Kayak Fishing for Catfish

Some rides are too fun to pass up. Years ago, the Jamaicans grabbed headlines with their Olympic bobsled team. It was a feel-good, fish-out-of-water story. What was not to love about a bunch of guys taking an unorthodox route for the ride of their lives.

Justin Johnston of East Tennessee won't be competing in the Olympic Games in South Korea this winter, but he does enjoy the thrill of a modified Tennessee toboggan run whenever possible. His kayak is his sled, the Tennessee River is his course, and an angry blue or flathead powers his rides.

Johnston got his first taste of kayak fishing about 10 years ago while on vacation and thought about how to rig one to tangle with...