I had just ended a fun week of fishing.  Though fun, it was tough.  My local waters only produced dinks.   Still fun, but no help to my standings in the Kayak Bass Fishing Regional Challenge hosted by TourneyX.com.  The sport of kayak fishing is quickly gaining popularity.  This is clear by the increased participation in the monthly regional tournament.  Given my dismal ranking, my goal was to get back into the top 10 in a final push. I fished the Mississippi down by LaCrosse, WI with family years ago.  Often hooking some monster Northern Pike, Sheepshead, Catfish, and Bass.  Bassmaster continuously puts the Mississippi pool 4 down to LaCrosse in the top 100 lakes noting the number of high-quality bass it offers.  Along with praise of the Mighty Mississip' from an angling family member, I decided it was the perfect place to up the ante. Morning-of I'm still recovering for the fishing/fatbiking marathon of the week. I expect fish to be catch-able any time of day on the Mis

I am relatively new to the community of kayak fishing.  This amazing community is gaining popularity and welcomed me with open arms with unbelievable support.  This community has shown their "stripes" at a new level.  This time, it isn't about likes, comments, followers, views, hits, shares, posts, ads, or mentions.  It is about people, kayakers and non-kayakers, anglers and non-anglers, and their lives. On June 23rd, West Virginia was hit was hit with massive flooding.  The amazing folks at Mountain State Kayak Anglers  immediately took action to help those impacted by this devastating event. They promptly collected donations and supplies to help those impacted by this terrible event.  They also started a raffle with an unbelievable list of prizes (which continues to grow).  They also collaborated with the amazing folks at Kayak Bass Fishing and TourneyX to start a benefit tournament from which all proceeds go to the victims. The prompt support of the kayak fishing

I took this week off my day job for the annual week-long fishing marathon with my brother-in-law.  It was a long, but fun, week with a tough bite and beautiful views. Pre-Game Prior to my brother-in-law's arrival, some preparatory work was required.  Historically we had fished tandom in a jon boat.  Since getting my FeelFree Lure, I haven't used it.  With personal back issues, the Lure is exponentially more comfortable.  He wanted to try kayak fishing, so I rented a kayak from a local university.  They have a great program called Stout Adventures that rents to students and community members.  This secured his ride for the week. After a successful pre-fish frogging at the end of last week , I was in need of a re-stock of key lures.  I made the short drive to meet Dakota at Bite-Me Bait and Sport Shop in Mondovi, Wisconsin.  He has the biggest selection of plastics I have ever seen, great prices on the mainstream lures, and an impressive selection of handmade lures.  A co

Those who have been reading my posts have read about my challenges this year on my home water.  Typically a great fishery, this year has been challenging.  It started out great but a Wisconsin cold snap during the spawn completely changed the fish patterns and preferences.  The slow Wisconsin thaw also left the water unusually clear (cow manure and the like did not runoff into creeks and streams that feed the lake).  That all changed this last week with a significant amount of rain.  The water has returned to its murky self and the weed mats have  returned to their usual positions.  I decided to hit the water this evening after work to kick off my whole-week-off-my-day-job fishing extravaganza hoping the normalized fishery would move me up in the KBF/TourneyX tournament I'm participating in. As I launch my FeelFree Lure, I smile at the murky water I'm used to.  After spending some time trying a buzz bait, crank baits, and a ned rig on the ledges, they prove unsuccessful.  S

My local reservoir has historically been my go-to fishery.  Anytime I get skunked elsewhere, a couple hours on the water here would produce several fat 16"+ bass.  However, this year, I have left the water a few times confused.  I am marking fish on my Garmin Striker 4DV and physically see them when sightfishing from my FeelFree Lure .  The usual arsenal of lures aren't enticing the big ones anymore. Yesterday was no exception.  My trip yesterday was a triple-threat mission.  I was on a recon. mission for my cousin, and fellow angler, fishing a local tournament.  I was also on a personal mission to figure out the fish on a low pressure non-weekend day.  The third triad of the mission was to move my name northward on the KBF North Central Great Lakes regional challenge . A quick survey the day prior was promising.  The lake is historically stained from creek runoff into the river feeding the lake.  However, several boats fishing the lake on a Thursday were a bit concerning

Recently I shared my appreciation for my readers, followers, and companies that support me and/or make the products key to my success.   I am truly grateful for the support and kind words. Thus, I would like to take a pause from my usual shenanigans to thank everyone who supports me with a series of giveaways.  My first thank you giveaway series will feature Ardent gifts.  The folks at Ardent Outdoors have been kind enough to welcome me to their team.  I am proud to represent a company who stands behind their reels with a 3 year warranty.  The giveaway series will be as follows: Milestone 1: I will select 3 random fans who like and comment on my giveaway Facebook post to receive an  Ardent decal  on July 1st, 2016. Milestone 2:   At 1,500 Facebook page likes and  YouTube channel 50 subscribers, I will give away an  Ardent hat  to a random fan who likes and comments on the giveaway Facebook post . Milestone 3: At 2,000 Facebook page likes and 100 YouTube subscribers , I wil

This morning, after a long day of beachin' yesterday , I was able to hit the water with my dad.  He took his kayak and I mine.  My dad is the one who taught me how to fish at a young age, so I enjoy fishing with him when we get the chance. We tactically decide to launch in the Yellow River, before it pours into Castle Rock Lake in Wisconsin.  This area of the river is wide and shallow with a lot of various vegetation.  Perfect for froggin'. Arriving at the launch, the wind is blowing hard.  This river and Castle Rock Lake are typically a rust color from the sandstone and pine trees, but this is much darker than usual.  The water looks like chocolate milk, with about 2 inches of visibility thanks to the recent heavy rains.  Optimistic, I drop the seat on my FeelFree Lure to keep a low profile as we head across the river to a bay blocked from the wind. Getting some harbor from the wind, we begin working the lily pads, grass, and underwater weed beds.  The area is promisi