Noah Hoffman landed 19 fish measuring a total of 164 inches to win the New Mexico Bass Nation Kayak Anglers year-end tournament Sept. 26-27.
The Clovis fisherman’s victory – his fourth of the season– also earned him Angler of the Year honors, vaulting him from second place to first in the NMBNKA series standings. The standings are based on points awarded for tournament finishes throughout the season.
Tournament finishes are based on total length of fish caught, according to tournament director Anthony Barrera.
The second-place finisher in the season finale at Ute and Conchas Lakes near Tucumcari in northeast New Mexico was Albuquerque angler Robert Williams, who caught 11 fish measuring 148 inches.
Barrera, an Artesia native who now lives in Albuquerque, is a devoted angler as well as tournament director and he finished seventh with nine fish measuring 117.25 inches.
Barrera’s nephew, 18-year-old Artesia High School senior Jonathan Chavez, finished 10th with six fish totaling 89.25 inches.
Chavez, who earlier in the season won the NMBNK series youth championship, was disappointed with his finish.
“I didn’t finish where I wanted,” he said. “The goal is always to win but I finished a lot lower than I expected.” he said
Chavez said stormy weather made the competition especially challenging.
“With the rain and the weather conditions (it) made fishing a lot more difficult and it was harder to get an understanding of the fish,” he said.
The tournament wrapped up a season-long, family friendly competition among Chavez, his older brother Matt and their uncle. Matt Chavez finished in 17th place.
“Matt was at a slight disadvantage for several reasons,” Barerra said. “He hadn’t fished these lakes (before) and the kayak he was using was smaller than we anticipated.
“Day one, Jonathan was beating me by 1.25 inches. I was able to take the lead on day two. We will likely have a rematch. In the end it was a great way to end the season, fishing with them.”
Final weekend aside, Barrera said Mother Nature was kind in 2026, helping to assure the kayak series’ success during an “ambitious season” that featured eight events.
“Weather was on our side this year and we didn’t have to cancel any events,” he said. “Great participation and a lot of first-time competitors. We are starting to prepare for next season. We won’t have as many events – looking like four to five tournaments.”
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 extension-2361.
