Last July on Lake Travis, I watched my buddy throw everything in his tackle box at a school of bass suspended 35 feet down. Nothing. Meanwhile, I dropped a Carolina rig straight down from my fishing kayak and immediately hooked up with a 4-pounder. That's when he finally asked the question every deep water newbie […]

Last April, I was standing knee-deep in Oak Creek's crystal-clear water when a 22-inch brown trout slammed my fly. The red rocks of Sedona glowed in the morning sun, and I thought to myself - this is exactly why I moved to Arizona 15 years ago. After exploring every fishable body of water from the […]

Last Saturday morning, I pushed off from Sandy Point State Park just as the sun painted the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in shades of gold and orange. The water was glass-calm, and a great blue heron watched me paddle by with that judgmental look they're famous for. After 15 years of exploring Maryland's waterways, I still […]

Last Tuesday on Lake Travis, I watched three boats work the same crystal-clear cove for two hours without a single fish. Meanwhile, I quietly paddled my kayak to the shady side, downsized to a 1/16-ounce Ned rig, and landed five solid bass in 30 minutes. The difference? Understanding how bass behave when they can see […]

Last July, I was sweating buckets in my kayak on Lake Travis, wondering if I'd lost my mind. It was 98 degrees, my water bottle was empty, and I hadn't had a bite in three hours. Then I remembered something an old-timer told me at the boat ramp: "Son, summer bass are like teenagers - […]

Last April, I watched the sun rise over Lake Marion while my buddy landed a 9-pound largemouth on a white spinnerbait. The bass had been crushing shad in the cypress trees all morning, and we'd already boated six fish before 7 AM. That's South Carolina bass fishing at its finest – and exactly why I've […]

Last Saturday morning, I watched the sun paint the San Gabriel Mountains gold as my line went tight at Santa Fe Dam. After years of fishing this hidden gem just 30 minutes from downtown LA, I've learned every secret spot, seasonal pattern, and local trick that makes the difference between going home empty-handed and filling […]

Last Saturday on Lake Travis, I watched three boats work the same spawning flat for hours without a single fish. Meanwhile, I was quietly loading the kayak 200 yards away where the post spawners had already moved. By 10 AM, I'd boated eight solid bass while those guys were still beating dead water. That's the […]

Last summer at Lake Travis, I watched a dad frantically swimming toward his 4-year-old who'd jumped off the dock without his puddle jumper. The kid went straight vertical in the water - arms flailing, legs bicycling underneath him, head barely breaking the surface. That's when it hit me: the child was swimming exactly how his […]

Last Saturday morning at Lady Bird Lake in Austin, I watched a guy at the boat ramp ask if anyone had "extra oars" for his kayak. The rowing club members nearby tried not to laugh, but I could see their shoulders shaking. That's when I realized how many people genuinely don't know the difference between […]