Chris Payne was born in Houston, TX and has resided in Texas his entire life spanning the South Plains near Lubbock, TX down to Central Texas where he lives in Belton, TX. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising/Graphic Design from Abilene Christian University and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Practice Management from Texas Tech University. For the last 15 years he has called Lake Belton home.
Though not as typical for a Texas angler, Payne loves to target smallmouth in his home lake and can almost always be found in his Hobie Outback when on big water. For smaller waters, he prefers the Crescent LiteTackle or the NRS Heron SUP.
In 2003, newly married and broke, Payne wanted to get off the bank to fish. He plopped down his tax refund of $200 on the only kayak sold in his town. From that moment it was over. To this day he says nothing compares to the tranquility, closeness to nature, and personal peace that comes from paddling or pedaling across the water.
Payne has been and continues to be an active outdoor writer, speaker, educator, and volunteer, teaching people the ins and outs of kayak fishing and safety. He also is the former owner and co-founder of Kayak Bass Fishing Magazine and the new founder and owner of Kayak Fishing Quarterly Magazine, a free digital magazine that covers kayak fishing and more.
As 2020 approaches, Payne plans to expand his Payne Outdoors platform to cover more hiking and camping while still staying true to his roots of kayak fishing. Additionally, he has 11 speaking engagements lined up to do angler education and safety talks. He is a certified Texas Parks and Wildlife Angler Education and Fly Fishing Instructor.
Always present at his safety talks is an NRS PFD. Payne prefers the new Otto Matik for summer fishing on smaller water and the NRS Raku for cooler months which are always paired with his favorite NRS gear, the NRS Boundary Boots.
Chris Payne can be found at https://payneoutdoors.com on Facebook @payneoutdoors and on Instagram @payneoutdoors. If you’d like to email him, that address is [email protected]