Type the words “fishing podcast” into your search browser and up pops a litany of clichés with teases that, frankly, make me yawn. If you’re over staid “unboxing segments,” debates about what knot strength is better, reviews from some unpaid idiot who’s been fishing for all of one year, or some stoner giving you his Siskel & Ebert on the latest amateur fishing videos straight from his mom’s basement, click your way over to Meateater and give BENT – MeatEater’s Fishing Podcast a listen.
The new podcast is strait from the twisted minds of Joe Cermele (formerly the Field & Stream fishing editor) and Mile Nolte (former editor of Gray’s Sporting Journal) and after just two shows is already ranked #23 in the sports Trending Podcasts USA chart.
I can tell you from firsthand experience this hour of time will not be wasted. I shot sparkling water out of my nose (twice), was almost kicked out of my pandemic shared office space by my wife for laughing out loud during her zoom meeting, and wrote down at least three one liners like, “The next time you’re eating KFC thank a shad.”
I mean, just have a gander at some of the topics talked about in the first three episodes.
* “Learn how to offend anglers from Pittsburgh”
* “How Go-Gurt can save giant trevallies”
* “Why fish scales are going to make you the most eco-friendly partier at the rave.”
*And my personal favorite, “Why you don’t commission a fish mount while dropping acid.”
I’ve always thought that fishing needs WAY more humor in it across the board and with BENT fully embracing this, I’m apt to list weekly. Not only is it absolutely hilarious, but the trivia and fishing history are first class. I leaned a few things I never knew about the sport in just the first episode alone.
So, if you’re in need of some new listening material give what the creators admittedly call Reading Rainbow for degenerate anglers a listen. You won’t be disappointed.
— Managing Editor: Tim Romano
Official Description
Fishing can be slow. Podcasts about fishing shouldn’t be. That’s why we created Bent, the unapologetic fishing podcast that moves faster than a tournament bass boat but doesn’t take itself near as seriously. Hosts Joe Cermele and Miles Nolte welcome anglers of all backgrounds and interests, from hardcore crappie jiggers to dry-fly purists to offshore tuna addicts. Even if you’re just mildly fish curious, this podcast has something for you: regional fishing reports, tackle tips, trash talk, etymology, weekly news, trivia, even suggestions on how to piss off your fishing guide. Come for the soggy cooler sandwiches; stay for the raccoon-eyes tan lines.
The Big Picture:
This weekly, fast-paced fishing podcast will mix irreverent humor and satire with valid fishing information, timely and topical news, history, gear, and just a touch of culture and literature. This is not another talking heads podcast that drones on, endlessly, for hours. Bent is a tight assemblage of curated, polished segments stitched together with surprising and original discussion between two life-long fish heads from different parts of the country.
Bent reflects the successful approach of other MeatEater media properties—using fishing as a springboard to address a wide range of topics. From biology to anthropology to history to conservation to culture— we use fishing as a framework to approach any topics we, and our audience, might find interesting. Because the segments are short, listeners know that even if one particular topic doesn’t grab them, they won’t have to wait long for the next.
Humor and entertainment anchor this show. Though the show will inform and sometimes challenge listeners, our core sensibility will be fun. Even when dealing with serious topics, we’ll find space for levity.
This isn’t a bass fishing podcast, or a fly fishing podcast, or an offshore fishing podcast, or an urban fishing podcast—this is a fishing podcast. We will include a diverse array of voices and topics that represent the full spectrum of the fishing community, all the different ways we fish, look, and sound. This approach has proven effective for us in the Das Boat series and will continue through the Bent soundscape.
The Specifics:
Bent will be broken into three acts, each running about 15 minutes. For the middle act, Joe and Miles will quickly report on and discuss fish related news. This might be a new record, an advance in fisheries research, a conservation issue, a change in regulations, anything at all that’s interesting and fish related.
The first and third acts will showcase short, thematic segments, often featuring interesting characters from our world—some real, some real enough to be recognizable to anyone who fishes. Some segments will run weekly, some will repeat at an irregular cadence, and others will be one-off, single shorts that stand alone. The goal is to provide enough regularity that some segments become expected audience favorites, while making it clear that in any given week there will be new bits and segments thrown into the mix. It’s a combination of podcasting and an old-time radio variety show, and the result is never dull.
