Chad Hoover is an avid kayak angler specializing in light tackle artificial and fly fishing. He grew up hunting and fishing for crappie, bass and catfish in rural Louisiana and Georgia.

Chad is currently on active duty as an officer in the U.S. Navy stationed in Norfolk, VA. In 1996, he developed a passion for fishing saltwater flats from a kayak while assigned to a Search and Rescue Unit at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, TX.

Since then, he has pursued nearly every species available in most Gulf Coast states and nearly all East Coast States. Chad began tournament fishing as a way to interact with other kayak anglers and improve his angling skills. Chad’s love of competition and fishing were a natural match.

He has become an accomplished tournament angler and consistently places in numerous tournaments around the country including:

• winning the 2nd Annual Jamaica Bay kayak fishing Stuff tournament
• the Slam Division of the 2006 Tidewater Kayak Angler’s Association Charity tournament.
• Chad competed in all of the 2006 East Coast Kayak Championship tournaments and was named East Coast Kayak Angler of the Year.

Chad is a member of the Wilderness Systems Kayak Fishing Pro Staff and primarily fishes from his Tarpon 140 and 160i. As a co-founder of the Tidewater Kayak Angler’s Association he can contacted through their website forums at www.tkaa.org where he is known as “Knot Right”.

 Kayak Fishing Magazine - Anlger of the Month Septemeber 2007

Favorite place to fish using your kayak?

Saltwater back bays, isolated lakes and other areas with limited or no boat access.

Favorite fish?

Speckled trout, largemouth bass and when I head South-snook!

Fishing accomplishments you are most proud of?

Consistently placing and winning tournaments against some of the best anglers in the country. I have made some really good friends and fished in some amazing areas since beginning to competed in tournaments, However, the thing I enjoy most is the opportunity to share ideas and learn from other anglers.

What do you do when you're not fishing?

Fish

Why kayak fishing?

Why not! It adds a fitness component, it eliminates the hastles associated with fossil-fuels, it requires low maintenance and it's super-sneaky! Most of all, it requires a fisherman to fish in the present and to focus on the fundamentals of the environment, the pattern, the presentation and the fishery - not on "propeller-induced distractions". These days, gas is for suckers.