KYLE STROTHER



Flipping cattails in a family farm pond is where Feelfree Competitive Team member Kyle formed his love for bass fishing. Growing up in West Virginia presented limited fishing opportunities for him, but Kyle became a well rounded angler by maximizing the waters available. Whether it's floating and wading the Susquehanna River for smallmouth or punching hyacinth mats in central Florida, there isn't a body of water that he isn't confident on. He is no stranger to the darkness either, spending considerable amounts of time fishing in the black of night in search of trophy-sized bass. Kyle is always available for a chat about fishing and enjoys sharing knowledge to help others.

TYLER SWEET



Tyler started along the path to his fishing career as soon as he was strong enough to hold a pole. His father’s passion for canoeing and trout fishing quickly rubbed off on him as he learned to chase stream trout in the creeks and rivers of upstate NY with both spinning tackle and a fly rod. In time he also developed into an avid paddler. As his skill and ambition grew, he transitioned to bigger game. Taking to the lakes of the Adirondack Park, he chased the hard-pulling smallmouth and native lake trout that inhabited the backwaters only accessible from canoe or kayak.In 2018 he decided to try his hand at tournament bass fishing. Having spent his life fishing from paddlecraft, kayak tournaments were a perfect fit. He dove in head-first and never looked back. While being a tournament angler has forced him to spend most of his time bass fishing, he still carves out time throughout the year to target other game fish like walleye, trout, pike, and crappie. After six seasons on the tournament trail, he has competed in 20 states, won a multi-day national event and multiple local tournaments, and qualified for several prestigious national championships. Yet even after competing against the nation’s top anglers on world class fisheries, the days he cherishes the most are loading up a couple kayaks into the truck with his fiancé, packing some snacks, meeting his father at a small local pond, and enjoying a few hours just seeing whatever is biting.

RICK GARAVAGLIA



Rick is a Christian, Husband, Dad, Son, Brother, Friend, Pastor, Coach, and kayak fishermen! Growing-up on the Elk River and surrounded by the lakes of central West Virginia fishing has always been part of his story. His kayak fishing journey really took shape in 2018 when he organized a father-son float trip through his church. That day flipped a switch—he was hooked on kayak fishing for good. In 2019, he purchased a 3 Waters Big Fish 105 and joined the West Virginia Kayak Anglers. He wasted no time making an impact, finishing 9th in his very first tournament and placing 2nd in the Rookie of the Year and 6th in the AOY standings. In 2021, he stepped onto the national stage and made it count—winning the KBF Trail Series 1 event on Lake Murray in his first appearance. He backed it up with another strong showing in 2022, finishing 8th in the same event. His consistency continued with a 10th place finish at the 2024 KBF National Championship on Guntersville, followed by 14th in 2025 as well as a 9th place finish in the Kayak Adventure Series South Boston Bassathon event. Rick’s favorite part of kayak fishing is meeting new people and building lifelong friendships in the kayak fishing community. He is now the Feelfree Fishing Team Manager and competes from a Superfish 108 or a BigFish 105 V3.

CHRIS GOMES



Growing up in New England Feelfree Competitive fishing team member Chris Gomes formed his skill set for targeting smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing local lakes and ponds. Chris started competitive Kayak Bass fishing in 2019 and hasn’t looked back. Chris currently is fishing out of a 2023 Feelfree Dorado paired with a bow mounted Motor Guide which is powered by Dakota Lithium Batteries. Some of Chris’s fishing accolades are 2019 Ma KBF Challenge Series champion, 2019 2nd place for angler of the year for RIKB, 2020 2nd place for angler of the year for NE BASSIN, 2020 1st place for RI BASS Championship, 2021 KBF 5th place Candlewood Lake, 2022 KBF 4th place Lake Champlain, 2022 KBF RI Challenge Champion Series Champion,2023 5th place EKF Lake Champlain, 2023 RIFL Team Champions. Chris’s favorite part about Kayak bass fishing is just being out on the water and taking in all that nature has to offer.

TIMOTHY CAMPBELL



Timothy Campbell is a Central Florida-based professional tournament angler competing with a focused, approach to bass fishing. He mainly focuses on the two Local trails: Florida Kayak B.A.S.S nation and Florida Kayak Bass Trail, while also fishing in the Bassmaster national Trail and select events. Timothy is proudly sponsored by Feelfree Kayaks and FXR Pro Fish, representing both brands with professionalism on and off the water. He values gear that performs at the highest level and partners that share his passion for competitive fishing and the outdoors. As he continues to compete in tournament circuits throughout Florida and beyond, Timothy’s long-term goal is to build a consistent competitive presence at higher levels of tournament bass fishing while delivering strong value to his sponsors.

VIRG SHOOK



With three years of competitive fishing experience, Virg has steadily built a presence on both the local and national stage. In the very first season, he ranked Top 4 in Angler of the Year points with Hudson Valley KBF, followed by a Top finish in SNY Kayak Fishing during year two,and is now climbing the leaderboard in LIKBF. His accomplishments include multiple first-place wins in the KBF Challenge Series, a 29th-place finish at the 2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series on Lake Champlain, and solid showings in several national-level events. Fishing from a FeelFree Dorado V2, he specializes in finesse fishing techniques, pairing patience with precision to consistently find success on the water. Beyond competition, He shares his passion through YouTube, where he helps other FeelFreekayak owners learn how to set up their boats, while also sharing fishing tips, techniques, and on-the-water adventures. He is also known for his willingness to mentor new anglers and support others in improving their skills, reflecting both a love for fishing and a commitment tothe community.

JERRY SPRADLING



Jerry Spradling is a 60-year-old married father of two daughters and a proud grandfather to three—Charley (8), Penny (6), and Zeke (2). He has been a member of the Feelfree Competitive Fishing Team for several years now! Professionally, Jerry works at Constellium Rolled Products as a Level 2 Ultrasonic Technician, where he performs ultrasound testing on aluminum plates primarily used in the aerospace industry. Notably, materials he helped test were used in the Artemis mission, which successfully circled the moon and returned safely, including components of the capsule that carried NASA astronauts.In addition to his professional career, Jerry previously served as the mayor of his small town in West Virginia for two years.An avid angler, Jerry thoroughly enjoys fishing from his Feelfree kayaks, which he considers a true blessing for pursuing his passion. His current kayak is the Superfish 108, often referred to as the “Cadillac” of the Feelfree lineup, powered by a Garmin Force Current motor—an upgrade he continues to appreciate more with every outing.  "Being part of a team that gets to travel all over the country and fish and promote Feelfree’s brand makes for great memory-making trips with friends, teammates, and other competitors. I’d also like to say before going that Feelfree has been the best company I’ve ever been associated with in my lifetime. It’s like one huge diverse family, and I’d love to thank them for believing in me and allowing me to represent them. Thank you so much!!"