Christmas in St. Clair

Special times at Howard Family Holiday Farm

Story by Scottie Vickery
Photos by Mandy Baughn

It’s somehow fitting that the Howard Family Holiday Farm in Moody has quickly become a go-to destination for folks hoping to create wonderful family memories. After all, the farm, which opened in September and was a celebration of all things fall before getting decked out for Christmas, is the culmination of a dream that grew from the childhood memories of owner David Howard. 

“When I was 14, I told my grandmother I wanted to start a business,” Howard said. “She asked me what I wanted to do, and I said, ‘I’m going to sell Christmas trees.’” He set up a stand at a gas station at Moody crossroads owned by a family friend, Clemons Macon, and got to work.

“He had an old produce truck that sat out front,” Howard said. “I would ride the bus there and sit inside that old produce truck and do my homework and sell Christmas trees until my parents (Charles and Mary Ann Howard) came to get me at 8. My dream was that I would become a Christmas tree farmer, and it stuck with me all my life.”

Forty years later, Howard has turned that boyhood job into a way of life. And the best part, he said, is that after living and working in other places for 25 years, his dream brought him back home.

“Moody helped create the foundation of who I am today,” he said. “To be able to come back and do this and bring something wholesome and family-centered to the community is amazing.”

All the holidays

Although Christmas trees, wreaths and garland are getting top billing now, Howard opened the farm as a pumpkin patch. More than 5,000 visitors came through between opening day on Sept. 20 and Oct. 26, when they closed for a few weeks to gear up for Christmas.

Fall visitors could pick their own pumpkins from the patch or choose from a variety of gourds offered in an assortment of sizes, colors and shapes. The hayride was a huge hit with the kids, and the cut-your-own-flowers field of zinnias and sunflowers was a big draw, as well.

The farm reopened for Christmas on November 22, and two days later, Santa Claus arrived in dramatic fashion. He landed at the farm in a helicopter just in time for “Ice Cream Sundaes with Santa,” something Howard plans to make an annual event.

Santa’s arrival by helicopter on November 24 is just one of many events planned

Guests had their pick of flavors, thanks to the Hershey’s Ice Cream bar located inside the farm’s country store. In addition to the 24 ice cream flavors, which Howard plans to expand to 36 next Spring, there is an array of toys, gifts and assorted jams, jellies, and other treats sold under the Howard Family Holiday Farm label, including pickled okra, candied jalapenos and peach halves.

“We have sold out of the apple butter so many times, it’s crazy,” Howard said. The peach butter, blackberry preserves and fig preserves are favorites, too, and the offerings also include muscadine grape jelly, red pepper jelly, green pepper jelly and peach preserves.

“We provide our family recipes, and a company produces it for us,” Howard said. “These are all flavors that I grew up on and helped can, pick or both.” They also offer GunRunner Gundog Honey, made by Howard’s cousin, Kenny Armstrong, a beekeeper.

The big draw now, though, is the Frasier Fir and Black Hills Spruce trees that were cut and shipped from farms in Michigan and N.C. Howard hasn’t given up on his dream of being a Christmas tree farmer, however, and he plans to plant a field of Murray Cypress trees so visitors can cut their own.

“It’s a variety of Cypress that’s specifically bred for Christmas trees,” he said. “We’re going to plant some real mature trees so we can speed up the process. We hope that in two years, we’ll be cutting 7-foot trees.”

The plans don’t stop there. They’ll take a break after Christmas and build an outdoor pavilion before reopening in March for the rest of the year. Howard said they’ll offer Alabama-grown produce, some of which will be grown at the farm. “Our first crop will be watermelons, cantaloupes, and various peppers, and then we’ll grow from there next year,” he said. “We’ll also plant Silver Queen corn, and ultimately, that will be a corn maze.”

Howard said they’ll offer seasonal potted plants and three acres of flowers, including zinnias, sunflowers, dahlias and peonies. “Folks can come pick flowers for their special events and have photo shoots in the field,” he said.

