Williams victor on Smith Mountain Lake - Major League Fishing

Williams victor on Smith Mountain Lake

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Boater Michael Williams of Wirtz, Va., won the April 28 BFL Shenandoah Division tournament on Smith Mountain Lake to earn $4,638. Angler: Michael Williams.
April 28, 2007 • MLF • Archives

MONETA, Va. – Boater Michael Williams of Wirtz, Va., won the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division tournament on Smith Mountain Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 21 pounds, 13 ounces. The victory earned Williams $4,638 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Potomac River Regional Championship in Charles County, Md., Oct. 11-13, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.

Williams caught the majority of his fish using a Carolina Rig on main-lake points and brush.

Rounding out the top five boaters are Tony Black of Manassas, Va. (five bass, 18 pounds-1 ounce, $2,728); James Plessinger of Hampton, Va. (five bass, 17 pounds-15 ounces, $1,819); Trevis Towe of Daleville,Va. (five bass, 16 pounds-14 ounces, $1,273); and Steve Wagner of New Kent, Va. (five bass, 16 pounds-5 ounces, $1,091).

Williams took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $875 for a 6-pound, 11-ounce bass.

Ronald Zich of Springfield, Va., earned $2,436 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 13 pounds, 13 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jim Stephenson of Stuarts Draft, Va. (four bass, 12 pounds-10 ounces, $1,218); Michael Roy of Charlottesville, Va. (four bass, 12 pounds-3 ounces, $814); Mike Wray of Chester, Va. (five bass, 11 pounds-3 ounces, $568); Andrew Blevins of Pulaski, Va. (five bass, 11 pounds-0 ounces, $467); and Scott Shifflett of Broadway, Va. (five bass, 11 pounds-0 ounces, $467).

Mike Green of North, Va., earned $367 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass.

The Shenandoah Division’s next event will be May 19 on the Potomac River in Woodbridge, Va., followed by a tournament June 23 on Kerr Lake in Henderson, N.C. The division’s fourth event will be held July 14 on the James River in Richmond, Va., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 22-23 on the Potomac River in Woodbridge, Va.

Following the end of regular-season competition, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on year-end points standings in the division will advance to the no-entry-fee the Potomac River Regional Championship where they will compete against top qualifiers from three other BFL divisions. At the Regional Championship boaters will fish for a new Ranger boat and Chevy truck and co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger boat. The top six boaters and top six co-anglers at the Regional Championship will also advance to the 2008 All-American presented by Chevy. With a total purse of $1 million, a potential $140,000 cash prize going to the winning boater and as much as $70,000 going to the winning co-angler, the All-American is one of the most prestigious and lucrative events in bass fishing. The winning boater and winning co-angler at the All-American also advance to the no-entry-fee $2 million 2008 Forrest Wood Cup. This event, featuring a top award of $1 million, is the sport’s biggest championship.

The $8.8 million Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League features 28 divisions nationwide. In BFL competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired. Boaters supply the boat and fish from the front deck against other boaters while co-anglers compete from the back deck against other co-anglers.

Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits will offer combined purses of nearly $43 million through 241 events in 2007.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Walmart.com.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.