It was May of 2015. I was the guy fishing from the bank with no boat and too big to even think about getting in a canoe or kayak. I was talking to my good friend Jim Flowers about my frustration of limited fishing opportunities due to fishing from the overgrown bank. Jim said let’s get in the kayaks and get you out there, “fat guys don’t get in a kayak” was my immediate reply. Jim was persistent he had a kayak I could get in and I hesitantly told him I would give it a try.

I was nervous! Here I was a 400+ pound guy about to get in a kayak, which I had never done before. I climbed in the sit in kayak with much apprehension and off I go on a private lake….in a kayak! To my surprise, it was stable, easy to paddle, and a pleasure to be on the water. Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought I would be comfortably paddling a kayak, but here I was doing it with ease. After several trips I was more comfortable in my ability kayaking and the next thing on the list was to purchase my own kayak. Let me say this now, a “fat guy” or “big guy” can get in a kayak and paddle with ease; you just need to try some to see. I speak from experience, it can be done!! The one piece of advice I can give to anyone wanting to purchase a kayak is DEMO, DEMO, DEMO! Try it out before you make an investment, you will not regret it.

After some shopping around I had found a new model kayak I was interested in and luckily Jim Flowers had the same model and allowed me to take a day trip with it. Mark Flowers and I, along with the wives, set out on our Sycamore Creek adventure on an August Saturday. The kayak did well and I had no issues besides I found the 14 foot boat hard to maneuver in tight spaces in the creek. I had pretty much decided this was the kayak for me, but wasn’t just ready to make the purchase.

I had a friend recommend I expand my search and check out a Jackson Kayak made right here in Tennessee. In the same week I had a coworker tell me about visiting a new store to Nashville, Caney Fork Outdoors in Donelson. I took the time to stop by one day and met Ryan Martin who walked me through what Jackson had to offer for a “fat guy” and encouraged setting up a demo with the original store, Caney Fork Outdoors in Silver Point, on Center Hill Lake. I set up a demo to try out the Jackson Big Rig on the lake. Jim Flowers and I took the kayak I took down Sycamore Creek with us and we paddled them side by side, both taking a turn with each. The Big Rig won. The stability and ease of maneuvering were deciding factors in changing my mind from the kayak I had been looking at. I purchased my first kayak, the 2015 Big Rig, in October 2015.

I developed a relationship with Ryan Martin and his parents Joel and Janice over the next several months, stopping in to see Ryan on a regular basis. I also got to know some of the Caney Fork Outdoors team members in the time I spent at the store. I started helping Ryan with kayak rigging and learning what all the different brands have to offer. I enjoyed many trips on the water with friends and my wife of course joined in on the fun. I participated in some kayak tournaments and got to know several new folks along the way. In June of 2016 I became part of the Caney Fork Outdoors team, and it became a family.

Caney Fork Outdoors became a dealer for Hobie Kayaks in late 2016 and I quickly became interested in what the brand had to offer. Wow, what a fantastic line of boats! I was low speed/high drag when I was in the Big Rig and after a demo of the Hobie PA14 I found it to be high speed/low drag. I was fortunate enough to become a Hobie owner in December 2016 and part of the Hobie Fishing Team in early 2017. I absolutely love everything Hobie has to offer the kayak community. The PA line of kayaks have the speed, stability, and maneuverability that I and many others are looking for in a kayak. Hobie continues to impress with new features and models to fit the different needs and water conditions of every kayaker. My wife, Teri Ann Hooper, has also joined the Caney Fork Outdoors Team and the Hobie family peddling an Outback.

The rest? Well, we will be finding it on the water in 2018. Huge thanks to Jim Flowers for giving me the confidence and support to get off the bank and on the water, thanks pal. I cannot thank Caney Fork Outdoors enough for supporting me and offering the best boats and gear for the kayak community. I am proud to represent Caney Fork Outdoors and Hobie Kayaks!