Paul Travis
2025-2026 · Championship qualifier
Gilbert, AZ
| Kayak | Hobie Pro Angler 14 |
|---|---|
| Partners | Break Line Optics, Goss Outdoors, Duckett Fishing |
| How they qualified | Winner of 2025-2026 Championship |
| Final points | 1306 |
Born and raised in Arizona and currently residing in Gilbert, Paul Travis has spent nearly 13 years kayak fishing, building his experience and competitive drive on Arizona waters.
After a challenging regular season, Paul entered the AZ Kayak Bass Nation Championship at Roosevelt Lake with a relaxed mindset. A key crankbait pattern discovered during practice helped him capture the 2026 Arizona Kayak Bass Nation State Championship and secure his spot in the Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship.
With years of experience, versatility, and a passion for competition, Paul is now preparing to represent Arizona Kayak Bass Nation and his home state on the national stage!
Spotlight
Paul has been kayak fishing for nearly 13 years, beginning his journey as a bank fisherman before taking to a kayak on Arizona’s Gila River. His competitive fishing career started in 2014 with Kayak Wars, eventually leading him into the Arizona tournament kayak fishing scene.
After a challenging regular season that saw him finish around the middle of the pack, Paul entered the AZKBN Championship at Roosevelt Lake with a different mindset. Rather than putting pressure on himself, he decided to relax, have fun, and fish a lake he has always enjoyed. During practice, he discovered a special crankbait bite that proved to be the key. Paul carried that pattern into competition, captured the AZ Kayak Bass Nation Championship, and secured his spot in the Bassmaster Kayak Championship.
On the water, Paul considers himself a versatile angler with three techniques he has the most confidence in. His favorite is a topwater Rico bite, followed closely by dragging a football-head jig when the bite is right. When conditions demand a more finesse-oriented approach, the drop shot is his reliable fallback.
Born and raised in Arizona, earning the opportunity to represent his home state on the national stage carries special meaning. For Paul, the Championship is not only the culmination of years of tournament fishing, but also an opportunity to represent AZ Kayak Bass Nation and showcase the level of angling talent Arizona has to offer.
Away from fishing and his family, Paul has spent the past 23 years working in the medical field as a Radiology Technologist. After more than two decades in the profession, he says the stories from work can almost rival the stories shared around the campfire the night before a fishing tournament.
Now, as an Arizona State Champion and Bassmaster Kayak Championship qualifier, Paul will have the opportunity to take his experience, confidence, and Arizona roots to the national stage.