 “We’re going to do anything we can that’s community-driven,” Howard said. “We’ll just see what the community will support, and that’s what we’ll morph into.”

The road back home

Howard and his partner, Gary Perkins, are thrilled to be back to their rural roots. Perkins, a pharmacist, grew up on a tobacco farm in Kentucky, and they both were ready to get back to a slower pace of life.

After graduating from Moody High School and then college, Howard worked in the RV industry, in marketing and advertising, and owned a martini and sushi bar. He’s also worked in the residential construction and real estate industries. For the past 15 years, he’s owned Panama City Beach Properties, a full-service real estate brokerage company that he recently sold. “I would build five houses, keep one in my inventory of rental properties and manage properties for other people,” he said.

David Howard and Gary Perkins have Christmas trees ready to sell

While he loved his career, having a heart attack three years ago at age 51 changed his perspective. “Being faced with the possibility of something catastrophic, I felt like there is so much more for me to do,” he said. “At the beach, there’s constant tourism and everything is always ‘on.’ You can’t just go out to dinner without waiting at least an hour. Something just clicked, and I said, ‘I’m done.’ We were both done. I didn’t have to convince Gary; he was ready to make the leap to farm life long before I could get the words out of my mouth.”

Although his new venture is a far cry from the fast-paced world of real estate, Howard said he and Perkins couldn’t be happier. “We’re here to stay,” he said. “I’m back home. I think about that, and I get emotional.”

Family has always been important to Howard. “My grandmother owned multiple restaurants, and she instilled that entrepreneurial drive in me,” he said. “My first job when I was 12 was washing dishes in the restaurant because I wanted a dirt bike. When I sold the Christmas trees, I got a taste of making a few bucks, turning that into more bucks, and I was hooked. I’ve been working for myself ever since.”

Now he’s thrilled to be doing just that back home. “Moody helped shape me,” he said. “I love this city, absolutely love it. I wouldn’t have wanted to grow up anywhere else, and our commitment here is community.

“When we did this, it was a leap of faith, and we didn’t know what would come of it,” Howard added. “Seeing all the families and the smiles makes it all worthwhile. Everybody comes in and says, ‘I hope you’re successful.’ We already are, and we’re having a blast.”

Pell City Country Club

Old friends, new friends play golf, celebrate at newly renovated facility

Story by Paul South
Photos by David Smith
Submitted photos

The legendary South African golfer Gary Player may have said it best when it comes to golf and friendship: “In golf, as in life, it’s the friends we meet along the way that make the journey worthwhile.”

No place does Player’s words ring truer than at Pell City Country Club St Clair County’s only golf course.  The 6,100-yard, semi-private layout has forged many friendships over the past 63 years.

Now, the club aims to make new friends by bolstering its membership and by promoting itself as an event venue for wedding receptions, birthday parties, baby showers, graduations, and holiday parties in its newly renovated clubhouse.

A rich history

PCCC was started in 1961 by a group of prominent local businessmen weary of driving to Talladega to play golf.

Dr. Raymond F. “Bam” Cox, Kenneth Tucker, Howell Henderson, Hank Harmon, Judge Edwin Holladay, Forest Walls, J.T. Holladay, Dr. John E. Haynes and Roy Coshatt started the club.  Tucker sold the 85 acres where the golf course resides on Golf Course Road.

“It wasn’t like today when you bring in a prominent golf course designer such as Jerry Pate (a former U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open champion) to come in and design the course,” said PCCC board member Jeff Ingram who “grew up” on the golf course.  This group of men came up with the idea to build a golf course they could play and be proud of.  The golf course is basically the same course as it was when it was built in 1961.

Through the years, the course and clubhouse have weathered numerous storms and a declining membership.  Pell City officials even fought off an effort by the City of Birmingham to take over the course to create a satellite airport to what is now the Birmingham Shuttlesworth International Airport.

