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FEATURED PRODUCT
Hometown: DEMOPOLIS, AL
Birthdate: 04-28-1960
Classic Appearances: 3
BASS Tournaments Won: 3
Career Highlights: 2007 Classic Champion. 12 Top 10 Finishes; 41 Times in the Money.
Total BM Entries: 65
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JOURNAL
March 2009
It’s been a busy season already so far — lots of excitement, lots of hard work paying off.
Lots of surprises! The tournament in Amisted was no exception. We had so many changes that week — everyone thought it was going to be a great sight fishing lake, then a horrible cold front came in and dumped a couple of inches of rain. Incredible — I was up on some fish, lost them, and then was able to find them again, and actually did pretty well the first couple of days.
I was then able to sight fish the 3rd and 4th days, so what could have been a bad tournament turned out pretty well —sight fishing is all about good polarized glasses, you have to be able to see what’s under the water — and I was well equipped, thanks to Wiley X. Heck, I’ll take all the top 10s you throw at me and won’t complain.
As for sight fishing, the next 4 events are potentially sight tournaments — Arkansas should have some spawners there, then from there, it’s off to Wheeler, another spawning tournament.
I do love top tens — it’s a great way to win Angler of the Year. But you know, I really thought I was going to win the Classic — I had the fish to do it. We were in the right area where the fish were, and they moved around a lot. That was kind of a disappointing event, because it really seemed like I had what it took to win that tournament, but everyone knows, a lot’s got to happen to win the Classic.
But you know, I read in Jack Nicklaus’s book something that made a lot of sense to me. He basically says that the mark of a great golfer is how well he plays his bad games, not how he plays his good ones. That applies to fishing, too. We all have opportunities for a good run — but if you can take the ones that turn south and finish strong, wow. That’s what keeps you on the top of the game.
Bassmaster Classic
Overall, I had some pretty good fish, although that first cold, rainy day really hurt me. I ended up with six fish hooked and then only boated two. My best technique was pitching a chigger craw on the backs of the pockets.
Day two, the sun came out and I was able to get 16 pounds, but it was a case of too little, too late!
If there’s a memory I’ll take with me to the grave of the Classic, it would have to be watching all those day 1 fish get off the hook…I can still see the catch swimming off into the lake!
On the sunniest days, especially, the polarized Wiley X lenses helped me find objects in the water, whether it was brush piles or old refrigerators! It’s the truth, on day 2 I caught a fish off of a submerged fridge. How’s that for a tip from the pros: if you see an old household appliance on the lake bottom, you know you’re going to catch ‘em there!
Sunshine Showdown
I’ve always struggled in Florida…always. This time was no exception!
I tried to sight fish, it took an hour and a half, but still never really got ‘em on good. I caught about 10 pounds the first day and nine the second. I find that in this area you just can’t pattern, you have to get lucky enough that they swim into your area while you’re there, the fish are very inconsistent compared to the rest of the world.
I was boat 96 heading out, which was a huge disadvantage, since there were a bunch of guys in the canal that I’d seen fish in the day before. Wiley X glasses really helped me in practice, as I was able to find those bedding fish.
BIO
Boyd Duckett is a man on a mission — don’t let the Southern charm fool you, he’s in it to win it, which is exactly what this highly competitive native North Carolinian has been doing in the bass market for years.
He’s currently ranked 10th in the world , and his career highlights include winning the 2007 Bassmaster Classic, the Bassmaster Legends Pro Tournament, and the 2002 Alabama Southern Pro, 11 B.A.S.S. top ten finishes, , 17th place Bassmaster standing going into the 2008 season, 2007 Ultimate Match Fishing Champion, and holding the 2007 B.A.S.S. Single Season Earning Record of $864,000.
Not bad work, if you can get it! While he tears up the water all over the country as a pro angler, Boyd’s favorite lake is Lake Champlain in New York. “It’s a very diverse lake, there are simply tremendous small and large mouth bass — you just always catch ‘em.” Boyd’s primary strength is his versatility — whatever it takes to catch fish is his favorite technique, whether they’re on the top or the bottom.
Now bass fans can catch Boyd as part of the Wiley X Eyewear Pro Bass Team, so be on the lookout for record numbers of big bad hawgs getting their eyes crossed by this accomplished angler and his amazing teammates this year!
“Wiley X’s glasses are heavily polarized and effectively eliminate most of the water glare, allowing me to clearly see what I need to under the water, from structure, on the bed, or shallow sight fishing — plus, they look great! Frankly, I’ve worn some ugly glasses on the water before, so it’s fun to have great fishing glasses that look stylish, whether on the water, in the truck or to the beach.”
Boyd also recognizes the importance of avoiding damaging UV rays during his career. “It’s imperative to safeguard your eyes, with as much time as we spend as anglers on the water, my eye doctor told me that UV damage is a critical concern and that quality eye protection is a must. Otherwise you can risk permanent injury that can take you out of competition.”
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