Alfred Williams

Racial desegregation may have been mandated by federal laws and court rulings in the 1950s and ’60s, but in reality, almost insurmountable barriers between the races continued to exist across the South, especially in the Jackson, Mississippi, area where Alfred Williams grew up.

If any barriers existed in the world of bass fishing, Williams quietly and confidently overcame them. After returning from a tour in the Vietnam War, he began fishing bass tournaments, often as the only Black competitor, and winning way more than his share. He joined a local B.A.S.S. Nation bass club, made the Mississippi state team, and then won the 1983 Bassmaster Classic divisional qualifier on Ross Barnett Reservoir.

Williams earned a berth in the Classic that year on the Ohio River at Cincinnati, Ohio, making history as the first Black angler ever to qualify for the prestigious championship. He finished 10th out of 42 contenders, ranking ahead of Hank Parker, Rick Clunn, Denny Brauer and Roland Martin.

His success attracted many more African-American anglers to bass fishing and paved the way for Ish Monroe, Mark Daniels Jr. and other Black pro anglers to follow.

Williams also has made a difference in bass fishing in ways unrelated to race. He is credited with popularizing the use of hollow-body frogs, which accounted for many of his 200 tournament victories on Ross Barnett.

He added weight to his favorite Snag Proof models to make them rider lower in the water and dramatically improve hook-setting success. He drew more strikes by adding a rattle chamber to the belly and replacing the stock rubber legs with spinnerbait skirts. Snag Proof incorporated his custom alterations in certain tournament models of its frogs.

Over his long career, Williams competed in nearly 300 BASSMASTER and FLW events, winning four pro-level contests and earning numerous Top 10s.

He continues to serve as a mentor and role model to other Black anglers in his home state and throughout the nation.