Newly renovated clubhouse

The golf course was opened to public play approximately 15 years ago.  “That’s one thing that helped us survive,” Club President Derrol D. Luker said.  “There weren’t enough younger people joining the club to replace the older members who had quit playing or passed away.  The public play has really helped things out.”

According to unofficial club historian Roger Pate, retired principal of Pell City High School, PCCC has attracted more than its share of champions, including UAB standout and 2012 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, 3-time PGA tour winner Boo Weekley, and former local PGA tour player Will Wilcox. 

PCCC also is home to Chris Spivey, who has won numerous women’s state amateur titles over her career, and it has hosted football standouts Jay Barker and Bobby Humphrey and NBA star Charles Oakley.  Those are some big personalities for a small-town course, especially a “nine holer,” said Pate.

The club has a pro shop as well as a small practice area and putting green.  It is a nine-hole course with two sets of tees.  Each hole has a set of white and blue tees for men less than 60 years old, yellow tees for men from 60 to 70 years of age, red tees for men over 70 years of age and women of all ages. Greem tees are for players 75 years of age and older.  The club currently has 80 members.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the course hosts an 18-hole “dogfight,” basically a mini tournament filled with fun and fellowship.  In past years, when Pell City shut down at noon on Wednesday afternoons, as many as 50 golfers played in the dogfight.

“As far as the course, I think the reason people like it is it’s a shorter course, and it doesn’t take a long time to play.  I think that’s what makes it a little special.  You’re there to play golf with your friends,” Ingram said. “It provides something for the town that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the county.”

Bar area

But it’s the people, not pars that make the club special.  Many of the members were born and raised in Pell City and learned the game as kids on the course.

“The camaraderie and growing up with the members,” Ingram said. “As you get older, you’re playing with the same people you were playing with many years ago.  It’s a smaller club.  You don’t have as many members.  You can put a name with a face.  You’re not a number like you might be at a larger club.”

Pate agreed.  He’s been a member since 1971 and serves as course superintendent.  “It’s the people,” he said. “We have a lot of fun.”

Small country clubs like Pell City have struggled in recent years to keep members amid stiff competition for the entertainment dollar.  But the coronavirus pandemic and the raging cabin fever that came with it sparked renewed interest and attracted new members to the club.

“The numbers of rounds have definitely gone up since COVID first came around, and the number of rounds played have increased every year since COVID came,” Ingram said.

“Before COVID, we were really hurting,” Pate said. “It’s grown since then. A lot of people didn’t know this golf course was here.  It’s kind of off the beaten path.”

As with Pate and Ingram, the club’s warm, welcoming membership makes PCCC a special place to belong.

“You can go down there almost anytime and find a game,” Luker said.  “There are just good people down there.”

Precious memories

Any discussion of PCCC would not be complete without mentioning the late Ray Cox.  While Ingram has fond memories of winning numerous tournaments with Ray over the years, the deeper memories are of Cox, the son of one of the co-founders and also a past president of the club until his death in 2007.  The founder of Metro Bank, Ray Cox played at PCCC “from day one,” Ingram said.

Golf buddies celebrate hole in one by Drew Alexander

“He played golf all over the world, but PCCC was his favorite course,” Ingram said of his late friend. “I promised Ray before he died that as long as I was able, I would do my best to keep the doors open.  So far so good.”

Luker was one of those kids who grew up at PCCC.  A third-generation member of the club, he holds fond memories of playing with his Dad.  But he, too, remembers Cox.

“Before I was even 16, we lived in Mays Bend, and my Dad would let me drive over to the golf course by myself on Sunday mornings to take golf lessons from Mr. Cox.”

Cox taught young Luker, now a land surveyor, a valuable lesson. “Patience,” Luker said.

“He was a role model to Jeff and myself,” Luker said. “We want to keep his memory going because he meant so much to the club and to Pell City.”

