MONETA, Va. (April 30, 2007) - Boater Michael Williams of Wirtz, Va., won the Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division bass fishing 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 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.