When I moved from the Pacific Northwest to Cookeville, Tennessee to get married and start a family, I brought a passion for chasing salmon, trout and sturgeon with me. Of these, trout fishing stuck with me the most because of the beautiful places I ended up while in pursuit of these fish. Luckily, I landed within 20 miles of what many would consider one of the best trout fisheries in the Southeast – the Caney Fork River.
No matter the season or scenario, I am a fisherman, looking for signs of fish in every body of water I come across. I fish whether it’s 100 degrees or 10 degrees outside, rain or shine. I bass fish when it’s warm, and chase trout and walleye when it’s cold. Often times in the winter, you’ll find me in frigid streams dipping my pole in the water to melt the ice in my guides. I have caught more, bigger fish on trips when the weather would’ve kept most sane human beings indoors.
I was always a bank fisherman until I joined Jackson Kayak’s production team. As soon as I hit the water in one of our kayaks, I was immediately hooked. Now, you will rarely see me fishing anywhere other than from a kayak. On the flip side, you will NEVER see me on a kayak without fishing gear. There is a certain kind of intimacy that comes with kayak fishing that I haven’t found anywhere else. My wife, Bailey, and 5-year-old son, Silas, have since joined me in adventures on Tennessee’s waterways via Jackson Kayaks.
I have comprehensive knowledge of our kayaks and their components from my experience as a boat builder, and I hope to share what I know with new and upcoming kayak anglers, especially the one who calls me dad.
