Who writes the guidesMeet our editors
Three people write and edit everything on Fishing Kayak Guide. The work is reading: exact listings, spec sheets, manuals, warranty terms and a great many owner reviews. We line kayaks up side by side, redo the capacity sums and update the rankings when prices or models change. Every guide names the person who wrote it and the person who edited it.
Senior editor
Nolan is the senior editor of Fishing Kayak Guide. He decides which kayaks make the rankings and which ones get sent back for a second look. He reads the capacity line before the feature list, and the one-star reviews before the five-star ones, because cracked scupper holes, dented hulls and seats that sag by the third trip show up there first.
- Choosing a first fishing kayak
- Sit-on-top vs. sit-inside hulls
- Length, width and hull weight on paper
- Owner reviews: cracks, leaks, sagging seats
- Keeping the rankings current
Drives & rigging writer
Shannon writes about what moves a fishing kayak and what gets bolted onto it: pedal drives, paddles, trolling motors, gear tracks and mounts. She's the one who checks whether the motor in the photo is actually in the box, and whether the battery is. When a listing calls a rod holder universal, she goes looking for the track profile it really needs.
- Pedal drives vs. paddles
- Trolling motors, batteries and what ships in the box
- Gear tracks, rod holders and mounts
- Seats and deck layout as listed
Capacity & transport editor
Teresa edits the specs and writes the guides on capacity, tandems, inflatables and getting a kayak from the garage to the water. She adds up angler, gear, cooler and drive before she trusts a capacity figure, and she reads the warranty to see what it says about roof racks and storage. When a listing leaves a number out, she tells you instead of guessing.
- Maximum vs. usable weight capacity
- Tandem kayaks and shared capacity
- Inflatables: packed size, weight and what is in the bag
- Carts, roof racks and storage
- Warranty terms