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Wyatt Hammond makes kayak fishing history with third straight national title and KBF record
Wyatt Hammond won the Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF) National Championship for a third consecutive year, becoming the first angler to achieve the feat. He also won the 2026 KBF Challenge Series Championship and Angler of the Year, adding to four national titles across kayak fishing competitions.
Hammond recorded a five-fish total of 101.75 inches in Friday’s championship, beating Rus Snyders by 1.25 inches; Abby Abbondanza finished third. Across the three days, his 15 scoring bass measured 310 inches, a KBF record. The article says he had recently fallen two inches short of defending his Bassmaster Kayak Series title, and that easing pressure and enjoying fishing helped him refocus.
In short
- Hammond secured his third consecutive KBF National Championship.
- His 310-inch three-day total set a KBF record.
- He also won the Challenge Series and Angler of the Year.
Explained simply
Kayak fishing is a form of competitive angling in which competitors fish from small, human-powered boats. In Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF) events, anglers target bass, and results are often based on the combined length of their fish rather than their weight.
KBF runs a National Championship and a Challenge Series, alongside awards such as Angler of the Year. Wyatt Hammond competes across kayak fishing tournaments, where a small difference in fish length can decide the result.
National titles and records help show how competitors perform across different events and seasons. Hammond’s earlier Bassmaster Kayak Series title is part of a separate competition, so results there are distinct from his KBF achievements.