The longevity of the club is based upon the people, the friendships and chance to compete..”

St. Clair County Fair

Arena, event center earn rave reviews

Story by Cherith Fluker
Photos by Mackenzie Free

If the St. Clair County Arena and Event Center needed an exclamation point on its value to the community since its inception a decade ago, the St. Clair County Fair delivered just that.

Reminiscent of days gone by with attractions for the whole family, the fair offered a free, two-day event packed full of fun and community spirit.

Day 1 featured a vendor market, carnival rides and a petting zoo along with a Veterans Appreciation dinner and live bluegrass music. Day 2 offered even more entertainment with a car show, livestock competitions, carnival rides and the popular greased pig contest.

The fair’s finale was a high-energy performance by local band Big Country. It was an ideal way to celebrate a decade of service to the community, and plans call for its return next year.

Children try their best to capture the greased pig

Since 2014, the St. Clair County Arena and Event Center has grown into a hub for both the local community and visitors from across the state.

The covered arena spans 22,000 square feet and features a dirt floor. The space includes room for approximately 800 spectators, a concession stand, and restrooms with showers. It has become the ideal setting for community events of all kinds.

Over the years, the arena and event center have transformed into a destination point that hosts a wide variety of events that appeal to all ages and interests. Rodeos, barrel races, vintage markets, dog agility shows, and car exhibitions are just a few of the diverse range of activities that draw people from all corners of the community and state. It has truly become a must-visit venue.

“The community has greatly benefited from the arena,” said St. Clair County Commission Recreation Asset Manager Ashley Hay. “By providing free or affordable events throughout the year, it offers high-quality entertainment without the need for residents to travel to Birmingham or other neighboring counties.”

The local economy has seen a boost as visitors patronize nearby restaurants, gas stations and shops. “Event hosts and spectators are encouraged to engage with local vendors, further fostering community connections,” Hay noted.

And the arena continues to broaden its community reach by hosting events like livestock shows and the St. Clair County Farm-City Banquet.

She proudly cites recent improvements to the arena, such as expanded parking, upgraded lighting and a new PA system. “We are committed to creating a welcoming and efficient environment for attendees.” The wash bay, ample parking and the ability to accommodate multiple types of gatherings make the arena a flexible and highly valued resource.

Aslyn Weaver and father, Randall, entertain crowd

County Commission Chairman Stan Batemon shared his vision for the arena, emphasizing its role as a “respite from the busy world.” He also revealed his long-term goal to transform the facility into an agricultural hub for the county. “It’s nice that we have the event space, but we don’t want to compete with other event spaces in our area. We want to continue making improvements and partner with schools and farmers to host events.”

The event center was built using federal pandemic relief funds, with the county contributing an additional $1 million to complete the facility. Located next to the arena, the climate-controlled center features a multi-use court that accommodates pickleball, volleyball and basketball. Open-play memberships are available for $10 per day or $100 per year for individuals, with the option to add a family member for an extra $50.

Chairman Batemon has a vision of expanding the space to include an agricultural center that could serve as a 4-H and FFA training facility. “This place could be a central location for schools to host bigger events than what they can on their campuses,” Batemon added. “It would provide a space for students interested in agriculture to learn and grow.”

Looking ahead, planned expansions, such as RV parking and additional recreational spaces will only enhance the arena’s role as a cornerstone of community life in St. Clair County.

Editor’s Note: For updates and a calendar of upcoming events, follow St. Clair County Arena on Facebook at  facebook.com/stclaircoarena.

Gatway Community Garden

The place where hope grows

Story by Paul South
Photos by Mandy Baughn

From an acre of God’s good earth, a small army of volunteers at Pell City Community Garden helps feed the hungry

Ten years ago, Renee Lilly and like-minded people had a vision for a place where hope and fresh food grew for the food insecure.

On the old Avondale Mills property in Pell City, Lilly wanted to create a space where needy folks could learn to tend a small piece of God’s good earth and grow their own  herbs, fruits and vegetables.

