Meet Daniel Caviness
By Shea Tighe
Daniel Caviness considers himself an “avid” outdoorsman. When he’s not working, he’s outside, fishing or trying to find a new place to fish.
Daniel had a pretty normal upbringing. He grew up in a one stoplight (literally) town, with not much to do. But it was surrounded by water, so after school and during the summer naturally him and his buddies were by the lake or on the river, swimming, fishing, catching snakes. Daniel’s dad was really the one who got him into fishing but he was, and still is, a catfisherman and crappie angler. He spent so many mosquito filled nights in a swampy cove with my friends and chicken liver trying to catch a giant. As he got older he moved on to bass, which he still loves and always will. The rest is history. Daniel would research all kinds of fish and how to catch them. Smallmouth, trout, redfish, musky, striper, you name it, he wanted to catch it. To this day Daniel is still infatuated with how many gamefish are around him and he’ll never stop chasing them. His two favorite types of fishing: fly fishing for trout, and redfish on the flats. He can go north 3 hours and be in the Appalachian Mountains catching trout or south 3 hours and be on a school of tailers.
Q: How did you get into fishing?
A: I grew up with water all around me, so it was natural I gravitated towards it. When I found out about all the amazing fisheries in N.C., I was like a kid in a candy store not knowing where to start. I’ve been fishing since I could walk but it turned into my passion when I was about 15 or 16. My dad played a huge role in that but also television, Bill Dance, Tom Rowland, Flip Pallot, all those dudes put the bug inside of me.
Q: What does the water mean to you?
A: As cheesy as it sounds, the water to me is so much more than fishing. It’s a natural stress reliever, pain reliever, somewhere to go to collect my thoughts. It connects me with nature.
Q: What was your all-time favorite day on the water?
A: My all-time favorite day on the water is honestly everyday I’m on it. I can honestly say that. If I had to choose however, I’d say the day my son caught his first redfish. His reaction reminded me of why I live for it.
Q: What’s going in in your world at the moment, and what does the future have in store?
A: Right now I’m just working and raising two kids, getting them into the outdoors and practicing my photography. I’m hoping in the future I can be out on the water for a living. Whether it be with photography or whatever else - I’d be happy.
