NORTH EAST, Md. — While Pennsylvania pro Duke Nave brought a limit to the scales all three days of the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Upper Chesapeake Bay presented by SEVIIN, his wife, Angelica, brought only four to the stage each day. Nevertheless, Nave, who has now finished in the top ten in consecutive Bassmaster Opens here, admitted that “she does all the heavy lifting.”
It’s not like his weights this week were small. On his path to finishing 5th in a field of over 150 anglers, Nave never had less than 17 pounds 4 ounces. He was the only angler other than champion Dillon Falardeau to top 17 pounds each day.
Still, Angelica had the responsibility – they’d both likely call it a privilege – of keeping tabs on their four kids: Duke III (7), Ava (6), Anna (4) and Dax (3). To use angling parlance, they may “only” have four, “but they’re the right four.”
The kids were cheerful at all three weigh-ins, through long afternoons and today’s grueling heat, carrying signs cheering on their father. That allowed Nave, who lives only about 25 minutes away from the Upper Bay, to focus on fishing. Despite being a local, he scrapped much of what he’s learned over the years to power to his best Opens finish in eight entries.
The young family may not be complete yet. Both Duke and Angelica said they’d leave the ultimate count in God’s hands, although Duke did joke that if the next pregnancy produced twins, “then we’d have to cull one.”
Nave comes from a massive family, so being two short of a Brady Bunch seems highly manageable, and yet Angelica stated that at times “it’s a wild ride. With all of the chaos, once we got to four we decided maybe it’s time to stop.” Yet one of the things that brings them all together, in addition to their deep faith, is understanding that dad’s time on the water reflects a deep passion, one that he believes enables him to become a better person.
“What I want my children to learn from this is not just pride, but also the importance of being respectful, on and off the water,” he said. “I hope that they learn that it’s important to be nice and to be kind.”
Competitive fishing will test anyone’s ability to do so, particularly when the sun beats down, the wind blows from the wrong direction, and large portions of the field end up playing bumper boats on limited patches of real estate.
“That’s when whatever is in you comes out,” Nave said. “I want them to learn about sportsmanship from me.”
In addition to his time on the water and the unrelenting demands of parenthood, Nave finds other ways to prove that he is nice, kind and giving. In his day job, he is a finance officer for the USAA Educational Foundation, providing free financial education for members of the military and their families. He also works with Face the Fight, an organization dedicated to reducing veteran suicide.
“They see his determination every day,” Angelica said of Duke’s efforts on and off the water. “They see that he’s not giving up. He keeps trying. And they’re learning the value of sacrifice.”
