South Carolina’s Williamson Edges Crochet by 2 Ounces; Scores Second Elite Victory in Front of Hometown Crowd
Category: press release
May 23rd, 2010 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified May 23rd, 2010 at 12:00 AM
EVANS, Ga. – The stars were perfectly aligned for Jason Williamson heading into the final day of the Pride of Georgia on Clarks Hill Lake. His sisters performed the National Anthem prior to the weigh-in and the crowd was filled with family, friends and fishing buddies who he had smoked in years past at local tournaments. But the Wagener, S.C., rising pro couldn’t get the fish to bite.
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Jason Williamson won by 2 ounces to claim his second Elite victory in as many years. (Photo BASS)
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Sunday, he made a long trek upriver to a spot that produced for him in the past both monetarily – he has won boats in numerous local tournaments relying on the area – and in piscatorial terms – he dredged up a 7-12 brute Saturday, the biggest bass of the tournament.
But the current wasn’t running on the sprawling reservoir and Williamson couldn’t buy a bite. Showing a veteran’s poise, Williamson dug deep into his vast local knowledge bank and decided to downsize from the Buckeye mop jig he primarily worked the first three days of competition. He tied on a shaky head worm and was able to scratch out a quick limit ultimately weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces, upgrading his total to 53 pounds, 6 ounces.
It was enough, albeit barely, to best Elite rookie Cliff Crochet of Pierre Part, La., by 2 ounces and take home the $100,000 top prize
“Words can’t describe how it feels to win in front of these folks,” said Williamson. “I won a lot of money from that spot but I just couldn’t get anything started today (Sunday). I wish I hadn’t run up there but I just had to go. I was regretting it all day.”
Fishing fans can catch all of the on-the-water action from the Pride of Georgia on The Bassmasters, which airs Sunday, June 6, at 10:30 a.m. ET on ESPN2.
Although the shaky worm rig carried the day Sunday, the Buckeye mop jig was the key to the victory. Saturday, Williamson built enough of a cushion – more than 4 pounds – that he was able to withstand a stumble. His 19 pounds, 2 ounces, Saturday was the biggest limit of the tournament and the 7-12 brute was the biggest bass caught this week.
With skyrocketing temperatures, Williamson knew that the north end of the lake would hold the bigger fish. He settled on his specific area because it was 5 degrees cooler than the rest of the reservoir. He was working flat points filled with rock and crawdads. The bass were still feeding on the tail end of the blueback herring spawn in those areas and were extremely active when current was being pulled.
A relative unknown when he first qualified for the Elite Series, Williamson is proving he is a force to be reckoned with. The victory is Williamson’s second in Elite competition and he also scored a second-place finish earlier this year on Smith Mountain Lake.
“When I first qualified, things were really tough,” said Williamson. “I just didn’t have the experience. I definitely feel comfortable now. Experience is the most important thing that you can have out here. I feel like I can contend in every tournament now and that’s a good feeling.”
Still, it’s been a roller-coaster ride of a season for Williamson as he paired three missed cuts with his two stellar performances. His lack of consistency hasn’t hampered him too much, however. After this week, he is 24th in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, and comfortably in position to qualify for the 2011 Bassmaster Classic.
Crochet was absolutely floored. The Elite rookie got his first taste of contention and he thought he had the victory. The Assumption Parish (La.) sherrif’s deputy worked a Spro bronzeye poppin’ frog in the shallows and exhibited the most consistency in the field over the course of four days.
He toted 11-11 to the scales Sunday and for a moment, it appeared all the hard work he had put in fishing tournaments at the Federation Nation and Bassmaster Open level had paid off. But ultimately, it wasn’t enough.
“That’s the nature of the beast,” said Crochet, who was still shaking minutes after the result had been decided. “I’m wrecked right now but if you look at the big picture, I’m fishing against the best in the world and I’m loving it.”
Crochet lost a fish that he estimated to be 2 to 3 pounds that would have put him over the top. The silver lining for Crochet is that he moved up to 36th in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings. That puts him on top of the Rookie of the Year standings and in the last qualifying position for the 2011 Classic with two regular-season tournaments remaining.
