July heat waves hit different when you are perched on a plastic kayak with the sun baking your neck. I remember one sweltering afternoon on Lake Austin when the thermometer touched 102 degrees and my paddle felt like a hot iron rod. Three hours had passed without so much as a nibble, and I was […]

Spring brings paddlers back to Oklahoma's 200+ lakes and countless rivers, but before you launch at Lake Thunderbird or float the Illinois River, knowing the current kayak laws could save you from a $201 citation. Oklahoma's boating regulations have evolved, and staying current keeps you both legal and safe on the water. After years of […]

Fishing gin-clear water presents a unique puzzle that separates casual weekenders from dialed-in anglers. When visibility stretches past 15 feet, every mistake gets magnified. Your shadow becomes a warning siren. Your line turns into a visible tether. That favorite chartreuse spinnerbait that crushes fish elsewhere becomes a flashing reject sign. After two decades of adapting […]

Standing knee-deep in Oak Creek's crystal-clear flow last spring, I watched a 22-inch brown trout inhale my fly against the backdrop of Sedona's glowing red rocks. That moment crystallized why I relocated to Arizona fifteen years ago - this state delivers fishing experiences that rival any destination in the American Southwest. Arizona's reputation as a […]

Last Updated: April 2026 Lake Travis in late summer presents a puzzle that confounds many anglers. Surface water temperatures push past 85 degrees, and the bass have vanished from their usual haunts along docks and shallow points. While your fishing buddies throw lures at the bank wondering why nothing works, a different approach yields impressive […]

Last October on Lake Travis, I watched three boats work the same deep point for hours without a bite. Meanwhile, I quietly dropped a 3/4-ounce jigging spoon down 25 feet and proceeded to catch seven bass in 30 minutes. The guy in the $80,000 bass boat throwing a $30 swimbait wasn't happy when he motored […]

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 […]

There's something almost magical about the moment when your kayak first glides onto Alabama waters. The morning light filters through cypress branches, a heron lifts off from the shallows, and suddenly you're part of a landscape that hasn't changed much since Native Americans first paddled these same routes. After spending the last decade exploring every […]

Last Saturday morning, I was paddling through the glassy waters of Lady Bird Lake when a great blue heron landed on a fallen cypress branch just 10 feet from my kayak. That's when it hit me - after living in Austin for 15 years and paddling these waters hundreds of times, I still discover something […]

Standing on the deck of my kayak at dawn last spring, I watched two bass attack the same topwater plug within thirty seconds of each other. One hit like a freight train, immediately diving for the rocky bottom thirty feet below. The other slashed at the surface, launching itself three feet into the air before […]