During practice for this week's Bassmaster Kayak Series event at Toledo Bend an angler has been reported missing. He is a college angler that was fishing with his teammates and did not report back to the designated rally point yesterday. Let's hope that he just had mechanical problems and is stuck in some remote area without cell service or his phone stopped working.

 

https://www.bassmaster.com/kayak/news/b-a-s-s-statement-on-missing-kayak-angler/

The article says they found his yak. Not sure if that’s good or bad.

2 hours ago, gim said:

The article says they found his yak. Not sure if that’s good or bad.

They must have updated the article since I first saw the news.

2 hours ago, gim said:

The article says they found his yak. Not sure if that’s good or bad.

He’s been identified and a couple photos have been posted.  In neither one is he wearing a PFD.  So finding his kayak is probably not a good sign.  
https://www.outdoorlife.com/survival/missing-college-kayak-fisherman/

Sad news

If he was not wearing his PFD in a yak and drowned, he knows better.  It's tragic, but preventable.  I don't have a lot of empathy for poor decisions like this.

 

I'll wait to see what they find though before judging.  We don't know yet.

11 hours ago, OldManLure said:

He’s been identified and a couple photos have been posted.  In neither one is he wearing a PFD.  So finding his kayak is probably not a good sign.  
https://www.outdoorlife.com/survival/missing-college-kayak-fisherman/

Inflatable PFD’s are light and quite frankly I don’t even notice mine when I wear it.

 

The only time mine comes off is when I’m shedding layers of clothing. But I always come to a full stop when I do that.

 

It’s to the point that even when I’m fishing on a bass boat I keep my PFD on at all times. I’m in my 60’s now and my balance and reaction time aren’t what they used to be.

 

BTW - Bassmaster kayak rules are that your PFD must be worn at all times. It’s an automatic DQ if you get caught without wearing it.

Sad news. His body was recovered this morning. No other information is available at this time.

That’s sad news.

Sorry to hear about it. I didn't know him, but he wasn't far up the road from me.

🙏 for his family, loosing your child is life changing 🙏

Tom

7 hours ago, Kayak Koz said:

Inflatable PFD’s are light and quite frankly I don’t even notice mine when I wear it.

 

The only time mine comes off is when I’m shedding layers of clothing. But I always come to a full stop when I do that.

 

It’s to the point that even when I’m fishing on a bass boat I keep my PFD on at all times. I’m in my 60’s now and my balance and reaction time aren’t what they used to be.

 

BTW - Bassmaster kayak rules are that your PFD must be worn at all times. It’s an automatic DQ if you get caught without wearing it.

I simply cannot imagine launching my kayak or boat without wearing a pfd.  I wear my pfd even when I wade which I do regularly.  I’m not sire I could catch a fish without it.  And on more than one occasion I have stopped on the drive home to grab food or drink and realize as I’m paying that I’m still wearing my Chinook.  

When 18 years old you think differently, death is a horrible result of a mistake. 🙏for him.

Tom 

I don’t care if he had a PFD on or not, I’m sorry he drowned.. folks make mistakes, unfortunately the learning curve here in this example is for us to see. RIP young man. 
 

It is a very important Life saving device. 

On 9/26/2025 at 8:14 AM, gim said:

If he was not wearing his PFD in a yak and drowned, he knows better.  It's tragic, but preventable.  I don't have a lot of empathy for poor decisions like this.

 

I'll wait to see what they find though before judging.  We don't know yet.

I still have empathy for the guy, I’ve done plenty of stupid things that could have gotten me killed. When it’s all said and done, would you rather be critical or empathetic? Same result either way, you can’t punish a dead man 

I was heading out this morning at 7:30am and a lady on her own was just leaving the ramp on a paddle board.  She had clearly not used it before and had no PFD.

 

I seriously thought about saying something to her but I kept my mouth shut.  The term "watch your own bobber" kept going off in my head over and over.

I think it would have been entirely appropriate to have politely pointed out to her that MN law requires she have a pfd onboard and, even if only remotely true, warned her that DNR patrolled those waters.  She may have been completely unaware of the law, and appreciative that you brought it to her attention.  Had she indignantly told you to mind your own business, I don’t think that would have been nearly as unsettling as your reaction to hearing news later that rescuers were looking for a missing paddle boarder.

Very sad news.

5 hours ago, OldManLure said:

I think it would have been entirely appropriate to have politely pointed out to her that MN law requires she have a pfd onboard and, even if only remotely true, warned her that DNR patrolled those waters.  She may have been completely unaware of the law, and appreciative that you brought it to her attention.  Had she indignantly told you to mind your own business, I don’t think that would have been nearly as unsettling as your reaction to hearing news later that rescuers were looking for a missing paddle boarder.

 

I agree.  Earlier in my life I would not have even hesitated.

 

However, I'm done trying to inform people how something might save their life.  Even treadling lightly is not happening anymore.  I tried for years and the reaction I got from people was to watch my own bobber.

 

People think that personal freedom is more important than safety or health.

1 minute ago, gim said:

 

 

People think that personal freedom is more important than safety or health.

I mean…… that’s kind of the motto that founded our country

Exactly.  That's why I'm done with trying to tell someone a PFD might save their life.  If they choose to not wear one, that's their personal decision.

I wonder if he had some freak medical emergency.

 

He was young, IDK, maybe he was way overweight.

 

But if he tipped, you would think he could at least get back to his kayak and hold on to it. Not like the water was really cold way down South.

 

Tragic event.

Oh my goodness. I just looked it up.

 

This might be the saddest story you will ever here.

 

The boy that passed away was named Peyton.

 

His father, also died at the age of 21 in Iraq by a roadside bomb.

 

Peyton was 9 months old at the time.

 

So there are relatives that lost their son, husband, etc and now their son, grandson, etc.

 

Life just isn't fair sometimes.

 

I sure hope there is a Heaven.

I've never been on Toledo Bend but I've heard others say the water is usually rougher than most lakes.  I wonder if the schools may reconsider future tournaments.

Or at least enact a rule with zero tolerance that anyone caught not wearing their pfd at anytime while on the water will be dismissed from the team.