The first time I tried filleting a bass, I butchered it so badly my fishing buddy asked if I was making fish nuggets or cat food. That 3-pound largemouth from Lake Travis deserved better, and I knew it. Fast forward ten years and thousands of bass later, I can now produce two perfect boneless fillets […]

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 his living room. That's when it hit me – after paddling in 47 countries, I'd finally […]

Upstate New York holds more paddling diversity than almost any region on the East Coast. From the wild Adirondack wilderness to the glacier-carved Finger Lakes, the state offers over 7,500 lakes and 70,000 miles of rivers and streams waiting to be explored by kayak. Whether you're chasing whitewater thrills on scheduled release weekends or seeking […]

The first time I dipped my paddle into the tannin-stained waters of the Williams River, I had no idea West Virginia would become my paddling obsession. That was seven summers ago, and since then I've logged over 500 miles on Mountain State waterways - from the thundering rapids of the Gauley to the mirror-calm coves […]

Last March, I watched a manatee surface three feet from my kayak in the crystal-clear waters of Silver Springs. The gentle giant's whiskers broke the surface as it munched on eelgrass, completely unbothered by my presence. That moment – paddling through 72-degree spring water so clear I could count individual scales on bass swimming beneath […]

Kayak towing is the process of pulling another kayak (with or without a paddler) to safety using a rope, belt, or direct contact method. It involves attaching a tow line between vessels, maintaining proper spacing, and using controlled paddling to assist exhausted, injured, or equipment-compromised paddlers. Mastering this essential kayak rescue technique transforms any paddler […]

What kills no-see-ums instantly? The fastest elimination methods are DEET-based repellents (20-30% concentration), picaridin sprays, and permethrin-treated clothing. For immediate kill on contact, alcohol-based sprays work, but prevention through chemical barriers proves more effective than reactive killing. Standing at the edge of a Florida mangrove channel last spring, I watched what looked like a thin […]

Portaging a kayak means carrying your boat and gear over land between two bodies of water, typically around obstacles like dams, rapids, or shallow sections where paddling becomes impossible. Last weekend at Devil's River, I watched a guy drag his $2,000 composite kayak over rocks for 200 yards. The sound of fiberglass grinding against limestone […]

Last summer, I watched a fellow camper deflate what looked like a full-size touring kayak and stuff it into a backpack no larger than a sleeping bag. Thirty minutes later, he was hiking up a steep trail to the next alpine lake while I was still wrestling my hardshell onto roof racks. That moment crystallized […]

Last Saturday morning on Lake Travis, I watched a guy in a $3,000 carbon fiber kayak struggle to load his boat onto his SUV while I stuffed my inflatable into a backpack. He looked at me like I was crazy - until I beat him to the water by 20 minutes. After testing over 30 […]