5 spots left. The retreat is 9 days away.

By Jay Valentin · Tuesday, October 27, 2026

This one's coming out a couple days early because we're running out of time. There are five spots left for the Kayak Fishing Dads Retreat, and it starts in 9 days.

If you've been on the fence, here's the deal. This isn't a tournament. It's not a seminar, and it's not a conference. It's a low-pressure weekend on the water with people who love kayak fishing as much as you do. Fishing can get lonely when you don't have anybody to go with, and that's a big part of why I wanted to do this.

What you get

• Four days and three nights at the Relaxed Retreat resort, right on the water on Lake Marion
• Modern cabins with kitchens, bathrooms and AC, steps from the water. Shared cabins, not shared beds.
• Three dinners covered. Breakfast and lunch are on your own, or you can grab it at the on-site shop.
• Group fishing sessions if you want them, or go off and fish on your own. Nothing on the schedule is mandatory.
• Q&As with creators and tournament anglers on fishing Santee Cooper, content creation, tournament fishing and rigging your kayak
• Show up as early as Thursday and stay through Sunday

The raffle

Everybody who registers is automatically in the raffle. No extra cost. There's about $5,000 in prizes total. Here's what's in it:

• Newport Vessels NK180 Pro HD from Eco Fishing Shop, a $1,299 value and the grand prize
• About $2,000 in gear from Old Town, including PFDs, paddles and YakAttack accessories
• Full Yak Power systems
• Rogue Fishing gear
• KFD merch

The fishing

Santee Cooper is Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie, and it's loaded with catfish, striper, bass and panfish. Bring your own kayak and gear. There are a limited number of rental kayaks if you can't bring yours. All skill levels are welcome.

The price

It's $550. Honestly, you'd probably spend more than that on an Airbnb for the weekend. Bring a buddy, or bring your adult kids. If you're worried about plans changing, there's a $100 cancellation option, but that window closes October 31.

This is the first one, and I'm hoping to make it a twice-a-year thing. I'd love to have you there for the first one.

Is the Shimano SLX DC still worth buying?

The SLX DC has been my go-to reel for four seasons now. I mostly throw moving baits on it, things like chatterbaits and spinnerbaits.

DC stands for digital control. There's a chip inside that adjusts the brakes 1,000 times a second while your bait's in the air. Does that mean you'll never backlash again? No. But it's a lot more forgiving, and you give up a little bit of casting distance for that.

Price-wise, it sits around $225. The VoltIQ is about $250, the Curado runs about $300, and the Metanium is $500 and up.

So is it still worth it? Absolutely. If you're newer to baitcasters, or you're picking out backlashes all day, get this reel. If you've been throwing baitcasters for years, you won't get as much out of the DC. My buddy Andrew Blair has a review of the VoltIQ if you want to compare.

Watch the full breakdown on YouTube →

Ferdine Le Blanc

Ferdine had a good day chasing hybrids. Most of the bite was upstream in the current, and since you're only allowed to keep one over 20, one of them had to go back.

Got a fish worth showing off? Post it in the Kayak Fishing Dads group and you might end up here next week.

I'm Hosting a Kayak Fishing Retreat... Here's Why

The whole rundown from me, start to finish. If you're still on the fence, give it a watch.

Watch on YouTube →