Paddling Education

Fishing the Spawn
Harsh winter conditions have finally given way to warm days, sunny skies, and most importantly, upper 60’s water temperatures.  Bass this time of year are eager to move shallow to spawn, and kayak bass anglers are just as eager to...
Protect Your Kayak Fishing Paddles with a Paddle Bag
One of the best investments you can make to protect your kayak fishing paddles is a quality paddle bag to keep them in.
Reader’s Stories: Paddling Mis-Adventures
Sometimes our day on the water canoeing or kayak fishing doesn’t turn out like we expect. When we asked readers for their stories for our 2020 Story Contest, a couple brave souls entered tales of their misadventures.
Canoe Paddle Bag: Buy or Make Your Own
Protect your canoe paddles with a paddle bag that protects them from scratches, dings and dust. They’re great for both storage and transporting. You can either buy a bag designed for canoe paddles, adapt a bag or make your own…
What to Know about Kayak Camping
Bending Branches Regional Ambassador, Kyle Hines, took up kayak camping in 2017 and found it’s something he loves to do. We got him on the phone recently so we could pick his brain for suggestions and tips for others who want to get into this adventure sport, too:
“Can I Use a Kayak?” and Other FAQs about the Boundary Waters
We’ve collected a few of the most common questions about canoe tripping in the Boundary Waters, along with some of the recommendations given by the others. We also added a few comments ourselves, as well as links you’ll find helpful…
Bending Branches Readers Share Their Kayak Fishing Stories
Many of the stories we received from our readers for our 2020 Story Contest were about their kayak fishing adventures. We want to share a few of those with you here…
Bending Branches’ Andrew Stern Talks Kayak Fishing on “The Final Cast”
In this episode of The Final Cast podcast our own Marketing Manager, Andrew Stern, joins Josh Eldridge, Brad Hicks and Jimmy Skinner to talk Bending Branches, the Angler Navigator, the Angler Pro and kayak fishing.
How to Get Your Friends Hooked on Kayak Fishing
We talked to Bending Branches ProStaffer and Ontario native, Eron Dodds, about ways he’s learned to introduce people to the sport he’s come to love—kayak fishing.
Our Sunburst Canoe Paddle: The Best of Both Worlds
Bending Branches’ Sunburst ST and Sunburst 11 canoe paddles combine the best of two worlds—wood and carbon—to form one state-of-the-art canoe paddle with the elite canoeist in mind.
Canoeing Is a Way of Life for This Family
The best way to keep canoeing alive is to pass the love of canoeing on to the next generation. Jody and Bill Miles have been actively passing on this love to their own boys, Willow and Granite, and thousands of other school children since 1999.
How to Size & Choose a Canoe Paddle
Paddle Length Features to Look For Bent vs Straight Shaft Grip Blade Shape Materials Solo Canoe Paddles There's a lot of technical aspects to choosing the right canoe paddle. Our rule of thumb is for: 6 hour trips or less:...
Catch and Release or Hook‘em and Cook‘em?
Over the years this has been the debate to release or keep the fish you catch. Early anglers fished to supplement their food supply. The idea of putting anything back certainly was viewed as a foreign concept. Currently many people...
Winter Paddling Safety
Winter time paddling in frigid water temperatures can be fun but it can also be very dangerous if you’re not wearing the correct gear that’s suitable for the conditions. In this blog post, I am going to go over the...
New Season, New Goals
As winter’s end approaches, the allure of weekends on the water is getting closer to becoming a reality. With another season of paddling and fishing just around the corner, now is the perfect time to take stock of your goals...
Solo Canoe Trip in Kawartha Highlands, Canada
Jason Eke of Trailguide Pictures spent several days on a solo canoe trip in Kawartha Highlands, a provincial park just north of Toronto, Canada.
Reader Stories: Kayak Fishing
Several Bending Branches readers and fans sent in their stories for our 2020 Story Contest. Many of these stories included kayak fishing. 

Here are a couple that were Honorable Mention we want to share with you...
2020 Story Contest Winner: A Father & Son Canoe Trip
Bending Branches fan Jeff Kalil submitted this story to our 2020 Story Contest. We chose his for first place, which awarded him $150 to use on Bending Branches product. Here’s Jeff’s winning story…
What You Need to Get Started Kayak Fishing [Video]
Are you brand new to kayak fishing? Maybe you just got your first fishing kayak.
Bending Branches’ ProStaffer Gene Jensen covers the gear you need to outfit your new kayak in this video.
How to Fish Big Bass in the Spring [Video]
Go along on a kayak fishing trip with Kayak Bass Fishing’s Chad Hoover and learn some of his top tips for catching big bass in the spring…
Wood vs. Carbon Canoe Paddles
Let’s take a look at what might make the difference for you in choosing a wood canoe paddle or a carbon canoe paddle.