The body of a missing college kayak angler was recovered on the Toledo Bend Reservoir.

Body Of Missing College Kayak Fisherman Recovered

On September 26, 2025 the body of a 21-year-old kayak fisherman Peyton Hughes was recovered around 7:15 a.m. on the Toledo Bend Reservoir by...
Bass Pro Shops acquires Hobie

Bass Pro Shops Acquires Hobie

Bass Pro Shops announced September 24, 2025, that it has acquired Hobie, the storied watersports brand best known for its MirageDrive pedal kayaks and...
Image of striped bass

Alarm Bells Sound For New England Striped Bass Population

Once teeming with striped bass, the Chesapeake Bay has now experienced six consecutive years of poor spawning success prompting the consideration of new regulations...
Image of kayak angler who faked his death via kayak accident ryan borgwardt and family

Kayak Angler Who Faked Death Sentenced To Jail Time (Video)

After staging a kayak fishing accident on Green Lake, Wisconsin and leaving the United States to be with a woman he met online, Ryan...
A man sits on an iTrek Hobie Angler with a pedal drive

Pedal Kayaks Are Banned On New York Reservoirs, For Now

In 2019, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) banned kayaks with pedal drives on upstate reservoirs that provide drinking water for...
The new 36-inch shaft Power-Pole Move motor

Total Boat Control With The New Power-Pole Motor Made For Kayaks (Video)

Power-Pole is famous for their anchoring systems and "total boat control" tagline on their trolling motors. They build some of the toughest and most...
Kayak Angler editor Ric Burnley sits on the new Hobie iTrek Angler inflatable fishing kayak

Hobie’s Newest Fishing Kayak Leaves Massive Rigs Behind

When I heard Hobie was releasing a new kayak, I never would have expected the 180 I encountered strolling up to the testing event...
Image of largemouth bass

$6K Reward Offered For Info On Illegal Bass Release On Maine Lake By Wardens

After an apparent illegal release of largemouth bass on West Musquash Lake in Washington County, wardens are now offering monetary rewards totalling $6,000 to...
New York sees a new record brook trout caught on a backcountry canoe trip. Feature Images: Benjamin Ferguson

Record New York Brook Trout Caught From Canoe In Backcountry Pond (Video)

On the weekend of July fourth, 2025, Benjamin Ferguson caught a record-breaking brook trout while fishing a remote pond on a three-day canoe trip....
Fishing kayak with modifications in driveway.

Best Fishing Kayak Modifications To Rig In 2025

Kayak manufacturers and accessory brands are trying to keep pace with the demands of anglers, who are replacing traditional motor boats with nimble little...
Senior dog Crusoe the Dachshund and his sister Daphne on their custom kayak fishing deck.

Kayak Angler Makes Custom Build For His Senior Dog (Video)

These days fishing kayak modifications can easily run up into the thousands of dollars for cutting-edge fish finders, motors, tackle boxes, rod holders, sonar...
black and white photo of two men fishing from an inflatable boat beside large concrete bridge piers

Bridge Fishing 101: Unlock The Secrets Of Piers And Pilings

Floating an urban river in a raft, kayak, or paddleboard, I find interesting structures to target with a fly rod. Bridges spanning the river...
Drew Gregory demonstrates how a baitcast combo can catch bass on streams and rivers across the country.

How To Catch Bass

Growing up near the ocean, I spent quite a bit of time fishing the surf, rock jetties, harbors, and on deep-sea charter boats in...
When he reached the boy, Jones extended a hand and told him everything was going to be okay. D.J. Jones

Kayaker Engages Dad-mode to Save Young Boy From Drowning

Kayak angler David โ€œD.J.โ€ Jones Jr. nearly broke the internet when he posted this video of himself rescuing a young boy from the St....

Reader Favorites

Author Spotlight

Jory Brass
Jory Brass is a writer and multi-species angler who cut his teeth on farm pond bass, rip-rap walleye, and 15-inch crappie in Iowa. Heโ€™s since branched out to kayak fishing for smallmouth and walleye, Euro nymphing spring creeks for wild brown trout, and deciphering the canyon reservoirs, tailwaters, and rivers near his new home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Texas rig and Carolina rig next to each other.

Texas Rig vs. Carolina Rig: When And How To Fish Each

The Texas rig and Carolina rig are both staples in bass anglersโ€™ arsenals. Out of all the setups considered to be the best bass...
Angler holding drop shot rig.

