Paddling Education

Bending Branches ProStaff team member JD Desrosiers offered some of his time and expertise to tell us about his photography life and work. Our conversation with him will inspire anyone interested in combining kayak fishing (or any kind of paddling for that matter) and photography.

Ever wonder what to bring along for a kayak fishing and camping trip? Bending Branches Regional Ambassador Moo Lee shares his gear list with us from a recent trip of his.

Kayaking and kayak fishing are ideal activities for older adults. Bending Branches ProStaff team member Bill Schultz is himself a senior and an avid kayak angler. He offers his best tips and tricks below.

Bending Branches Regional Ambassador Terrell Hester is a huge advocate of turning kayak fishing trips into overnight camping trips. Here are his best tips.

Thousands of you read our blog! We thought it’d be fun to highlight your favorite canoeing and kayak fishing content of 2023.

Kayak bass fishing tournaments are a great way for beginning kayak anglers to learn more about the sport of kayak fishing while getting in some friendly competition.

Tyler Thiede is a Bending Branches Regional Ambassador from our home state of Wisconsin. He’s been an avid kayak angler for many years and now enjoys bringing his son Jackson along to fish too.

People seem to have a love-hate relationship with frog fishing. The ones who hate it just haven't figured it out or been properly taught. Or maybe it’s the smell of the swampy weed mats, the black mud of the lake or river, or the swarm of bugs.

Modern canoes are made of many different materials, with Kevlar and aluminum being two of the most popular. How do you know which to look for when shopping for a canoe?

Our friends at Minnesota-based Midwest Mountaineering offer a helpful walk-through of the differences between river and flatwater canoes. Before buying a canoe, watch this video first so you buy the correct type for your paddling excursions.

It’s not always easy for two anglers to successfully paddle a tandem kayak together. Bending Branches ProStaffer Chris Funk and his wife Angie share some down-to-earth tips to make your experience fun rather than frustrating.

One thing most of our ProStaff and Ambassador team members have in common is their desire to introduce new folks to kayak fishing. We asked a few of them how they do that.

When you decide to canoe or kayak on very cold water you need to be protected with either a wetsuit or a drysuit. What’s the difference?

The canoeing world is full of wonderful people who love nature, love the water and enjoy being around others. If you remember to be considerate and respectful, you’ll have conquered 90% of canoeing etiquette.

Besides a kayak and a paddle, the other non-negotiable kayak fishing item you need to be on the water is a PFD—a Personal Flotation Device (commonly known as a life jacket).

If you want to kayak fish on moving water, you need to understand river flow and how it affects both paddling and fishing.

An all-carbon canoe paddle is your best option for many canoeing environments. But it’s not your top choice for others. How do you know if you should add an all-carbon paddle to your collection?

Many kayak anglers like to use a fish finder so they can see water depth, major structure and some of the fish that are in range. We asked a few of our Ambassadors and ProStaff to tell us about their favorite fish finder.

Portaging is part of canoe tripping in most wilderness destinations. Canada’s vast wilderness areas like the Quetico, America’s Boundary Waters and others like them offer many opportunities to carry your boat(s) and gear over land to the next body of water.

Three of Bending Branches’ Ambassadors join us to offer their perspective and advice on the pros and cons of using an electric motor with your fishing kayak.

Choosing canoe packs will be a one-time purchase for most people if done correctly. Quality packs that are well-cared-for will do their job and last many, many years—even decades.