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| Cliff Crochet sits in 36th place in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster AOY race, the cut line for the 2011 Classic. (Photo BASS) |
As the Elite regular-season winds down, Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., still holds a comfortable lead in the AOY standings despite a 58th place stinker this week. Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., was able to close the gap on Reese a bit but still remains a distant second, more than 175 points off the pace.
Rounding out the top five this week was Terry Scroggins of Palatka, Fla., in third with 48-9. Matt Reed of Madisonville, Texas, made a big move Sunday, moving up 8 places from 12th to take fourth with 47-13. Two-time Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year Gary Klein of Weatherford, Texas, finished fifth with 43-11.
Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., the other local favorite, finished seventh.
Along with the top prize of $100,000, the Pride of Georgia awarded valuable points in the 2010 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race. The top 12 pros in the AOY standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series postseason, in which the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year will be determined. The top 36 will qualify for the 2011 Bassmaster Classic.
Up next for Elite pros is the June 9-12 Tennessee Triumph on Kentucky Lake out of Paris, Tenn.
Clarks Hill is a 71,535-acre fishery, an impoundment 39 miles in length located 22 miles north of Augusta. It forms part of the border between Georgia and South Carolina and is renowned for its topwater fishing.
Local sponsor of the Pride of Georgia: Columbia County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
After the Pride of Georgia, the 2010 regular season will have just two events remaining. Up next is the June 9-12 Tennessee Triumph on Kentucky Lake out of Paris, Tenn.
Bassmaster Elite Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Skeeter, Yamaha and Bass Pro Shops.
Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Lowrance, Triton Boats, Nitro Boats and Ramada.
About BASS
For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and its expansive tournament structure while championing efforts to connect directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.
As the flagship offering of ESPN Outdoors, the Bassmaster brand and its considerable multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer; comprehensive Web properties in Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com, ESPNOutdoors.com and ESPN360.com, and ESPN2 television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.
BASS oversees the prestigious Bassmaster Tournament Trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, BASS Federation Nation and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
BASS offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
FINAL STANDINGS- PRIDE OF GEORGIA
2010 Evans, GA 5/20-5/23
Clarks Hill Lake, Evans GA.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 20 53-06 310 $101,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 14-07 Day 3: 5 19-02 Day 4: 5 07-10
2. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 20 53-04 295 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 14-14 Day 3: 5 14-04 Day 4: 5 11-11
3. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 20 48-09 295 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 12-06 Day 3: 5 10-05 Day 4: 5 08-13
4. Matt Reed Madisonville, TX 20 47-13 285 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 09-09 Day 2: 5 10-00 Day 3: 5 12-07 Day 4: 5 15-13
5. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 19 43-11 280 $14,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-14 Day 2: 5 10-13 Day 3: 5 09-06 Day 4: 4 09-10
6. Derek Remitz Grant, AL 20 43-08 276 $13,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 11-04 Day 3: 5 10-07 Day 4: 5 07-09
7. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 20 43-02 272 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 08-03 Day 2: 5 15-05 Day 3: 5 13-03 Day 4: 5 06-07
8. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 19 43-00 268 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 12-05 Day 3: 4 06-08 Day 4: 5 09-07
9. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 18 41-14 264 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 13-09 Day 3: 3 04-04 Day 4: 5 08-04
10. Terry Butcher Talala, OK 18 37-03 260 $11,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 5 11-10 Day 3: 4 08-02 Day 4: 4 04-13
11. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 18 36-10 257 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 13-11 Day 2: 5 10-00 Day 3: 5 10-05 Day 4: 3 02-10
12. Bobby Lane Lakeland, FL 15 32-08 254 $10,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-09 Day 2: 5 10-13 Day 3: 5 08-02 Day 4: 0 00-00
BIG BASS OF TOURNAMENT
Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 07-12 $1,000.00
BERKLEY HEAVYWEIGHT OF TOURN
Jason Williamson Aiken, SC 19-02 $500.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 75 430 865-09
2 73 418 791-06
3 32 207 370-08
4 8 51 92-11
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188 1106 2120-02
2010 TOYOTA TUNDRA BASSMASTER ANGLER OF THE YEAR STANDINGS
2010 Pride of Georgia – Evans, GA Pro Points After Clarks Hill Lake, Evans, Ga. Ending 05-23-2010, Day 4
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Place Name St Pts
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1 Skeet Reese Calif. 1642
2 Edwin Evers Okla. 1464
3 Derek Remitz Ala. 1393
4 Gary Klein Texas 1382
5 Cliff Pace Miss. 1381
6 Dave Wolak N.C. 1361
7 Brian Snowden Mo. 1353
8 Mark Davis Ark. 1338
9 Jeff Kriet Okla. 1336
10 Dean Rojas Ariz. 1334
11 John Crews Va. 1333
12 Greg Hackney La. 1327
13 Michael Iaconelli N.J. 1322
14 Terry Butcher Okla. 1316
15 Aaron Martens Ala. 1308
16 Tommy Biffle Okla. 1296
17 Bill Lowen Ohio 1289
18 Steve Kennedy Ala. 1265
19 Bobby Lane Fla. 1264
20 Morizo Shimizu Japan 1262
21 Stephen Browning Ark. 1259
22 Mike McClelland Ark. 1256
23 Russ Lane Ala. 1253
24 Jason Williamson S.C. 1241
25 Todd Faircloth Texas 1230
26 Kevin VanDam Mich. 1229
27 Kevin Wirth Ky. 1212
28 Shaw Grigsby Fla. 1210
29 Jared Lintner Calif. 1209
30 Scott Rook Ark. 1200
31 Greg Vinson Ala. 1198
32 Gerald Swindle Ala. 1191
33 Clark Reehm Ark. 1188
34 Terry Scroggins Fla. 1182
35 Denny Brauer Mo. 1169
36 Cliff Crochet La. 1158
37 Brent Chapman Kan. 1139
38 Matt Herren Ala. 1133
39 James Niggemeyer Texas 1131
40 Boyd Duckett Ala. 1127
41 Billy McCaghren Ark. 1120
42 Paul Elias Miss. 1113
43 Mark Tucker Mo. 1112
43 Ish Monroe Calif. 1112
45 Guy Eaker N.C. 1103
45 Alton Jones Texas 1103
47 Casey Ashley S.C. 1099
48 Davy Hite S.C. 1095
49 Bradley Roy Ky. 1085
50 Kelly Jordon Texas 1082
51 Matt Reed Texas 1079
52 Zell Rowland Texas 1073
53 Dustin Wilks N.C. 1067
54 Pat Golden N.C. 1060
55 Marty Robinson S.C. 1049
56 Takahiro Omori Texas 1048
57 Randy Howell Ala. 1042
58 Kotaro Kiriyama Ala. 1036
59 Mark Menendez Ky. 1032
60 Jason Quinn S.C. 1010
61 Timmy Horton Ala. 1008
62 Charlie Hartley Ohio 1004
63 Kevin Short Ark. 1000
64 J Todd Tucker Ga. 998
65 Kenyon Hill Okla. 996
66 Fred Roumbanis Okla. 991
67 Rick Clunn Mo. 981
68 Bernie Schultz Fla. 980
69 Byron Velvick Texas 973
70 Peter Thliveros Fla. 960
70 Pete Ponds Miss. 960
72 Bradley Hallman Okla. 958
72 Marty Stone N.C. 958
74 Rick Morris Va. 956
75 Jeff Connella La. 954
76 Grant Goldbeck Md. 952
77 Mark Tyler Okla. 950
77 Chris Lane Ala. 950
79 John Murray Ariz. 916
80 Dennis Tietje La. 910
81 Wade Grooms S.C. 902
82 Matt Greenblatt Fla. 872
83 Chad Griffin Texas 854
84 Vince Fulks Okla. 846
85 Jami Fralick S.D. 842
86 Britt Myers S.C. 822
87 Yusuke Miyazaki Texas 814
88 Keith Poche Ala. 781
89 Mark Burgess Mass. 746
90 Byron Haseotes Mass. 736
91 David Smith Okla. 722
92 Jeremy Starks W.Va. 660
93 Scott Ashmore Okla. 636