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 […]

Last spring, I watched my buddy's face drop as we pulled his vintage fiberglass canoe off the roof rack. There it was - a nasty crack running down the hull, courtesy of a hidden rock from our last river run. But here's the thing: that "disaster" turned into one of the best learning experiences we've […]

The sun was just breaking over the Cascade Mountains when I launched my kayak into Lake Roosevelt last spring. Within minutes of paddling out from Sterling Point, my fish finder lit up like a Christmas tree. Twenty feet down, suspended over a rocky ledge, was a school of smallmouth bass that would make any angler's […]