“I’ve owned everything from a beat-up aluminum fishing boat held together by optimism and bungee cords, to wake surf boats that cost more than my first house. If there’s gear worth buying — or gear worth avoiding — I’ve probably already spent the money so you don’t have to.”
— Captain Knotsworth
The Origin Story
Captain Knotsworth grew up on the lakes of North Texas — Lake Lewisville, Grapevine, Ray Hubbard, Texoma — back when a good day on the water meant a cooler full of ice, a tank full of gas, and absolutely no cell service. Those were the days.
Over thirty years and more boats than his wife would like to know about, Captain K has owned and operated just about everything that floats in freshwater Texas: outdrives, jet boats, fishing rigs, jet skis, pontoons, and wake surf boats. Each one came with lessons. Some of those lessons were expensive. Most of them were avoidable — if only someone had written an honest review.
That’s exactly why Knot A Bad Review exists.
The Fleet — Over the Years
- Aluminum fishing boats (the humble beginnings)
- Outdrive boats — learned everything the hard way
- Jet boats — fast, fun, and surprisingly finicky
- Jet skis — because the kids demanded it
- Wake / surf boats — the current obsession
- And always eyeing whatever comes next…
Why Trust Captain K?
There’s no shortage of boating gear reviews on the internet. Most of them are written by people who got the product for free and have never spent a full Texas summer day on Lake Lewisville with three kids, a dog, and a broken fish finder.
Captain Knotsworth has. Every review on this site comes from real ownership, real use, and real money spent. When something breaks after one season, you’ll hear about it. When something holds up for ten years and still works perfectly, you’ll hear about that too.
No manufacturer pays for placement here. No gear gets a good review just because it came in a nice box. Knot A Bad Review means exactly that — if it’s here, it earned its spot.
“The best gear is the gear that’s still working when you need it most — at 6am on a Saturday with a full boat of people counting on you. I review gear the same way I buy it: like my weekend depends on it. Because it does.”
— Captain Knotsworth
Based in DFW — Built for Texas Boaters
Captain K calls the Dallas-Fort Worth area home, which means most reviews are written with Texas conditions in mind — scorching summers, crowded holiday weekends, and lakes that go from glassy smooth to choppy in about twenty minutes when the wind picks up. If gear can handle a Texas summer, it can handle anything.
Whether you’re rigging up for Lake Texoma, heading to Possum Kingdom, or launching at Grapevine on a holiday weekend, the recommendations here are built for the way real Texas boaters actually use their stuff.
— Captain Knotsworth
Founder · KnotABadReview.com · DFW, Texas