The first morning I slid the Old Town Sportsman 106 off the tailgate, it felt like way more kayak than 10 and a half feet should. I was expecting a little river toy I’d toss around and outgrow in a season; what I got was a compact barge that clearly wanted to fish. That first…
I still remember one early spring morning on a small reservoir. Wind howling across the lake, bait flickering on a rocky point, first cast and I stuck a solid spotted bass. By the time I unhooked that fish, my kayak had already blown 30 yards off the spot and I was casting into dead water….
Beginner Kayak Fishing Mistakes are a lot less intimidating when you hear them from someone who already made them. I still remember one of my first “serious” trips: I slid my cheap sit on top off the trailer, felt the warm spring sun, saw ruffled water, and thought, “Perfect.” Two hours later I was worn…
Kayak Fishing in the Wind can be either miserable or magical. I still remember one Saturday on a local reservoir when I thought a “little breeze” would not matter. Ten minutes after launching, my kayak was sideways, my line was bowing halfway to the next county, and I was drifting right over the point I…
I used to be the guy with three tackle trays of half-used soft plastics rolling around in the crate… and only about four of them ever caught fish. The rest just looked good on the pegboard. Somewhere between paddling skinny creeks in the marsh and getting my butt kicked by guys with way simpler setups,…
Kayak anglers have a built-in advantage when it comes to redfish: stealth. You can slide quietly into knee-deep water, get close to tailing fish, and present baits where big boats can’t go. But stealth only goes so far if your bait is wrong for the conditions. This guide focuses on the best bait for redfish…
I still remember my first real kayak fishing morning: cheap paddle, used sit-on-top, milk crate full of way too much tackle, and a healthy dose of “I hope I don’t flip this thing.” I’d fished from banks and jon boats for years, but sitting that low to the water in a narrow plastic hull felt……
Picture this: you’re half-standing to make a long cast, glancing at your fishfinder, a boat wake sneaks in from the side, and suddenly your “stable” fishing kayak doesn’t feel so stable. That moment is exactly why your PFD choice matters. In a sit-on-top fishing kayak you’re low to the water, surrounded by rods, leashes, and…
Strong kayak fishing knots are non-negotiable. On a small boat, you’re closer to the fish, closer to structure, and often using lighter line than you think. A bad knot doesn’t just lose a lure—it can cost you the best fish of the day. The good news: you don’t need to know every knot ever invented….
The Lower Colorado River is a desert kayak angler’s playground: clear reservoirs, rocky current seams, cattail backwaters, and deep runs below dams. From Bullhead down to Yuma, you can target striped bass, smallmouth, chunky catfish, and carp year-round if you understand dam releases, current, and heat. This guide focuses on the main recreational stretch many…