Last April, I watched the sun paint Lady Bird Lake orange while a 7-pound largemouth demolished my topwater frog near the I-35 bridge. My kayak rocked violently as the bass tail-walked across the glassy surface, and I couldn't help but grin - this is why Texas spoils kayak anglers rotten. After paddling over 2,000 miles […]

Last weekend at Lake Travis, I watched a fellow angler struggle to load his 70-pound fishing kayak onto his truck. Meanwhile, I effortlessly lifted my 46-pound Perception Sound 10.5 with one hand while sipping my coffee with the other. That moment perfectly captured why these budget-friendly kayaks have quietly become favorites among practical paddlers. After […]

I'll never forget my first time in a sit-on-top kayak. There I was, ready to launch from Lake Travis, when I noticed something that made me do a double-take - holes in the bottom of my brand new kayak! My buddy laughed so hard he nearly fell off the dock. "Those are scupper holes," he […]

Last summer, I found myself standing in the middle of a massive outdoor gear store, surrounded by what felt like hundreds of kayaks. My buddy Jake was with me, equally overwhelmed. "They all look the same to me," he muttered, running his hand along a sleek touring kayak. That's when I realized something - picking […]

The first time I paddled through the Naples canals in Long Beach, I couldn't believe this slice of Italy existed just 20 miles from downtown LA. My rental kayak glided past million-dollar homes while moon jellies drifted beneath me like underwater ghosts. A gondolier serenaded his passengers under an arched bridge, and I thought - […]

The full moon hung like a silver dollar over Lake Travis as I pushed my kayak off the launch at 3 AM. My buddy Jake thought I was crazy - "Nobody catches bass under a full moon," he'd said. Four hours and 23 smallmouth later, including a personal best 5-pounder, I had the last laugh. […]

Last summer, I packed my trusty 12-foot touring kayak and spent three weeks exploring every paddleable waterway Arkansas had to offer. What I discovered completely changed my perspective on Southern paddling destinations. While everyone talks about the Buffalo River (and rightfully so), I found hidden gems tucked into the Ouachita Mountains and pristine lakes that […]

Last summer on the Trinity River in Texas, I watched my bowfishing buddy nail a 150-pound alligator gar from his kayak. The prehistoric beast rolled next to our boats, nearly swamping us both before he got it under control. That's when I realized bowfishing from a kayak isn't just fishing – it's pure adrenaline mixed […]

I never expected Nebraska to blow me away as a kayaking destination until I found myself gliding through the crystal-clear waters of the Niobrara River last summer. With over 79,000 miles of rivers and 10 designated water trails covering approximately 518 miles, the Cornhusker State has transformed from a "drive-through state" into my favorite Midwest […]

Last spring, I found myself standing in a canoe shop in Ely, Minnesota, completely overwhelmed. After 20 years of paddling everything from beat-up aluminum rentals to sleek carbon fiber racers, I thought choosing a new canoe would be easy. But staring at rows of boats made from materials I'd never even heard of – TuffStuff? […]