After receiving it from the shipper, the first impression I had of the Bending Branches “Navigator” paddle was that I would probably hang it up on wall rather than use it. It has beautiful black willow blades and a checkered carbon shaft, and is absolutely beautiful. It spent a few days in my living room while I fawned over it, until my wife told me to do something with it. After my feeble attempts to convince her that this was a work of art and not a paddle, I finally decided to put it to its intended use.

For a while, I didn't realize how much I loved my kayak paddle. I knew it was a big step up from my previous paddle, and I really liked it, but never felt like I needed to write about it. An opportunity came along recently that sparked a long chain of events, and really got me thinking. I was fickle at first - perhaps a little wishy-washy-but I can honestly say now that I made the right choice... Werner.

Edward Halm from Backwater Paddle Company contacted me yesterday needing some input from YakAngler.com. He wanted to know which of the names provided was best suited for their prototype hand paddle. As I was replying to his email with the name that I though fit the best I thought… Shouldn’t this come for the YA Nation? After all YakAngler would be nothing without our dedicated user base of kayak anglers!

I’ve been very fortunate to come across YakAngler when I did; it has allowed me the opportunity to share my adventures on the water with a diverse group of like minded anglers. For that I am deeply appreciative. I don’t profess to be a great writer, I’ve had no formal education in it, other than my experiences in the Air Force, I tend to rush articles and sometimes I ramble on. But I keep at it and I hope those that read my writing enjoy it. I was also fortunate to be involved with Malibu kayaks, because through them I had the chance to write for Blade Magazine, an Australian Kayak Fishing Journal. Now I’m international. Who would have thought this sometimes grouchy ole fogy would be a published writer? So as deadlines approached, I submitted my next article. Maybe you read it "Paddle Around The Bay.

Being a fisherman first and kayaker second I’m always looking for something to make my paddling experience easier. So when I read the slogan of a new paddle company “Why dig when you can glide” they immediately got my attention.

A few months ago I managed to get a hold of Arthur Carlow the inventor and designer of the Gullwing kayak paddle. When I expressed my interest in this new design Art immediately sent one out to be put through its paces.

A few weeks ago I got to take a kayak fishing trip with a couple of friends, Geno and Jamie N.  We met at Canoe KY in Frankfort and shuttled over to our put-in.  It was then that I realized there wouldn't be much fishing accomplished that day, man was that water moving fast!  We still had a great trip, just being outside, on the water, in spite of the temperature being just slightly above freezing.

As we here at YakAngler have been trying to make a more concerted effort to write more articles for those who are new to kayak fishing, I thought that it would be worth discussing paddles and more specifically choosing the right paddle.   While there are brands out there who produce kayaks fishing specific paddles, the points about choosing a paddle remain the same.    I broke them down to three main factors; Length, Blade shape and size, and materials.  

The H2O Fish is a kayak fishing specific tool. Designed for the discerning angler, the H2O Fish features a lightweight glass straight shaft, high power blades, measuring tape on the shaft, and scale hook in the blade.

I came across the press release below while searching the net for all things kayak fishing related.  I have not yet used this product so I can't honestly say whether its functionality has the "awe" factor that its look does, I wanted to share with you readers anyways.

The innovative new rotomolded Versa Board adds another dimension to Native Watercraft's paddleboard line. This paddleboard sails over the boundary lines that restrict other boards to just rivers, flatwater or the ocean with its original features like the spring loaded, retractable skeg.