In his first-ever appearance in the event, Berkley pro Boyd Duckett used his knowledge of the water and a big first day weight to win the 37th Bassmaster Classic, winning the event on Sunday with a total weight of 48 pounds, 10 ounces in Birmingham.

In addition to winning the sport’s most prestigious event and pocketing $500,000, the local fishing hero became the first angler to win the event in his home state – much to the delight of the packed arena at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center.

Fishing Lay Lake near Birmingham, Duckett, from Demopolis, Ala., spent the entirety of the tournament jockeying for the lead. He finished the first day in the lead with a five-fish limit weighing 19 pounds, 4 ounces before falling to fourth after day two with five fish that weighed 10 pounds, 15 ounces.

Duckett entered the final day of the three-day tournament trailing two-time champion and tournament leader Kevin VanDam by 2 pounds, 2 ounces. Though a large storm front passed through the area overnight, Duckett was able to relocate fish using a PowerBait Chigger Craw and crankbaits to land his final day total of 17 pounds, 13 ounces – enough to secure his first-ever Bassmaster Classic victory and cement his place in professional bass fishing history.

“I worked so hard this week and I wanted to bring it home for the hometown team and I did,” Duckett said. “This is every fisherman’s dream to just get here.”