“Try to center on a word, or a sound.”

The yoga instructor was attempting to get our class focused while in meditation. At the time I was new to the stretching game; trying anything to ease my back pain. For the life of me, I couldn’t think of any audible feature that would ease my mind.

And then it hit me: The sound of water.

The sound of water includes the faint ripple an angler hears coming off his waders when he first enters a trout stream. A hunter hears it, too, while on a deer stand adjacent to a babbling brook. It’s certainly the gulping implosion heard when a largemouth inhales a topwater frog. It’s also the familiar sound made by a smallmouth when you attempt to tenderly release it back into the lake, and then quickly realize there’s nothing tender about a smallmouth.

No one, to the best of my knowledge, has ever captured that sound on paper. Sploosh? Nah.

I heard it again yesterday as my Lab and I climbed aboard our kayak for a quick stroll around the neighborhood marsh. He thought we were going duck hunting; he always thinks we’re going duck hunting. But the dog’s disappointment was quickly curbed by a few bumper tosses and a healthy swim to ease his old bones. I went to hear the sound of water; it’s front and center in a kayak.

I returned to my office to find a report on the growth of paddle sports in the U.S. I wasn’t surprised. After a quick review, I turned my attention to the same growth as it pertains to bass fishing, and was somewhat shocked.

There’s kayak bass fishing websites and books. There’s kayak bass fishing tournament trails; there’s even a kayak bass fishing magazine.

Around my home of Lake St. Clair, today one of the country’s most popular bass fisheries, I have personally seen a greater increase of bass fishing kayakers than any other sector. Without question, more anglers are getting off the bank and being introduced to the sport of bass fishing using kayaks than bass boats. And this is the Great Lakes region – I can’t imagine the changes taking part in other areas of the country.

How about this for a statistic: Since 2010, the number of Americans who enjoy paddle sports has grown by 3 million.

What does all of this mean? Well, that savvy marketers of outdoor brands will continue to push their efforts into the paddling sports. In other words, don’t be surprised if you see companies that once were hard-core supporters of the pro bass race shifting dollars in other directions.

But, more importantly, it illustrates a very important concept in American culture; one that plays out in outdoor arenas across the country, and one I’ve alluded to before: Many of us are beginning to realize that outdoor pursuits are far more about experiences than stuffed or shiny trophies.

The incredible growth of kayak bassing is a prime example.

In today’s world, a modern bass boat is infinitely more effective at pursuing bass than a kayak. From casting angles and balance, to electronics and supersonic trolling motors, I guarantee a bass boat outfishes a kayak 10 to 1. But that’s not the point.

Anglers are becoming aware that the “low impact” forms of outdoor recreation are extremely enjoyable and relaxing. In fact, I more often find myself taking part in such forms of recreation, like dog training, paddle sports or hikes, leaving the bass boat on the trailer.

Sure, there are other reasons so many Americans are purchasing kayaks. The technological advancements in these boats has a lot to do with it; they’re lightweight and nearly indestructible, and they can easily be tossed into the back of a truck or snapped in a roof rack atop a soccer mom’s crossover. But I argue it’s even more than that.

More and more, I see examples of the natural pursuit taking hold. Saltwater flats guides are parking the big boats and paddling in. Duck hunters are dragging kayaks over levees to access untouched flocks. And bass fishermen are just getting away from all the noise and $40 oil.

I think it’s great, but I wonder how many important people in our industry are really taking note. Eventually many more will, once they’re reintroduced to the sound of water.

(Joe Balog is the often-outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)