Terry McWilliams, a product of the Indiana Federation Nation gave the top dogs a serious scare Sunday evening as they watched Terry knock Jason Quinn out of the top spot with a firm 45lb 3oz sack. It was the most impressive sack of fish brought to the scales through the first 19 anglers, which included Timmy Horton and Randy Howell, both favored to make a serious run at the title.
Unfortunately for Howell, he had a fish in the 5lb range come loose as he tried to pull the fish over, and through exposed limbs he was fishing in. The general consensus among the pros as they came up was that Coosa River Spotted Bass weren't going to make it, and would take a sizeable largemouth to make the push to the top.
As McWilliams watched, he drew a breath with the thousands of arena spectators as Boyd Duckett hoisted his bag of fish from the live well revealing an undeniable bulge clueing everyone in the house as to what was about to happen.
Duckett stood with hands on hips as Terry McWilliams anxiously awaited the results and the results were a devastating blow to McWilliams, the long shot from Indiana as he watched the scales tip out at 17lb's 3oz's and thus ending his bid as only the second Federation Nation Angler in history behind the late Bryan Kershal to win the Classic.
So, with a total 3 day weight of 48lb's, 10 oz's, there he sat in the hot seat with 2 of the sports best breathing down his neck. Kevin VanDam and Skeet Reese were left, and using the old cliché', you couldn't cut the tension with a hot butter knife.
Reese, of Auburn, CA approached the scales and dumped what looked to everybody in the crowd as well as Reese himself to be enough to take over the top spot.
"Arron (Arron Martens) buddy, now I know what it feels like to be in second place and it sucks", the animated Reese said to the crowd as he learned that he was 6oz's shy of Duckett.
All that stood between Boyd Duckett and the Classic Trophy was 3 time Classic winner Kevin VanDam and he stood as a mountain of an obstacle. Duckett could not stay seated and rushed to look over VanDam's shoulder as they weighed his fish and then it was, official, Boyd Duckett had won the Bass Master Classic and brought the trophy home to Alabama. It is the first time in Classic history that a winner has come from the hosting state.
Fireworks and confetti erupted from stage mounted cannons as Duckett pumped his fist high in the air celebrating his victory. The house came down as jubilant Alabamians celebrated the victory with him and music blaring, fireworks going off, and people screaming filled the BJCC Arena to heights it had never seen before. As the confetti came to rest, the screaming started to lower, and the lights became brighter, Luke Clausen, 2006 Classic Winner was on stage to present the 2007 Trophy to Boyd Duckett. As he handed the trophy over the screaming started again, the lights came down, flash bulbs illuminated the arena, and Duckett climbed aboard the Triton 21X for his victory lap around the arena, the American flag in one hand, and the Classic Trophy in the other.