Two years later, Pell City’s Gateway Community Garden and its small army of volunteers moved to an acre or more of land donated by St. Simon Peter Episcopal Church across the road from the church.

 The result? A bumper harvest, not just of fresh food, but of hope. The garden, Lilly said, has exceeded expectations.

When the garden began at Avondale, the hope was to inexpensively rent out plots to individuals to allow them to grow their own food. But there were few takers.

Renee Lilly and Rhonda Dial talk to a crowd at the garden

Two years later the effort moved to the church and the mission changed direction.

“We just decided, we’ll grow the food, and we’ll just distribute that food to the people who need it,” Lilly said. “Once we made that decision, everything just took off.”

Since 2018, the garden has produced more than 14,000 pounds of fresh food for county residents in need, Lilly said.

Volunteers – the number varies, but usually there is a core group of a dozen – tend, nurture, harvest and distribute seasonal fresh foods.

More have joined the effort. In fact, some 3,500 volunteer hours have been sown into the garden since 2018.

The work is vital, especially in a county where 13 percent of residents are food insecure, according to U.S. News and World Report.

“Boy Scouts have helped us. We’ve got the Boys and Girls Clubs, and other groups have helped us,” Lilly said.

Because the garden has been so successful, and because of its partnership with the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama, it has been designated as one of 16 “Open Spaces, Sacred Places” sites located in nine Alabama counties.

Those sites are “intended for the encouragement of community well-being and resilience of mind/body/spirit of both individuals and communities,” according to the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama website.

“Our garden is one of those sacred spots. It’s an incredible thing that we have that here,” Lilly said.

For Lilly, certain things make the garden sacred.

“It’s a healing and restorative garden,” she said. “Not only is it a working garden where we are harvesting chemical-free food out of that garden. We also have an area in nature where people can come and sit. We have a bench with a little book library, and there’s a picnic table in the nature area where people can come and reflect on the beauty of the garden.”

The garden wouldn’t happen without the collaboration with the Community Foundation and St. Simon Peter, as well as corporate and individual support, Lilly said.

Attendees tour the garden and grab food and drinks

Though a secular organization, Gateway’s work dovetails with the mission of the church by feeding the mind, body and spirit of those in need. “We’re serving people,” Lilly said.

The garden’s harvest changes with the season. This fall, cabbage, kale, Brussel sprouts, broccoli and Swiss chard made up the crop. In past years, collards were a fall staple.

Herbs – parsley, thyme, basil and mint among them – call the garden home.

What does the success of the Gateway Community Garden say about the people of St. Clair County?

“What it says was that there was a core group of people who decided that it would be nice for Pell City to have a community garden that could take care of people in need,” Lilly said. “I think that core group of people spread the wealth, if you will, with their hard work, and more people have joined that mission.”

There is a commonality they share.

“There is a love for serving and a love for gardening.”

Recent evidence of that growth, a woman who is a master gardener enlisted her green thumb in the garden’s efforts. Some volunteers are masters, others are newcomers to putting their hand to the soil.

“We have new people coming in and joining us all the time,” Lilly said.

One of the beneficiaries of the garden is a local senior center, where food is distributed. More than once, encounters with local seniors have assured Lilly that her vision was spot on.

“A lot of times, we get to see their faces when the food is brought in,” Lilly said. “They love it. They get all excited, and they run over to us to see what we’ve brought. It’s an awesome thing.”

Lilly recalled one senior who needed food during the Covid-19 pandemic. She was driving a vanload of cabbage.

“Would you like a head of cabbage?,” she asked the man.

“I wouldn’t know what to do with it,” he replied.

“You just put it in a pan with water, salt and pepper and cook it, and it’s awesome. You’ll love it,” Lilly answered. Cabbage may have won a new fan that day.

