Williams wins BFL Super Tournament on Clarks Hill Lake

THOMSON, Ga. – Boater David Williams of Maiden, N.C., earned $6,491 Sunday as winner of the two-day, season-ending Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division Super Tournament on Clarks Hill Lake. His two-day total of 21 pounds, 15 ounces topped 108 fellow competitors in the Boater Division.

Williams caught 17 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to advance to Sunday’s competition, where he caught 4 pounds, 13 ounces to post the heaviest two-day weight and claim the win. He caught his tournament-winning bass on a buzzbait and a white spinnerbait. Williams also earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Trad Whaley of Due West, S.C. (20 pounds, 11 ounces, $3,245); William Fortner of Jasper (19 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,758); David Saxon of Westminster, S.C. (18 pounds, 4 ounces, $1,487); and Casey Ashley of Honea Path, S.C. (18 pounds, 3 ounces, $1,217).

Fortner earned $1,080 as the Boater Division big-bass winner, thanks to a 6-pound, 10-ounce bass he caught on a pink Trick Worm in the shallow grass.

Ryan Bowman of Seneca, S.C., earned $3,245 as winner of the Co-angler Division with a two-day total of 14 pounds, 14 ounces. He caught his bass on a white buzzbait in main-lake pockets.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Roger Vinson of Flowery Branch (13 pounds, 15 ounces, $1,623); Danny Gene Ashley of Donalds, S.C. (13 pounds, 1 ounce, $879); John Bolton of Central, S.C. (13 pounds, 1 ounce, $744); and Ronnie Harrison of Greenville, S.C. (12 pounds, 14 ounces, $609). Ties are resolved by day-one standings.

Davin Miller of Pooler claimed co-angler big-bass honors with a 6-pound, 6-ounce bass he caught slow-rolling a spinnerbait. He earned $540 for his big bass.

Each of the BFL’s 24 nationwide divisions features four one-day tournaments and one two-day Super Tournament within the regular season. In Super Tournament competition, the entire field competes on day one and the top 20 percent advances to day two, with the winners determined by the heaviest two-day catch weights. More money is awarded at Super Tournaments as well as more points that count toward year-end angler standings. In a Super Tournament, 300 points are awarded for first place, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on.

The top 30 boaters and co-anglers in the Savannah River Division will advance to the Kerr Lake regional, which will be held Oct. 5-9 in Henderson, N.C. There they will compete against qualifying anglers from the Buckeye, Carolina and Northeast divisions for one of six slots in the 2005 All-American. The All-American awards a $100,000 cash prize to the winning boater and $50,000 to the winning co-angler, making it one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in competitive bass fishing.

Anglers who compete in all five regular-season events within a division but do not advance to regional competition are eligible to fish the Chevy Trucks Wild Card for an All-American berth. Six nationwide regionals plus the Wild Card will each send six boaters and six co-anglers to the All-American for a total field of 84 competitors.

The $6.3 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 24 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired, with boaters supplying the boat and fishing against other boaters and co-anglers fishing from the back deck against other co-anglers. For more information or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or browse this Web site.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors sponsors and for more information about the premier products and services they offer, please visit FLWOutdoors.com’s sponsor page.