What Truck, Boat and Outboard does Duane run?

Skeeter ZX 225 / 225 Yamaha / Dodge 

My Sponsors

What Duane does for a living:

Retired USAF.  My wife is also retired USAF.  These days I mainly fish or hunt depending on the season.

What you should know about Duane:

When I left home at 18 I had $8 in my pocket.  I have raised 3 children. I retired from active duty after 20 years.  I have a nice home & a wonderful wife.  I teach Senior Sunday school at my church which I would never have believed 3 years ago when I finally got back on track after many years doing my own thing.  I look back at where I started & think "I did ok."   I have truely been blessed.  God has watched out for me.

How Duane started fishing

I actually fished more in saltwater than fresh water as a kid.  My very 1st time actually going bass fishing was when I was in the 8th grade.  A school chum invited me to go with him to actually fish just for bass. I had no tackle for bass fishing so he told me I needed a Johnson Silver Minnow and some Mann's Jelly worms.  That night I made my request  & the next day my Father provided my tackle.  I had 1 Johnson Silver Minnow and a 3 pack of Mann's Jelly worms.  He instructed me to not use all the worms in 1 day.  Dad fished for pan fish & did not fish for bass.  He thought I had all the tackle I needed.  That's how I got started in bass fishing thanks to my friend Ronny Riggs & Dad.

My 1st tournament was on Lake Altus near Altus OK.  My neighbor & I started a BASS chapter & that was our 1st tournament.  I won with a single bass!  I was hooked.  When I arrived at Little Rock AFB my tournament fishing really picked up. If I wasn't in a tournament I was still on the water. One year our secretary informed me I fished 48 out of 52 weekends. I didn't know I was suppose to be counting. 

 After retiring I fished full time.  I'd fish 1 tournament on Saturday then travel to another tournament on Sunday.  During the week I usually fished at least 1 jelly jar event.  I did this for 7 years. 

Aspirations or goals with fishing

My goal is to win but to win honestly.  Win or fall flat on my face I can promise I will do it honestly. I will give it my best shot & not quit until the tournament is over no matter the conditions or how tough the bite is.  I never stop trying for that next bite & I always try to be in the hunt for 1st.

Of course I would like to fish full time with the big boys & that may still happen.  I just have to wait & see what the Lord has in store for me.

 

Favorite way to fish

I am a power fisherman.  My way of thinking is if they will not eat what I am throwing they can just go hungry.

I am a jig fisherman.  I make my own & have been doing so for years.  You will always find at least 1 rod on my deck with a jig tied on.  My jigs have done very well for me over the years.

Most exciting fishing experience

Competeing in the BFL All American.  This is 1 tournament you can not buy your way into, you have to earn it. If I remeber correctly there were 56 boaters from across the nation that qualified & I was 1 of them.  I made it on the boater side.  I finished in the top 20.  So far that has been the pinnacle of my bass fishing career.  I would like to go even higher but have to wait & see if I do.

How Duane preps for a tournament

Three favorite search baits

Best tournament finish and what you did that day when you were fishing.

Most challenging part of tournament fishing

When tournaments don't go my way

Advice to give to an aspiring tournament angler:

Some shared general bass fishing techniques for people just getting into the sport