Williams Rolls on Smith
April 27, 2018 by Sean Ostruszka
Almost every pro who crossed the weigh-in stage today said things changed today. David Williams was not one of them.
Just as he did on day one, the Maiden, N.C., pro ran a simple pattern he loves from back home and milked it for another big sack. This one went 15 pounds, 5 ounces and it extended his lead to more than 4 pounds at the FLW Tour presented by T-H Marine on Lewis Smith.
“This is fun,” says Williams with a toothy smile.
For him, yes, it’s been a lot of fun so far.
The bright sunshine and dropping water levels made life tougher for just about everyone, with weights dropping like stones for many. Yet, while Williams’ weight dropped, he still caught 50 keepers and had 15 pounds by 10 a.m. Plus, had he not lost the biggest fish he’s hooked all week – a for-sure 5-pounder, he says – he actually could’ve brought in another 18 pounds.
A big reason for his success is his pattern.
“I fish all over North and South Carolina,” says Williams. “We fish a lot of docks in the Carolinas, and there are a lot of lakes with flooded cover. That’s what I’m fishing here. So this is right up my alley. It’s just nice to not be fishing grass.”
Thus far, Williams has keyed on two key stretches of the lake, but he actually found a third today where he lost the big one. That only gives him more optimism going into the weekend.
“The next two days should only get better,” says Williams. “I should be able to hammer on them a little more, and I’ll probably need to.
“This field is so tough. When you have guys like Cody Meyer and Matt Arey behind you, you can’t slip up. If you do they’ll take advantage. I feel like I’m on the winning fish, though. I just need to execute.”
Top 10 pros
1. David Williams – Maiden, N.C. – 34-0 (10)
2. Cody Meyer – Auburn, Calif. – 30-4 (10)
3. Matt Arey – Shelby, N.C. – 30-2 (10)
4. Greg Bohannan – Bentonville, Ark. – 29-7 (10)
5. Jordan Osborne – Longview, Texas – 29-0 (10)
6. Matt Becker – Finleyville, Penn. – 28-15 (10)
7. Jim Moynagh – Carver, Minn. – 28-13 (10)
8. Joseph Webster – Winfield, Ala. – 28-11 (10)
9. Todd Auten – Lake Wylie, S.C. – 28-4 (10)
10. John Cox – DeBary, Fla. – 28-0 (10)