As paynespaddlefish.com has grown over the last several months,
I’ve had to make some decisions about the direction I will take the site moving
forward. I have been blessed to have interest from companies about paddling a
boat that they make. I have had opportunities to visit with people from
different parts of the industry and a lot of people who are just kayak
fishermen. Most of them shared that what they valued from paynespaddlefish.com was
the ability to talk about a lot of different brands without being a “sponsor
site”. Sponsor sites are typically paid for, at least partially, by companies
who want you to talk about their product. Most of the time you can only talk
about their product. There are places for that but I have visions of a site that
can talk about a lot of different kayaks and accessories and without the
normal, brand-friendly comments. I want to avoid doing reviews of products that
have only good things to say. I believe there is always room for improvement
though some have a larger area than others to work on. For those of you that know me I am a "call it
like I see it" type of person. If it needs improvement, I’ll say something. I
try to put that into my thoughts, my writing and my daily life as much as
possible while being tactful and constructive at the same time.
As some different projects to develop kayaking and kayak
angling started to come to fruition here in Central Texas, it became evident
very quickly that I would need some help. I am just one guy. I needed a
reputable place to send people interested in buying kayaks where the staff and
owners treat every person as an individual to make sure they could get the
perfect boat for their situation. I wanted to be able to send them to a
business who valued them whether they were spending $5 or $5,000. I hoped to
find a business that could help me develop the projects I’m working on, give
feedback and a little time.
After again speaking to several people in and around the
kayak fishing world the same name kept popping up. I decided to make a road
trip and go see what this business was all about. I’ll just say it was
everything I expected and more. After a few phone calls and emails, an
agreement and new partnership was formed. I will be able to continue developing
the website as a site that talks about many kayak brands, offers suggestions
for improvement, talks about accessories, innovations, outings, and so much
more. I’ll be able to work boat shows and tackle shows for them and hear first-hand
what customers are wanting, answer questions for folks thinking about getting
into kayak fishing, give advice based on each customer’s needs and not be tied
to one specific manufacturer. Additionally, as my projects to further kayak
fishing in Central Texas and beyond grow, I’ll be able to involve more people
more quickly.
Starting on February 9th, I’ll be working with
the team at Mariner-Sails in Dallas, TX to grow the kayaking and kayak fishing
worlds and do it the right way, the Mariner way, where the customer is first.
I’ll be able to bring you reviews on the newest boats from a large number of
manufacturers including Wilderness Systems, Hobie, Native, Malibu and more. If there is something you would like an
opinion on, I want to earn the right to be the opinion you seek. I am excited about
this great and unique opportunity. I can’t possibly express my thanks enough to
Aris and the fine folks at Mariner for allowing me to realize this dream and
being such forerunners in our sport.
I look forward to your ideas and questions of what we should
cover next. If it’s a possibility, I’ll do everything I can to make it
happen. If you are in the area or have
some time to drive I’d love to visit with you from 10-6 February 9th
at Mariner-Sails.
As always, thanks for reading.
Chris