Wyatt Hammond had a chance to make history at the Kayak Bass Fishing National Championship in Alabama. He did more than that.
Hammond won the event for the third year in a row on Friday, becoming the first angler to claim three consecutive KBF national titles. He also won the 2026 KBF Challenge Series Championship, earned Angler of the Year honors and set a record for the largest combined three-day catch.
The competition opened Wednesday on Lakes Guntersville and Wheeler. In the Challenge Series event, Hammond posted a five-fish limit measuring 106 inches, giving him a 9.75-inch lead. He followed with 102.25 inches on Thursday, for a two-day total of 208.25 inches. That put him 15.75 inches ahead of runner-up Jody Queen.
Kayak anglers are scored by the combined length of their five biggest bass, not by weight. Each fish is measured, photographed and released.
The National Championship began Friday with a clean slate, so Hammond’s earlier lead didn’t carry over. He still came through, recording a five-fish total of 101.75 inches. Rus Snyders finished second at 100.50 inches, while Abby Abbondanza placed third with 99.25. Just 1.25 inches separated the top two.
Hammond’s totals across the three days added up to 310 inches, a new KBF record. That’s 15 scoring bass averaging more than 20 inches each. He also has the 2025 Bassmaster Kayak Series National Championship among his four national titles.
The win came only weeks after Hammond narrowly missed defending that Bassmaster title at Lake Murray in South Carolina. He finished within two inches of champion Ewing Minor, despite posting the tournament’s largest single-day limit on Day 2. Hammond said a difficult opening day left him overthinking things, and he struggled to settle into his approach.
He also acknowledged that the expectations attached to being a national champion had started to weigh on him. He felt pressure to keep producing strong results, and at one point it nearly took the fun out of fishing. Getting back to enjoying the sport, he said, helped him perform better.
Looking ahead to 2027, Hammond joked that he hopes to take a win from Minor. He also said earning Bassmaster Angler of the Year would be a dream, and singled out upcoming events at Lake Champlain and Sam Rayburn Reservoir as tournaments he’s looking forward to.
For now, Hammond can take in a remarkable run: three straight KBF National Championship victories, four national titles overall, and a new record to go with his Challenge Series championship and Angler of the Year honor.
