DEMOPOLIS, Ala. - Duckett Fishing announced today that Elite Series anglers Byron Velvick, Jason Williamson and Pete Ponds have joined the company's professional staff and will fish the 2010 season using Duckett's new MICROMagic rods.
Velvick, a 17-year pro angler and one of the most popular figures on the Elite Series tour, is a Nevada native who now lives in Del Rio, Texas. A two-time winner on the BASS circuit and former commentator on ESPN, Velvick will be competing in February in his second consecutive Bassmaster Classic.
Williamson, champion of the 2009 Battle on the Border tournament at Lake Amistad, is from Aiken, S.C. and is considered one of the top young anglers on the Elite Series tour. In 47 professional tournaments, Williamson also has two second-place and seven top 10 finishes.
Ponds, from Madison, Miss., was the 2004 champion of the Alabama Open and has five top 10 finishes in BASS competition.
"I can't tell you how excited I am to bring these three outstanding anglers onto our Duckett Fishing team. From the first day I considered starting this company, I knew I wanted Byron Velvick to be part of our organization. Byron brings credibility and a great personality to our pro staff. He's an asset to our sport," said Duckett Fishing owner and CEO Boyd Duckett.
"Jason Williamson is a terrific young angler. In addition to being a solid angler, he's a good guy. He's a tough competitor, and he's popular on the tour. And the same can be said for Pete Ponds. He's a solid veteran and will be a great representative. I couldn't be more pleased."
Duckett Fishing is an Alabama-based company that is owned and managed by Duckett, the 2007 Bassmaster Classic champion. The company's initial product, MICROMagic rods, are new lightweight fishing rods that utilize microguide technology.
"I'm tremendously excited to be part of what is happening at Duckett Fishing, and I'm really looking forward to competing this year with what I believe is an outstanding series of rods," Velvick said. "I'm honored that Boyd Duckett wanted me to be a part of what he's putting together, and I believe we're going to have a great year."
Williamson said he's looking forward to competing with the microguide rods.
"I'm real happy to be associated with Duckett Fishing. I've got all the respect in the world for Boyd Duckett. I've never seen anything like the way these rods perform. You can cast a long way and the sensitivity is unbelievable," Williamson said.
Ponds and Williamson stressed that they are impressed with the extreme "lightness" of the rods.
Ponds said, "The rods are not only light, they are sturdy and they're durable. I can't wait to wait to get on the water this season with these rods."