How To Rig And Fish The Drop Shot Rig

The drop shot rig has bailed out many a bass angler. You can fish it any time. But it really earns its keep when...
wacky rig on casting rod

How To Rig And Fish The Wacky Rig

The wacky rig is so simple youโ€™d think a toddler made it up. You simply stick a hook through the middle of a soft...
Ned rig setup attached to fishing rod.

How To Rig And Fish The Ned Rig

The Ned rig doesnโ€™t pass the eyeball test. If that simple plastic stub looks like anything, itโ€™s a half-cigar or small turd. I was...
man holds up a large bass caught by kayak while fishing a with a bass rig

Best Bass Fishing Rigs

Peanut butter and chocolate. Bert and Ernie. Bass and plastics. Some pairings are just about perfect. The problem when bass fishing, Iโ€™ve learned, is...

Editor's Choice

Kayaker Engages Dad-mode to Save Young Boy From Drowning

Kayak angler David โ€œD.J.โ€ Jones Jr. nearly broke the internet when he posted this video of himself rescuing a young boy from the St....
Virginia Level V master angler Josh Dolin holds up a redbreast sunfish

Car Keys Lost, Trophy Fish Caught

Josh Dolin is no stranger to Kayak Angler readers. For years his adventure stories of fishing across America have entertained us. But his most...
two Polaroid-style kayak fishing photos taped to a piece of wood

What Do We Remember When We Make Memories?

Memory is a curious thing. When someone asks me to tell a good fish story, I can only recount a few of my most...
illustration of a kayak angler dunking a fish in a basketball net

What The Hell Is A Marshmallow Slam?

Kayak anglers enjoy fishing for different reasons. Some anglers soak up the solitude and relaxation while others look for camaraderie and friendly competition. Some...
stylized graphic of a minnow floating just below the water's surface with white background

What Do You Know About Minnows?

If you think minnows are minute, youโ€™re missing the big story. Not all small fry are minnows and not all minnows are tiny. For...
hands holding two bait finesse systems reels in front of a lawn of green grass

The Inside Line On A New Generation Of BFS Rods & Reels

The story starts in Japan with lockjaw largemouth bass. Japan has a lot of fanatical bass anglers, but the country doesnโ€™t have a lot...
man presses a button on a Garmin fish finder while kayak fishing

Best Kayak Fish Finders For 2025

Kayak anglers want to have our cake and eat it, too. We want the convenience of a small, plastic boat and the fishing capability...
Hi-Catch Diamond fishing line

Best Fishing Lines For 2025

With all the excitement about new fishing rods, reels and lures, itโ€™s easy to forget about the most important connection between angler and fishโ€”the...
overhead photo of a kayak angler sitting in boat on greenish water with a cell phone with fishing app held in his gloved hands

The 8 Best Fishing Apps

Iโ€™ve been using fishing apps since the first weather and navigation apps became available. Nowadays, fishing apps are just as valuable as my fishing...
man fishes from a kayak with a spinning reel

Baitcasting Vs. Spinning Reels

The debate about fishing with a baitcasting reel versus a spinning reel isnโ€™t really much of a debate. Todayโ€™s tackle and tactics are rod...
man carries Norsk batteries and fishing rods to his kayak

Best Kayak Batteries For 2025

Battery power is the only limit to how far you can rig a fishing kayak with electric motors, fish finders, GPS, lights and cameras....
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Congrats to our inaugural YakOff Champion Jake Suvak
icy water on Lake Michigan in front of a lighthouse, where you can catch coho salmon

Catch Coho Salmon By Crankbait On Chilly Lake Michigan

The extreme southern tip of Lake Michigan attracts massive schools of baitfish followed by large numbers of trout and salmon. Coho salmon pilgrimage to...
fishing kayak sits on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay during John Hostalka's birthday tour

Chesapeake Bay Birthday: Angler Celebrates With Trip Of A Lifetime

At 4 a.m., I am jolted awake by the sound of waves crashing close to my head. The tent fly is flapping against the...
Chad Hoover stands and paddles while passing trees on the shore

8 Best Lakes For Kayak Fishing In North Alabama

Throw a line in North Alabama and itโ€™s destined to land in one of the worldโ€™s finest bass lakes. The rivers of North Alabama...
three kayak anglers fishing in a clear Texas river flanked by gnarled trees

Road Trip: Kayak Fishing Across Texas From North To South

Dustin Doskocil is a native Texan. Five years ago, the pro photographer moved out of the state. But, each year he returns to explore...
two kayak anglers fishing for bass on Kentucky Lake

Kentucky Lake Bass Fishing: Big Water, Big Challenge

Eric Siddiqi is a pro kayak angler from Cincinnati, Ohio. Heโ€™s won events in the Hobie Bass Open Series (BOS), Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF)...