie Evans Joins the Podcast</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 4 - Guest Bill Taylor and the addition of Red Man]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to <i>The Road to the All-American</i> - 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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p><p></p><p>Follow the show on Facebook at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> and Instagram at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> </p><p></p><p>Email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" target="_blank">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p><p></p><p>Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">d6cdbc60-612d-404b-8f68-478b280841e9</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/2e58c07fe013ef51ea7773fcf6ea1453dec823c6807ffc5265d459528d349f3d/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJkNmNkYmM2MC02MTJkLTQwNGItOGY2OC00NzhiMjgwODQxZTkiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjlhZTNlZjhhOWY3ZDVjZDgyN2QwMWFmL2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi0zLTlfXzQtMzEtNC5tcDMifQ==.mp3" length="66864946" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/episodes/d6cdbc60-612d-404b-8f68-478b280841e9/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/i&gt; - 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the show on Facebook at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; and Instagram at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:46:26</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:title>Episode 4 - Guest Bill Taylor and the addition of Red Man</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 3 - The Birth of Operation Bass and CAST Magazine]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to <i>The Road to the All-American</i> - 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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p><p></p><p>Follow the show on Facebook at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> and Instagram at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> </p><p></p><p>Email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" target="_blank">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p><p></p><p>Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco</a></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">70c4ba14-a769-4d0c-b1c6-762fa058b50d</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:15:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/1f914d9b589d41196e1377bc40d0575a00eb5da9509d7f940faeaa8cb4e4ec0f/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI3MGM0YmExNC1hNzY5LTRkMGMtYjFjNi03NjJmYTA1OGI1MGQiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjlhNTE5OWE4NzljN2U2ZTkzNzhlN2I0L2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi0zLTJfXzYtMS0xNC5tcDMifQ==.mp3" length="44140296" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/episodes/70c4ba14-a769-4d0c-b1c6-762fa058b50d/transcripts.txt" type="text/plain"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/i&gt; - 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the show on Facebook at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; and Instagram at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:30:39</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>3</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Episode 3 - The Birth of Operation Bass and CAST Magazine</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 2 - BASS, Waterbug, Forrest Wood and the move to KY]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to <i>The Road to the All-American</i> - 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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p><p></p><p>Follow the show on Facebook at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> and Instagram at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> </p><p></p><p>Email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" target="_blank">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p><p></p><p>Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco</a></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">9e40b24f-8d0d-4b7f-a456-e0c95a35f595</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/dabeda66f09f29d70211196686f5d6074fbb581525fcd7a8fe0c801567017caf/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiI5ZTQwYjI0Zi04ZDBkLTRiN2YtYTQ1Ni1lMGM5NWEzNWY1OTUiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjk5YjVlOTU0NmUyNjg2YWY0ZGM2NDUzL2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi0yLTIyX18yMC01Mi01My5tcDMifQ==.mp3" length="91287973" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/i&gt; - 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the show on Facebook at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; and Instagram at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>01:03:24</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>2</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Episode 2 - BASS, Waterbug, Forrest Wood and the move to KY</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Episode 1 - Small Town Fishing and Sports]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to <i>The Road to the All-American</i> - 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.</p><p></p><p>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. </p><p></p><p>Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  </p><p></p><p>Follow the show on Facebook at</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican</a></p><p>and Instagram at</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> </p><p></p><p>Email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" target="_blank">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p><p></p><p>Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco" target="_blank">https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco</a></p><p></p><p>Check out our sponsors:</p><p></p><p>Castaway FishCo<br /><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/CastawayFishCo.Northport" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/CastawayFishCo.Northport</a></p><p></p><p>Rodbender Fishing Co</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://rodbenderfishingco.com" target="_blank">https://rodbenderfishingco.com</a></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">b67e0082-b25a-46cf-90f6-e3b22ebab3ab</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 09:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/31c48c210655c0c32eb4723ec3a56ad2857eee0366456aba335626a15a3c4ebd/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJiNjdlMDA4Mi1iMjVhLTQ2Y2YtOTBmNi1lM2IyMmViYWIzYWIiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjk5MjdmM2JjZDUwMzBkMWFmZmEwOGE3L2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi0yLTE2X18zLTIxLTQ3Lm1wMyJ9.mp3" length="49814092" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/i&gt; - 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us each week as we relive this exciting time in the history of bass fishing.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the show on Facebook at&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;and Instagram at&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download the app Whatnot from this link and get a credit when you join. &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://whatnot.com/invite/waterbugbaitco&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Check out our sponsors:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Castaway FishCo&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/CastawayFishCo.Northport&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/CastawayFishCo.Northport&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Rodbender Fishing Co&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://rodbenderfishingco.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://rodbenderfishingco.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:34:36</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:episode>1</itunes:episode><itunes:title>Episode 1 - Small Town Fishing and Sports</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title><![CDATA[Road to the All-American Preview]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to <i>The Road to the All-American</i> - a podcast exploring the history of Operation Bass and the Red Man Tournament Trail.</p><p></p><p>In this preview episode, Jon and Joey Whitaker discuss the genesis of this project and the plans for the first season!</p><p></p><p>Follow the show on Facebook at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican</a> and Instagram at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican</a></p><p></p><p>Email us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com" target="_blank">roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com</a></p>]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">b02e66fb-9ba2-4d86-b4ac-dd509ae918d8</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jon Whitaker]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2026 05:08:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.riverside.com/hosting-analytics/media/baa6058edbc8b7ec8149e608a494ec84c1b69c2a927d4d6e2d95e341c85710a4/eyJlcGlzb2RlSWQiOiJiMDJlNjZmYi05YmEyLTRkODYtYjRhYy1kZDUwOWFlOTE4ZDgiLCJwb2RjYXN0SWQiOiI2YTJlZmYxNS04NzczLTRhNTQtOTdlOS0yZmM0MGFlYmZmNTMiLCJhY2NvdW50SWQiOiI2OTVlODI3MzZjZjljZjcxODdlMTEyMTAiLCJwYXRoIjoibWVkaWEvY2xpcHMvNjk4OTUzY2YwOTc3NmMzMmE0NmNiMDkyL2pvbmF0aGFucy1zdHVkaW8tcjd0dU8tY29tcG9zZXItMjAyNi0yLTlfXzQtMjYtNy5tcDMifQ==.mp3" length="26626134" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:summary>&lt;p&gt;Welcome to &lt;i&gt;The Road to the All-American&lt;/i&gt; - a podcast exploring the history of Operation Bass and the Red Man Tournament Trail.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this preview episode, Jon and Joey Whitaker discuss the genesis of this project and the plans for the first season!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow the show on Facebook at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.facebook.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt; and Instagram at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://www.instagram.com/roadtotheallamerican&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Email us at &lt;a rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer nofollow&quot; href=&quot;mailto:roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;roadtotheallamerican@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</itunes:summary><itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit><itunes:duration>00:18:29</itunes:duration><itunes:image href="https://hosting-media.riverside.com/media/podcasts/6a2eff15-8773-4a54-97e9-2fc40aebff53/logos/8d8cda4d-71e4-4ff1-8f1f-4a158f8e41e0.jpeg"/><itunes:season>1</itunes:season><itunes:title>Road to the All-American Preview</itunes:title><itunes:episodeType>trailer</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>