The problems of the underprivileged are often misunderstood or dismissed outright. Lilly sometimes hears that the reason her cadre of volunteers is not as large as it could be is “because they don’t want to distribute food to lazy people.”

As the product of a broken home that faced food insecurity, she bristled at the notion.

“I’m like, ‘Wait a minute, there are a lot of people who aren’t lazy who are just in situations out of their control. I understand people who are going through a divorce or they lose a spouse, or somebody gets sick, there are all kinds of situations where people need help,’” Lilly said. “That’s why we have been distributing healthy food to people in need since 2014.”

Along with its cultivation efforts, Gateway Community Garden celebrated its third annual fundraiser earlier this month. In exchange for a $20 donation, donors were given the opportunity to win a chest freezer full of beef and pork. Chili, white and red gave extra flavor to the event, along with live music. Polly Warren prepared the beef chili and Wade Reich of the popular barbecue eatery, “Butts To Go,” prepared white chicken chili.

Back in 2014, if someone had told Lilly that the garden would flower into a success, there may have been a few weeds of skepticism.

“I would have probably said, ‘I know it’s going to take a lot of hard work. But I would have never thought that it would be the place that it is today.’”

She added, “It’s an awesome space, and we do good work there.” l

Kolectic Treasures

Antique mall with a unique twist opens
second location in downtown Pell City

Story and photos
by Graham Hadley

When Jason and Danny Kellner first considered opening an antique mall in historic downtown Pell City, they knew they had a good chance of making it work because they already had almost a decade of success with a similar venture in Anniston – Kolectic Treasures Antique Market.

They just needed to find the perfect location.

They found it in the old roller-skating rink and adjoining Maytag building next to Brittle Heaven on Cogswell Avenue. And the second location for Kolectic Treasures is going to be even bigger than the Anniston store.

“We have around 19,000 square feet in Anniston, and this one will be 20,000 square feet,” Jason said. “We live on Logan Martin and saw Pell City as a good fit for what we wanted to do.”

Jason and Danny’s vision for the antique malls is almost unique in the business. They not only want to have a wide variety of “treasures” to sell – from rustic country pieces to mid-century modern – they want to make finding those something of an adventure.

Anyone who has visited the Anniston location will be familiar with the concept.

Jason Kellner helped the DeGaris family sell off the huge collection of antiques stored in the buildings

“I worked really hard in Anniston to build it,” Jason said. “I wanted to come up with something different from other antique malls. I have a mental image of a maze, you are exploring it, there are lots of twists and turns. I want our customers to feel like they are going back in time, get lost for a minute away from the stresses of the outside world.”

The Kellners have filled the two buildings with a series of booths and passages that wind and twist their way through the structures, which share an adjoining wall that has been opened across the front to allow access to both from one entrance. Customers find something new around every corner.

“We have something for everyone. That’s kind of my motto,” Jason said.

That idea has served them well in the Anniston location, which they created out of an old strip mall off Alabama 21 next to the bypass.

“I got in there and expanded as more customers found us.”

When Jason and Danny first saw the old buildings, owned by the DeGaris family, they knew they had found the perfect fit for their plans. In only six weeks, they were able to recondition the structures, which had been used for storage of all kinds of local artifacts for years, build out most of the booth spaces, and have a soft opening with around 100 vendors already in by Nov. 4. There will be room for 275 vendors, many of whom are already lined up, by their grand opening, Dec. 13.

“That is the day of the parade. We will also have our Christmas Open House the same day and will be staying open later so people can stop by after the parade,” Jason said.

“We want to bring something really special to Downtown Pell City. We hope to bring more customers and more foot traffic to the area. We want to see the same level of business here that we see in Anniston.”

They are working on remodeling the exterior of the buildings, while keeping the important historical features. “We want it really rustic looking – keep the old style and make it new at the same time. We want to get our signs up, but also want to get the old Maytag sign working again. We want to replace all the old glass, make it look almost like an old-English style, and repave the parking lots. It’s going to look really pretty when it’s all done.”

