MOUNT IDA, Ark. (Sept. 28, 2009) - Jerry Williams of Conway, Ark., won the Bass Fishing League Arkie Division two-day Super Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Ouachita Sunday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 17 pounds, 1 ounce. The victory earned Williams $4,943 and solidified his ticket to the Kentucky/Barkley Lakes Regional Championship in Gilbertsville, Ky., Oct. 15-17, where he could ultimately win a new Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"That one was completely unexpected," said Williams. "Of course, it's hard to win a tournament like that, but I never thought I had a chance to win it.
"I just went out and caught a limit real quick the second day," Williams added. " I just got lucky. I was on fish and they were easy to catch."
Williams said he caught nine keepers the first day of competition using a Norman Deep Little N crankbait and 11 keepers the next day on a Norman DD22, which is a big, deep-running crankbait.
Williams said he is looking forward to the Kentucky/Barkley Lakes Regional Championship in October.
"I love fishing there," Williams said. "I was there two weeks ago and caught 150 a day. It's an absolutely incredible fishery ... the best fishery I've ever been on."
Rounding out the top five boaters are Team Berkley pro Stetson Blaylock of Benton, Ark. (seven bass, 16-2, $2,471); Spencer Shuffield of Bismarck, Ark. (seven bass, 15-12, $1,648); Chris Darby of Mount Ida, Ark. (nine bass, 15-9, $1,153) and Team Land O'Lakes pro Jeremiah Kindy of Benton, Ark. (eight bass, 15-4, $989).
Tim Gartman of Conway, Ark., took home the Boater Division Folgers Big Bass award, earning $607 for a 4-pound, 3-ounce bass he caught on a crankbait.
David Tierney of Fayetteville, Ark., earned $2,471 as the co-angler winner Sunday thanks to a two-day catch of nine bass weighing 17 pounds, 14 ounces that he caught cranking flats with a deep-diving crankbait.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jimmy Burrow of Malvern, Ark. (five bass, 14-12, $1,236); Stan Cullipher of Malvern, Ark. (seven bass, 13-9, $822); Brian Choate of Conway, Ark. (six bass, 10-15, $577); and Samuel Hutson of Benton, Ark. (seven bass, 9-14, $494).
Burl Garrett of Benton, Ark., earned $304 as the co-angler Folgers Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 3-ounce bass on a 10-inch soft-plastic worm in 20 feet of water.