Our Readers’ Favorite Content of 2022
5-minute read
Grab your beverage-of-choice, a comfortable seat and your digital device for an overview of your favorite content of 2022 on the Bending Branches blog.
We’ll give you a synopsis, then a link back to the original post so you can dive deep into the ones that interest you.
Why Your Fishing Kayak has Scupper Holes
Bending Branches’ ProStaffer, Gene Jensen (known as the Flukemaster) often gets asked this question when he’s launching or coming in from a boat ramp: “Won’t your kayak sink with those holes in it?”
While it seems counterintuitive, scupper holes in sit-on-top kayaks (like fishing kayaks) are intentional. They serve a couple important design and performance functions. Whether and when to plug them is also covered.
Read Why Your Fishing Kayak has Scupper Holes
What's the Best Fishing Kayak for the Money?
Branches’ ProStaffer and pro angler, Chad Hoover, ranks ten fishing kayaks according to his take on these criteria:
- Stability (can stand, sit, land a fish without fear of capsize)
- Comfort (for all-day fishing)
- Rigibility (as easy to rig as possible) and Reliability
- Affordability (price vs what you get
- Performance (how well it pedals, motors or paddles)
- Everything else (things like resale value, ease of storage, how it transports)
His list includes both paddle and pedal fishing kayaks.
Read What's the Best Fishing Kayak for the Money?
(Photo courtesy of Aurora Hiraeth)
Canoe Trip Food: What Are Your Options?
A multi-day canoe trip is a unique wilderness experience that, like backpacking, means you pack your food wherever you go. The kind of food you decide to bring along is partly based on the nature of your trip—Lakes? River trip? How many portages and how long are they?
And it’s partly based on preference. Some people want light and easy, others want gourmet. Some love to cook on the trail, others just want to have a full belly.
These three basic options all have pros and cons:
- “Real” food (non-dehydrated)
- Pre-packaged dehydrated meals (marketed to backpackers)
- DIY dehydrated meals
Read Canoe Trip Food: What Are Your Options?
14 Amazing Canoe Trips in Canada
Wilderness canoeist and Canadian, Mikaela Ferguson, shares her list of some of the best canoe trips in Canada—a land with 3 million lakes and 8,500 rivers. She breaks them down by province and includes both flatwater and river trips.
Her list includes route possibilities from the Maritime Provinces all the way west to British Columbia. They include the north as well if you have the funds and love the idea of an arctic trip.
Read 14 Amazing Canoe Trips in Canada
A Folding Canoe? Yes! Here are Your Options
Folding canoes—though they seem like a novelty—have been around since at least the 70s. The advantages are numerous:
- Folding canoes are tough—just as tough as rigid canoes.
- Many of them are as light as some of the kevlar models out there—and the price points are usually lower.
- Their performance can rival that of high-end rigid canoes on both flat and whitewater, as well as for wilderness expeditions.
Intrigued? Read A Folding Canoe? Yes! Here are Your Options
(Photo courtesy of Vincent Ortega)
Paddles for the Solo Canoeist
Many canoeists enjoy the benefits and challenge or solo canoeing over tandem. Or they solo canoe in addition to tandem canoeing, especially when a canoeing partner isn’t available all the time.
Solo canoeists can use either single-blade or double-blade paddles. Many use both, depending on the conditions and type of trip they choose. Explore the pros and cons of each paddle type so you can make the best decision for you.
Read Paddles for the Solo Canoeist
Why Should a Solo Canoeist Use a Kayak Paddle?
Closely related to the blog post above, this one is slightly older but has been updated to include our 2023 product line and prices. (This is obviously a popular topic among solo canoeists!)
Taking in the content of both posts will only take you about 10 minutes. So jump in and learn what you can about the benefits of a kayak paddle when solo canoeing.
Read Why Should a Solo Canoeist Use a Kayak Paddle?
Canoeing and Kayaking Safety in Stormy Weather
When you do enough canoeing or kayaking, you’re bound to hit adverse weather occasionally. Sometimes it’s mere inconvenience, but stormy weather systems can be dangerous and need to be taken seriously.
Prepare for these adverse conditions by learning safety in lightning storms, high wind and waves, and having the right gear along whether the forecast calls for storms or not.
Read Canoeing and Kayaking Safety in Stormy Weather
(Photo courtesy of Ryan Phillips on Unsplash)
Wilderness Canoe Tripping: Minnesota vs. Maine
At first glance, wilderness canoe trips in Minnesota (notably the Boundary Waters) would seem very similar to trips in Maine. After all, they both have plenty of boreal forest and water. But in reality the type of canoe trip and the canoe trip culture of these two northern states are quite different.
Minnesotan, Scott Oeth, has canoed extensively in both states. He helps us see and appreciate the similarities and differences between these two very popular American canoe trip wilderness areas.
Read Wilderness Canoe Tripping: Minnesota vs. Maine
Should You Buy a Solo or Tandem Canoe?
Do you paddle solo most of the time or with another canoeist? What’s your budget? How much storage space do you have? All these are questions we help answer in this post. The answer to the big question—solo or tandem—depends on several factors.
Thankfully there’s a wide range of both solo canoes and tandem canoes on the market. We help you get started by exploring the topic and including the opinions of readers so you can make the best decision for you.
Read Should You Buy a Solo or Tandem Canoe?
Top 4 Rivers to Fish - Texas Edition
Though the oldest blog post on our list, Branches’ ProStaffer, Clint Taylor, very thoroughly rates his pick of the top river in Texas to fish. Whether you fish with a kayak or paddle board, you’ll love his insights if you live in or want to travel to Texas for some angling.
With each of the four rivers, Clint covers and rates the scenery, water quality, fishing quality and overall atmosphere on a 1-to-10 scale.
Read Top 4 Rivers to Fish - Texas Edition
(Photo courtesy of Clint Taylor)
There you have it, folks—our top blog content of 2022. Stick around for more to come in 2023!
Do you have paddle questions our friendly Customer Service Team can help you with today? Contact them: 715-755-3405 • [email protected]
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