A variety of vendors are already in the location with more than 100 more on the way

And this is just the beginning of what he envisions for their Pell City location.

“We have room on the property to expand the market by around 3,000 to 4,000 square feet in a year or so as our customer base grows, if people shop local.” And like their Anniston location, they want to have a little library and food bank boxes next to the parking area. They have held successful music festivals at the original store for years, something Jason is considering doing in Pell City, along with showing movies on the adjoining property.

The Kellners are already familiar with their next-door neighbor – Brittle Heaven and More. Owner Sarah Deese used to sell her peanut brittle and other goods out of Kolectic Treasures in Anniston.

“She started with me in our Anniston store and eventually wanted to open her own location here. We were both excited when we found out we would be next to each other,” Jason said.

She is not the only one who has made the owners of Kolectic Treasures feel welcome in Pell City.

“People are excited about us being here, and we are thankful to everyone who has helped us. The Chamber has been really phenomenal with all the support, so has the City and the DeGaris family,” Jason said. “Danny and I have worked really hard to make this happen. We are just very happy to be here.”

Editor’s Note: You can follow Kolectic Treasures on Facebook and their website at kolectictreasures.com.

Kayak fishing

Paddle, pedal and have fun on the water

Story by Roxann Edsall
Submitted photos

Sitting out on the dock sipping your first cup of coffee, you watch the morning sun begin to cast a pinkish-orange glow on the water. Absorbed in the majesty of the morning, you startle as you catch the movement of the boat as it silently glides by just yards away.

 Silent, that is, until the snap of the line as it is cast again, all the while drifting past the dock.  Almost immediately, he jerks the line and reels in the prize. After a moment to inspect and admire his catch, the angler releases the fish off the side of his kayak.

Kayak fishing has exploded in popularity in recent years, thanks to huge improvements in materials, technology and available accessories. Fishing tournament organizers have even created competitive tournament series specifically designed for kayak anglers. Since having no live well makes transporting live fish to a weigh-in problematic, new rules were created for kayakers.

Kayak-specific tournaments and most tournaments with kayak divisions use cumulative length, rather than weight, as the unit of measure. Competitors in kayaks are often governed by the CPR (Catch, Photograph, Release) Rule, which includes catching, photographing the fish on a special measuring “ketch” board, then immediately releasing the catch.

Allen Norris and his catch

The evolution of the kayak from simple shell to tricked out vessel, loaded with fish-finding tech and gear storage has helped to define the growth of the kayak fishing industry. Technology and electronics originally developed for bass boats have been redesigned, and in some cases, retrofitted for use in kayaks. Live scope electronics can be added to fishing kayaks, too.

Arguably, the biggest development propelling its popularity has been the application of pedal drives to the hull, allowing the kayak to be moved through the water without the need for a paddle. The hands-free option allows anglers to cast and reel without having to switch to a paddle to maneuver the kayak.  As anglers are known to say, it’s a numbers game. And more casts equate to more fish.

“There are so many options when choosing a kayak,” says Allen Norris, co-owner of Cropwell’s Yak Shak and veteran kayak angler. “When you see something labeled fishing kayak, lights should go off to let you know it’s going to be more comfortable, more stable, and be able to carry more gear.”

He and Jessica, his co-owner and wife, ask a lot of questions of potential buyers to make sure they get them into the right kayak. Buyers will likely need to do a bit of research to be prepared to answer those questions, which would likely begin with what you want to do in your kayak and whether you’re looking for a sit-in or a sit-on type design.

The sit-on design, according to Norris, is more stable and many models are large enough to allow stand-up fishing. Also, with sit-on designs, there is no worry of taking on water, as they are designed to allow water to flow over the top and to drain through scupper holes.

