Tough final day for Williams

Williams was shocked by how tough Lake Norman got after the cold front passed through the area on Saturday night.

David Williams finished in 8th place at the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open presented by Allstate on Lake Norman. Saturday's struggles were particularly tough for him. Like Elite Series angler Hank Cherry, Williams lives in Maiden, N.C., located just a few miles from Lake Norman.

As Andy Montgomery mentioned at Friday's weigh-in, "David Williams is one of the top five fishermen on (Lake Norman)."

Williams qualified for the 2009 Bassmaster Classic on Louisiana's Red River, where he finished 46th. He would have been mentioned among the favorites at South Carolina's Lake Hartwell for the 2015 Classic. If he had won Saturday, Williams would have punched his ticket to the Classic and knocked out Cliff Prince.

"I've probably won more money on Hartwell than I have on this lake," Williams said.

Williams was shocked by how tough Lake Norman got after the cold front passed through the area on Saturday night. After catching five-bass limits weighing 14-1 and 13-5 on the first two days, Williams managed only three keepers weighing 4-13 on Sunday.