“ While Williams didn ’ t create the frog , he ’ s been credited for helping put it on the map and pioneering the modern-day frog experience .”
dining out at every meal with the whole Classic entourage and being catered to throughout the entire event . He finished 10th out of 42 competitors , ahead of Parker , Clunn , Denny Brauer and Roland Martin — no small feat for his first major tournament , especially on a new body of water .
“ Things really started happening for me after that time ,” Williams said . “ Beating so many of the guys that I ’ d read about in Bassmaster Magazine , I felt such a sense of accomplishment . It was amazing and really gave me the confidence and determination to continue pursuing my dream .”
Williams received numerous congratulations after the Classic , including encouraging words from Paul Elias , who advised him to talk to Ranger Boats founder Forrest L . Wood about competing professionally .
“ I spoke with Forrest , thanking him for letting me use the boat during the Classic and giving me the opportunity to fish ,” Williams said . “ I told him I really wanted to get into tournament fishing more and asked if there was anything he could do to help me get started . He told me to write him a letter when I got back home .”
Williams wrote the letter , and Wood and Ranger endorsed him and provided his tournament boat for the next 28 years .
“ I can ’ t thank Forrest enough for that opportunity and for supplying me with a state-of-the-art boat all those years to follow my passion ,” Williams
said . “ The first tournament I ever won was the Dr . Pepper Open back in 1978 . I took home a check for $ 2,500 , which was a huge payday in the late ‘ 70s . But knowing my boat was taken care of each year was a huge blessing .”
innovating and inspiring
Fast forward to 2024 , and the bassfishing community is celebrating yet another milestone with Williams and his family . On September 26 , he ’ ll be the first African American inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame .
Mark Daniels Jr ., an African American pro who competes on the Bass Pro Tour , met Williams through a mutual friend back in 2015 , and the two became fast friends . However , Daniels said he ’ s been looking up to Alfred long before that first meeting .
“ I was ate up with fishing from a young age , and you just never saw anyone who was African American fishing professionally , so I was really inspired by Alfred ,” Daniels said . “ I belonged to a bass club , and we had some African American weekend warriors , but no pros .”
Daniels expressed the importance for aspiring anglers to see professional anglers that they can identify with but also said that Williams ’ influence on the sport runs much deeper than the color of his skin .
“ Every time the water temp gets above 55 degrees , we can ’ t wait to fish topwater and throw a frog , and every time I throw a frog , I think of Alfred ,”
Daniels said . “ Regular , hollow-body frogs came out many years ago with semi-hard plastic legs . Alfred had the inclination to cut off the plastic legs , then cut the skirt off a spinnerbait and push the spinnerbait skirt through the holes on the frog , so it now has spinnerbait-style legs as opposed to hard legs .” While Williams didn ’ t create the frog , he ’ s been credited for helping put it on the map and pioneering the modern-day frog experience . He was also among the first anglers to add weight to his favorite Snag Proof models to make them ride lower in the water , dramatically improving his hooksets , as well as adding a rattle chamber to the belly to draw more strikes . Snag Proof incorporated some of Williams ’ frog modifications in certain tournament models of its frogs .
“ You see those types of frogs everywhere now ,” Daniels said . “ From the highest-end baits made in Japan to all the American-made baits and everything in between , every hollow-body frog has skirted legs , and that is literally Alfred ’ s design . That blows my mind .
“ There ’ s always somebody that takes that first step and breaks the mold , and Alfred is that guy . He ’ s truly a pioneer in our sport . One can only imagine how apprehensive he was when he first started out , yet he overcame all of that and had a very successful career as a tournament angler . I ’ m very proud of him and his accomplishments and am happy to call him a friend .”
42 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2024