Chad Hoover Net Worth 2026: Kayak Bass Fishing Founder
No reputable outlet publishes a net worth for Chad Hoover. Here is what is documented about the retired Navy officer who founded Kayak Bass Fishing and hosts its shows.
- Full name
- Chad Hoover
- Known as
- Knot Right
- Profession
- Founder of Kayak Bass Fishing, TV host, author
- Birthplace
- Ferriday, Louisiana, U.S.
- Nationality
- American
- Spouse
- Kristie Hoover
- Relationship
- Married
- Source of wealth
- Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF), fishing media, book, Navy career
In this article
No reputable publisher has estimated Chad Hoover's net worth. The $12.5 million figure that used to lead this page had no source, and the page also described him mainly as a tournament winner. The record shows something different: Hoover is a retired U.S. Navy officer who founded Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF) in 2009, built it into what it calls the world's largest kayak bass fishing club, and hosts its television and YouTube content. He and his wife, Kristie, own the business.
What is Chad Hoover's net worth?
There is no estimate from any credible source. KBF is a private company and does not publish revenue or profit, and Hoover has not discussed his personal finances. He told Major League Fishing in 2019 that his early online tournaments were more successful in popularity than in profit, a reminder that audience size and income are different things.
His likely income sources are the KBF business, his show and YouTube channel, a book and product design work, plus a 20-year Navy career that normally carries a military pension. None of these amounts are public, so we do not put a number on them.
Chad Hoover's yearly income
The old page cited an unnamed "investigation" giving him $500,000 a year. There was no such source, so that figure is gone. What is documented about his earning activities:
- Kayak Bass Fishing. KBF says it has more than 100,000 community members in 48 states and runs over 150 challenges and tournaments a year, from free beginner events to a national championship. Entry fees for KBF opens were about $115 in 2022, according to Outdoor Life.
- Television and video. He hosted the TV show Kayak Bassin' with Chad Hoover and is the lead presenter on KBF's YouTube channel.
- Book. He wrote Kayak Bass Fishing: Largemouth, Smallmouth, Stripers.
- Product design. The Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame describes him as a watercraft and accessories designer, drawing on a Navy background in avionics engineering.
Related Article: Chad Faulkner Net Worth
Professional life: building KBF
Hoover got into kayak fishing in saltwater while still on active duty and won a couple of regional angler-of-the-year titles, Major League Fishing reported. A freshwater angler at heart, he was frustrated that online kayak fishing forums favored saltwater, so he started a forum for bass anglers and began running online tournaments using a catch, photo and release format. He was writing his book at the same time.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| c. 1992 | Joins the U.S. Navy as a teenager |
| 2009 | Founds Kayak Bass Fishing while on active duty |
| c. 2012 | Retires from the Navy as a lieutenant after 20 years |
| 2013 | First live KBF tournament, on Santee Cooper in South Carolina, draws 121 anglers after two weeks of promotion |
| 2019 | KBF announces a partnership with FLW |
| 2021 | Inducted into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame |
| 2022 | Moves KBF headquarters from Hendersonville, Tennessee, to Huntsville, Alabama |
The Hall of Fame credits him as a driving force behind the Catch-Photo-Release tournament format that most kayak events now use. Outdoor Life named him among the pioneers of kayak fishing tournaments and listed KBF as one of the three national kayak trails, alongside Hobie and Bassmaster.
The move to Huntsville
In September 2022 the Huntsville Business Journal reported that Chad and Kristie Hoover would move KBF's operations to Ditto Landing Marina on the Tennessee River. Kristie is the company's president. Huntsville agreed to host the KBF national championship in 2023, 2025 and 2031, with each event expected to bring about $3.5 million in economic impact and the partnership more than $16 million over ten years. The plan included renovating an old harbor master's house for a production studio and for FishOPS, a nonprofit supporting veterans and first responders.
Early life and military career
Hoover is from Ferriday, Louisiana, according to the Huntsville Business Journal, and grew up fishing for crappie, catfish and bass in Louisiana and Georgia. Yakima reported that he paddled the Louisiana marshes in a pirogue he designed himself, then enlisted in the Navy to become an officer and engineer. His own profile says he served from 1992 to 2012 and joined at 16. He has volunteered as a guide for Heroes on the Water, a program that takes veterans kayak fishing.
The earlier version of this page described a small-town childhood playing tennis and basketball and a university degree. None of that had a source and it has been removed.
Chad Hoover's wife
He is married to Kristie Hoover, who is originally from Chattanooga and serves as president of KBF.
Age, height and weight
Major League Fishing described him as 44 years old in April 2019, which puts him around 51 in 2026. The old page's claims that he is 5 feet 9 inches and 85 kg had no source and have been removed.
Read Also: Charlotte Gambill Net Worth
Why there is no reliable figure
Fishing organizations and outdoor media businesses are rarely large, and KBF's revenue from entry fees, memberships and sponsors is private. Ownership is shared with his wife. Without disclosed numbers, any net worth figure would be a guess.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chad Hoover's net worth?
No reputable outlet has published a net worth for Chad Hoover. The $12.5 million figure online has no source. He owns Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF) with his wife Kristie, hosts fishing shows and wrote a book, and retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years, but none of those income figures are public.
Who founded Kayak Bass Fishing?
Chad Hoover founded Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF) in 2009 while serving on active duty in the U.S. Navy. It began as an online forum with online catch, photo and release tournaments, held its first live event on Santee Cooper in 2013, and now runs more than 150 events a year.
Who is Chad Hoover's wife?
Chad Hoover is married to Kristie Hoover, who is president of Kayak Bass Fishing. The Huntsville Business Journal reported in 2022 that the couple own KBF and moved its headquarters from Hendersonville, Tennessee, to Ditto Landing in Huntsville, Alabama.
How old is Chad Hoover?
Major League Fishing described Chad Hoover as 44 years old in April 2019, which puts him at about 51 in 2026. He has said he joined the Navy at 16 and served from 1992 to 2012 before retiring as a lieutenant.
Where is Chad Hoover from?
Chad Hoover is from Ferriday, Louisiana, according to the Huntsville Business Journal. He grew up fishing in Louisiana and Georgia, later lived in Hendersonville, Tennessee, after leaving the Navy, and moved KBF's base to Huntsville, Alabama, in 2022.
Was Chad Hoover in the Navy?
Yes. Chad Hoover served 20 years in the U.S. Navy, from 1992 to 2012, and retired as a lieutenant with a background in avionics engineering. He started Kayak Bass Fishing in 2009 while still on active duty.
Follow Chad Hoover
Sources
- Kayak Bass Fishing: https://www.kayakbassfishing.com/about
- Major League Fishing: https://majorleaguefishing.com/fishing-league-worldwide/2019-04-26-the-man-with-the-plan-behind-kbf/
- Huntsville Business Journal: https://huntsvillebusinessjournal.com/news/2022/09/15/kayak-bass-relocating-seek-to-turn-ditto-into-fishville/
- Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame: https://www.legendsoftheoutdoors.com/hall-of-fame-members/chad-hoover-
- Yakima: https://yakima.com/blogs/stories/chad-hoover-is-alright
- Outdoor Life: https://www.outdoorlife.com/fishing/inside-look-tournament-kayak-bass-fishing/
