Opens in a new tab

Jake Mercer

⚓ About the Captain

Jake Mercer has spent more than a decade covering regional bass fishing tournaments across the Midwest and Southern lake circuits. Known for his detailed weigh-in recaps and tournament breakdowns, Jake specializes in highlighting angler strategies, seasonal bass patterns, and competitive moments that define local bass fishing culture. His writing combines real tournament insight with a strong understanding of the community behind the sport, making him a trusted voice for both experienced competitors and weekend anglers following the tournament trail.

Passionate bass fishing writers and tournament contributors bringing expert insights, lake knowledge, gear experience, and competitive coverage to the Bass Lake Roadhouse community. From tournament strategy to weigh-in stories, our team lives and breathes the sport of bass fishing.

   ⚓Tournament-tested knowledge from passionate bass anglers

   ⚓Expert coverage of bass tournaments, gear, and lake conditions

   ⚓Dedicated to the competitive bass fishing community and lifestyle

More About This Captain

Resources
Bass Lake Survey Reports: Read the Numbers Correctly
A lake survey showing fewer largemouth bass does not automatically mean the fishing has deteriorated. Fisheries biologists measure more than the number of fish they capture. Size distribution, growth, sampling conditions and changes across multiple surveys can be just as important. North Carolina's Lake Tillery provides a useful example. Its 2022 fisheries survey recorded fewer…

Jake Mercer

October 14, 2026

Fishing
How To Find Unpressured Bass Fishing Spots
Unpressured bass fishing spots do not always announce themselves on side imaging, mapping or sonar. Sometimes the best clue is standing on four legs along the shoreline, which is exactly what happened during the opening day of the Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Norfork Lake. Kaden Buchmann used deer activity as one piece of evidence that…

Jake Mercer

September 24, 2026

Blog
Caleb Hudson Rookie Of The Year Shows Elite Learning Curve
Caleb Hudson Rookie of the Year sounds clean now that the trophy has been handed out. It did not feel clean while Hudson was waiting on Championship Sunday, unable to fish, watching Fisher Anaya’s finish decide whether a season-long lead would hold or disappear at the very end. That is what makes this award more…

Jake Mercer

August 31, 2026

Blog
Why Bass Lake’s September 5 Free Fishing Day Is A Bigger Outdoor Sports Weekend Than It Looks
California’s September 5 Free Fishing Day falls on Labor Day weekend in 2026, creating a low-cost opportunity for new anglers at Bass Lake while making boating rules, access and early planning especially important

Jake Mercer

August 26, 2026

Tournament Series
Bryan Schmitt’s Champlain Win Proved Old Water Still Has New Lessons
Bryan Schmitt Lake Champlain history is starting to look less like coincidence and more like a fishing lesson hiding in plain sight. His 2026 SPRO Bassmaster Elite win with 81 pounds, 7 ounces did not come from solving a lake in four practice days; it came from years of learning what Champlain keeps giving back.…

Jake Mercer

August 25, 2026

Tournament Series
Shaw surpasses Gill as MLF’s youngest bass-fishing millionaire
The Banks Shaw millionaire milestone is not just another impressive number attached to a hot young angler. At 23, Shaw has become the youngest competitor in MLF/FLW history to pass $1 million in career earnings, taking a record Drew Gill had set only months earlier. The timing matters because Shaw’s rise is colliding with a…

Jake Mercer

August 20, 2026

Fishing
Blue-Green Algae Alerts Are Hitting Florida Bass Waters—What Anglers Should Watch
Florida’s 2026 harmful-algae log is putting some of the state’s best-known freshwater fisheries back under scrutiny. Florida blue-green algae alerts and cautions have appeared around Lake Okeechobee, the St. Johns River system, Crescent Lake and Lake Jesup, forcing anglers to think about more than where bass are biting: they also need to know where water…

Jake Mercer

August 20, 2026

Tournament Series
The $10,000 Fishing License Mistake: What Chad Mrazek’s DQ Teaches Tournament Anglers
A fishing license is usually one of the cheapest items in a tournament angler’s budget. But tournament fishing license rules can make a missed permit more expensive than rods, electronics, entry fees and fuel combined. Chad Mrazek learned that lesson at the 2026 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit stop on Lake Champlain. Major League Fishing disqualified…

Jake Mercer

August 17, 2026

Tournament Series
Cole Floyd Lake Erie Surge Changes Stage 7
Cole Floyd’s Lake Erie surge did more than win a qualifying round. It changed the entire shape of MLF Stage 7 by turning a clean Floyd-Sprague duel into a pressure test for every angler trying to reach Championship Sunday. That is why this result should be read as more than another leaderboard flip. For fans…

Jake Mercer

August 14, 2026