After having the pedal/paddle, sit-in/sit-on, stand up/sit down discussion, then comes the question of motor versus muscle. Fishing kayaks can be fitted with small trolling motors, if desired, although Norris admits to being a bit of a purist. “When I’m kayak fishing, I want to be as tactical and stealthy as possible,” he says. “I don’t want to put more in the water than I have to. If you’re into lots of vegetation and stumps, you can’t use the motor anyway.”

Jessica Norris’ catch of the day kayaking on the Coosa

In a sit-in kayak, be prepared to use a different set of muscles while casting, as opposed to those you’d use performing the same activity while standing. “Casting and aiming are very different when you are sitting,” says Norris.

 “It’s very strenuous.  A lot of people would describe kayak fishing as intense.” Being so close to the water and to the fish adds to the intensity of the fishing experience, Norris explains. “You can get close to the nooks and crannies that boats can’t, places where the fish really are.”

Adding to the excitement, he says, “You feel every movement on a catch in a kayak. You can also see the movement of wildlife and fish along the shore as you move through the shallow areas in coves and among boathouses and piers. Kayaks are perfect for wildlife photography, for exercise, and for just getting out and enjoying the water,” he adds. “The tranquility and therapy are very real.”

Josh Tidwell agrees wholeheartedly. He’s a huge fan of kayaking and fishing. He’s combined the two for more than 25 years and now runs a kayak rental and tour company at Big Wills Creek, a tributary to Neely Henry Lake. “It’s quite a bit of fun,” he says. “You get to be out in nature and even if you’re not catching, you’re still enjoying nature.”

Tidwell, an accomplished tournament fisherman, began fishing nearly three decades ago from creeks and riverbanks, either wading or by canoe. Kayak fishing made it easier for him to get to the tight places he wanted to fish. “Bass boats can’t get to where I go,” he says. “I like to fish smaller waters. I don’t want to look at the back of somebody’s house, when I could be looking at cliffs or waterfalls.”

Although he says he likes small water fishing, he says, kayaks are not just for lake fishing. He took his kayak to Gulf Shores a few years ago and hooked a 6-foot shark. His brother-in-law caught a 150–200-pound tarpon.  For reasons which seem obvious, they did not try to bring it aboard their kayaks. “We got dragged all over the place. That’s part of the appeal,” he laughed. “You just have to prepare for it. And don’t go alone!”

The Coosa River system offers a variety of fish, from crappie to catfish, to several species of bass, including the Alabama bass. “On Logan Martin, I’ve pulled in a 15-pound channel catfish in my kayak,” says Norris. “I’ve seen a 50-75-pound catfish pulled in, unfortunately not by me.”

Strategies for success in kayak fishing are somewhat different, Norris explains. “We attack fishing in a very different way. We don’t fish the open waters as much as we do the tighter places. Where the bass boat world is launch as fast as possible, get to your spots as fast as possible, and cover lots of water. We might launch and stay near that launch fishing the harder to get places and cover only a mile or two.”

No matter what type of vessel you use or how you fish, all nautical rules apply. Kayaks are no exception. Before sunrise and after sunset, kayaks must have a stern light. The same holds true for red and green navigation lights. These are especially important for kayaks, which sit lower in the water and are harder to see.

Equipment add-ons for safety and for convenience and comfort make kayaking an activity perfect for anyone ages 5 to 95. Your grandpa’s kayak may have given you the inspiration to learn, but it is definitely not the only design option anymore. Today’s kayaks are lighter and stronger. They offer options in how they are propelled, how you fit into it and how you maneuver it. They can be outfitted for whatever activity you want to do on the water.

A final reminder that whatever fun you’re having in a kayak, be sure to remember safety is paramount. Alabama law requires all boaters, including kayakers to have a personal floatation device onboard for each occupant.

While it’s not required that boaters wear them, it’s a good idea. It’s also a good idea to always include water, a hat, and sunscreen in your float plan.

You may catch a beautiful sunrise, too, so don’t forget your camera. And give a wave to the lady sipping coffee on the dock as you drift by.