KFM Angler of the Month - May 2008 - Kayak Kevin Whitley

Kayak Kevin Whitley began paddling in 2001 after leaving the life of a musician. He took his childhood love for maps and the saltwater and turned it into a solo 500 mile paddle from the GA/Fla border to his home of Norfolk VA in 2003, a 200 mile training tour and in '05, and the 1,800 mile solo tour from Pensacola Fla to Norfolk VA. He paddled 15 to 20 miles a day for four months dodging everything from deadly storms to curious alligators and shark encounters.

After returning from the Fla tour Kevin realized he needed a website to accommodate and share the overwhelming amount of pictures, stories and lessons he had collected along the way. kayakkevin.com was created to display his achievements and continued love/obsession with kayaking and fishing told through his popular weekly reports and pictures.

Being a goal orientated paddler, in '06 Kevin set his sites on the Virginia saltwater fishing tournament which acknowledges trophy catches that reach or exceed minimum length or weight. Anglers can also strive for levels of expert and master angler. Expert is six different trophy size fish in a year. Kevin was the first kayak angler to achieve expert status, and in '07 the first to reach it twice.

Kayak Kevin writes for the Chesapeake Angler magazine and the on-line Kayak Fishing Magazine. He is a regular contributor and co-host to the "Catch'en with Capt Reese" radio fishing show. He does dozens of seminars a year on fishing and touring. Kevin has been featured in the Saltwater Sportsman magazine, the Fisherman magazine and the Kayak Angler magazine. He has also been featured in Ric Burnley's book, "The Complete Kayak Fisherman".

Kayak Kevin uses and endorses; Ocean Kayak, Surf to Summit seats, Bending Branches paddles, Aquaskinz gear, JB custom rods, and Eureka tents.