“ Grandma smoked a pipe , and she ’ d get that pipe lit and settled in the corner of her mouth and sit so quiet and so content , and I ’ d just watch her ,” Williams said . “ I wasn ’ t fishing much back in those days ; I was just watching . Waiting . Learning .”
Williams would look back on those tranquil moments as some of his first lessons in navigating an uncertain world with quiet grace and his first glimpses into the sport he ’ d grow to love for the next 70 years .
“ What happened next was a pivotal moment for the Williamses and and a turning point in bass fishing history .”
CELEBRATING A TOURNAMENT
TRAILBLAZER
This September , Alfred Williams will become the first African American inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame
By Charity Muehlenweg
t ’ s early summer of 1953 , and Saturday mornings can ’ t come fast enough for Alfred Williams . Every week , the 6-year-old Williams wakes up early and mills around the house , hoping for an invite on a fishing adventure with Grandma . He ’ s in charge of carrying her bucket and keeping the snakes away during their outings , a big job for such a little guy .
Williams was born on April 9 , 1947 , in Jackson , Mississippi , where he spent his youth with a cane pole in hand alongside friends and family .
“ Fishing was a way to bring people together in a time of racial tension ,” he said . “ There were groups of every race fishing down on the river . We always had a good time , but we weren ’ t fishing for sport — we were fishing to put food on the table .”
But the hook had been set . By age 10 , Williams was fishing anywhere and everywhere he could with anyone who would take him . By 14 , he could often be seen on the banks of the Pearl River , alone or with friends .
38 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2024