I'll never forget the day I watched a 5-pound largemouth demolish a baby duck right next to my kayak on Lake Travis. That moment drove home just how opportunistic these predators really are. After 20 years of kayak fishing for bass, I've seen them eat everything from mice to their own young, and understanding their […]

Last month, I watched a game warden write a $250 ticket to a kayaker at Lake Anna who thought his electric trolling motor didn't need registration. That painful lesson stuck with me – and it's why I'm breaking down every Virginia kayak law you need to know before hitting the water in . After paddling […]

Last Saturday morning on Lake Travis, I had two bass on my stringer when the game warden pulled up. "Nice catches," he said, then asked if I knew I had one spotted bass mixed in with my largemouth. My heart sank – different size limits could mean a ticket. Luckily, both fish were legal, but […]

I've been paddling Oregon's incredible waterways for over a decade, and let me tell you - nothing ruins a perfect day on the water faster than a $115 fine for missing permits. Last summer on the Willamette River, I watched as Marine Patrol checked every single kayaker at the Champoeg launch. Three paddlers got tickets […]

Last summer, I watched an Oklahoma Highway Patrol marine unit write citations at Lake Thunderbird. Three kayakers got tickets - not for being reckless, just for missing basic safety gear. That expensive wake-up call could've been avoided with a quick review of Oklahoma's kayak laws. After paddling Oklahoma waters for years and talking with marine […]

Last spring, I was paddling down the Current River when a Missouri Water Patrol officer flagged me down. My buddy had just installed a trolling motor on his kayak the week before, and neither of us realized that changed everything about registration requirements. That expensive lesson taught me the importance of understanding Missouri's kayak laws […]

Last Saturday, I watched a family get turned away from launching at Barnegat Bay because their 11-year-old wasn't wearing a life jacket. The confusion on their faces reminded me why understanding New Jersey kayak laws matters - it's not just about avoiding fines, it's about staying safe and legal on the water. After paddling New […]

Last Saturday morning, I watched the mist rise off Lake Guntersville as my paddle sliced through glass-calm water. An osprey circled overhead, and I couldn't help but think - this is why I've spent the last decade exploring every paddleable mile of Alabama waterways. From the whitewater rush of Little River Canyon to the peaceful […]

I'll never forget the morning I launched my kayak on Lake Lanier without checking the latest Georgia regulations. A friendly DNR officer pulled alongside to inform me about the new anchoring rules that had just gone into effect. That $100 warning (thankfully not a ticket) taught me that staying current with Georgia kayak laws isn't […]

I'll never forget the day I opened my kayak storage locker and nearly passed out from the smell. Three months of Florida humidity had turned my favorite fishing PFD into a science experiment. That moldy mess taught me a valuable lesson about proper life jacket maintenance - one I'm sharing with you today so you […]