Ep. 118: Aki Yamamoto of Bad News Bass on Building Community & the Bay Area Fishing Scene

Guest: Aki Yamamoto (Bad News Bass)

Hosts: Daniel Dahlin ([FISH]rx), El Charly, Luke Dean (Bait Slingers / Artemis Charters)

Episode 118, recorded live on February 10, 2026, is less about lure selection and more about what it takes to build a real fishing community. Aki Yamamoto of Bad News Bass joined from the Bay Area to talk live events, brand identity, merch drops, and how to create something that feels more like a scene than a storefront.

In This Episode

• Charly officially announced as the person running the iRod Coastal Instagram page
• Daniel making it official that he is joining the iRod team
• How Aki builds live events around hospitality, atmosphere, and community instead of making them feel like vendor fairs
• Bad News Bass merch drops — frequency, colorways, and keeping momentum around the brand
• May 30th live event locked in during the episode
• Daniel appearing on another show the next day to talk Spotty Bowl Session 2 results
• Retailer shoutouts from Daniel across the broader [FISH]rx network
• Community and collaborator mentions that hint at future projects without forcing announcements too early

What Building a Fishing Community Actually Looks Like

Aki’s take on live events is the most useful part of this episode. The goal is not just to sell merch or stack booths into a room. It’s to make a place where people can show up, recognize names they know from online, and actually connect in person. That’s a different mindset than most fishing events operate on, and it’s part of why Bad News Bass stands out.

That hospitality-first approach matters because fishing is full of content but lighter on actual shared spaces. Aki is thinking about atmosphere, people, and how to make an event feel welcoming instead of transactional. That’s not a tackle discussion, but it absolutely shapes the kind of fishing community that gets built around a brand.

The iRod announcements fit that same theme. Nothing really changed overnight — Charly and Daniel had already been close to the gear — but putting it on record matters. It makes the relationships visible and helps people understand how the broader SoCal fishing ecosystem connects across brands, media, shops, and events.

Why This Episode Matters

This episode matters because it shows the non-tactical side of fishing culture — the part that determines whether a brand lasts, whether events feel meaningful, and whether people actually want to stay connected beyond social media clips and tackle drops.

If you follow the SoCal fishing scene, this is useful context for understanding how brands, shops, and community events reinforce each other. For the fishing side of the same ecosystem, the spotted bay bass guide and SoCal structure fishing guide are the best follow-ups.

Watch the full episode on the Time On The Water YouTube channel. New episodes every Tuesday at 6 PM.