The splash came out of nowhere at 2 AM, nearly launching me out of my kayak on Lake Travis. My black buzzbait had been gurgling across the surface for what felt like hours when a monster largemouth decided it was dinner time. That 7-pounder changed everything I thought I knew about bass fishing. Since that […]

Last spring, I watched a friend struggle for hours in his brand-new 17-foot sea kayak on our local lake. He'd bought it because it looked "professional" and cost twice as much as the recreational models. Problem was, he couldn't turn the thing to save his life – spent more time doing three-point turns than actually […]

Last February, I was breaking ice with my paddle just to launch my kayak on Lake Travis. The water temp read 42°F, and everyone at the ramp thought I'd lost my mind. Three hours later, I paddled back with a 7-pound largemouth that crushed a jig in 25 feet of water. That's when I learned […]

Last Saturday on Lake Travis, I watched a guy struggle with his catch for five minutes before finally tossing it in his cooler – still flopping. The fish suffered needlessly, and I guarantee his fillets tasted worse because of it. After 20 years of kayak fishing from Texas to Florida, I've learned that how you […]

Last March, I was shivering in my kayak on Lake Fork at 6 AM, watching my fish finder show nothing but empty water. The air temp was 42 degrees, water temp barely cracking 48, and I'd already cycled through half my tackle box with zero bites. Then I remembered something an old-timer told me at […]

The thermometer on my kayak read 92°F, and I'd been striking out along the banks of Lake Guntersville for three hours straight. That's when I remembered something Kevin VanDam said at a seminar: "When the water gets hot, the bass go deep." Twenty minutes later, after locating a 25-foot ledge on my fish finder, I […]

The sunrise was just painting Lake Travis orange when my buddy Jake pulled up a gorgeous 3-pound bass. "What are we doing with all these fish?" he asked, looking at our overflowing cooler. That's when I realized - after years of perfecting my kayak fishing setup, I'd gotten pretty good at catching fish, but I […]

Last April on Lake Travis, I watched a massive largemouth ignore every lure in my tackle box for two hours straight. She was sitting on a bed the size of a truck tire, maybe three feet from my kayak in gin-clear water. Just when I was about to give up, I noticed something – every […]

Last summer in Milford Sound, my paddle blade sliced through water so still it mirrored the 5,000-foot cliffs above. A fur seal popped up next to my kayak, rolled onto its back, and stared at me like I'd invaded its living room. That's when it hit me – after paddling in 47 countries, I'd finally […]

Last Saturday morning at Lady Bird Lake, I watched a guy struggle with every stroke, his knuckles constantly banging against his kayak's gunwales. His paddle was way too short. After 20 minutes, he paddled over to me, frustrated and asking why kayaking felt so difficult. That's when I realized how many paddlers are using the […]