Last Fourth of July weekend on Lake Buchanan, my trolling motor died 3 miles from the ramp. In 95-degree heat. With no wind. That soul-crushing paddle back taught me two things: always carry a backup paddle (duh), and there had to be a better way to keep my batteries charged on multi-day trips. Fast forward […]

I'll never forget the day my knees decided they'd had enough of my weekend warrior antics. Standing at the boat launch on Lake Travis, staring at my kayak, I realized getting into that low seat was going to be a whole different ballgame with two cranky joints that refused to bend past 90 degrees. That […]

I'll never forget my first real kayaking trip to Lake Travis. I showed up with nothing but a borrowed paddle and confidence – only to realize I was missing literally everything else I needed. After getting sunburned, soaked, and genuinely uncomfortable, I learned the hard way that proper gear makes the difference between a miserable […]

Last weekend on Lake Travis, I watched a buddy struggle with his ancient wetsuit that had started letting water seep through the seams. As he shivered on shore, wringing out what should have been a "waterproof" suit, it got me thinking – how many paddlers really understand what makes neoprene waterproof, and when it isn't? […]

The morning sun cast long shadows across Lake Powell's red cliffs as I launched my kayak from Antelope Point Marina. Three hours later, after weaving through Antelope Canyon's narrow walls and discovering hidden alcoves that most boaters never see, I understood why this place has become my annual pilgrimage destination. Lake Powell isn't just another […]

That morning on Caddo Lake will forever be etched in my memory. My golden retriever, Bailey, stood on the dock watching me load the kayak, tail wagging with pure excitement. She'd seen this routine dozens of times but had never been invited along. When I finally called her aboard, the look of pure joy on […]

Last Saturday morning on Lake Travis, I was dead-sticking a wacky worm along a rocky point when my buddy Chad powered past me with his trolling motor humming. Twenty minutes later, he'd boated three solid largemouths while I sat there fishless. That's when it hit me – I'd been overthinking bass fishing for years when […]

I'll never forget the day my $300 YakAttack BlackPak fell off my kayak and sank in 20 feet of water at Lake Travis. Standing there watching bubbles rise where my fancy crate disappeared, I made a promise: never again would I spend big money on what's essentially a glorified milk crate. That weekend, I built […]

I still remember my first kayak fishing trip on Lake Travis. My buddy Jake spent the entire drive trying to talk me out of it. "You're gonna flip that thing the second you hook a fish," he warned. "And good luck catching anything - fish can hear kayaks coming from a mile away." Three hours […]

I'll never forget my first attempt at fishing from a kayak. Picture this: Lake Travis, 6 AM, me trying to paddle with one hand while casting with the other, only to hook my own life jacket and nearly flip the whole setup. Twenty years and thousands of fish later, I'm still learning new tricks about […]