CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The most capable bass tournament fishermen have an uncanny ability to change gears and stuff their livewells when plans A, B, and C go awry.

David Williams, of Maiden, N.C., who leads the Bass Pro Shops Southen Open presented by Allstate on Thursday, clearly demonstrated that he has what it takes. Thursday morning, Williams had a limit by 8 a.m.

On Friday, his livewell was empty until 10 a.m.

He switched tactics, caught six more bass, and carried 13 pounds, 5 ounces to the scales to hold the lead with a total of 27 pounds, 6 ounces.
His limit Friday consisted of four largemouth bass and one spotted bass. Thursday he weighed in four spots and the only largemouth he caught.

The reason for the topsy-turvy fishing was due to the weather. Thursday’s sunny, calm conditions gave way to clouds, wind and rain on Day 2.

“The spots just quit on me,” Williams said. “ I had to go for largemouths.”
South Carolina Elite Series pro Andy Montgomery also demonstrated how to cope with the changing weather. His 13-pound, 12-ounce limit today jumped him from fourth to second place, only 8 ounces behind Williams.
“Dave is one of the top five fishermen at Norman,” Montgomery said, referring to Williams. “It will be a shootout tomorrow.”
Given Montgomery’s remarkable skill to skip jigs and chattering baits far under cover, he is one of the best dock fishermen to ever drive a bass boat.

However, cloudy weather isn’t conducive to boat dock fishing. Bright sun is predicted for Saturday, which could work in his favor.
Elite Series pro Chad Morgenthaler of Coultetville, Ill., maintained his hold on third place with a two-day total of 24 pounds, 11 ounces.
“The bass weren’t on the bottom today like they were yesterday,” Morgenthaler said. “I had to fish shallower to catch them.”
Morgenthaler’s best spot was a bank he had been avoiding because it didn’t fit into the patterns that worked for him on Day 1.
Virginia’s Barry Brandt Jr. leads the co-angler field with 13 pounds, 4 ounces. He claimed the Livingston Leader award for leading the co-angler pack on Day 2. The award is good for $250 worth of Livingston Lures.

Williams received $250 cash for winning the Livingston Leader award on the pro side.
Brandt is understandably tight-lipped about how he is catching his bass. Should he hold on to win, he will receive a Triton 17 Pro rigged with a Mercury 115 Pro XS and prop, a Triton single axle trailer, a MotorGuide FW46 42” 12v trolling motor, Lowrance Mark 5 graphs on the dash and bow and a boat cover.
Ronald Farrow won the $250 Allstate Good Hands Great Day 2 award on the pros side for rocketing from 101st place on Day 1 to 10th place on Day 2.

He caught a 16-pound, 10-ounce limit today, the heaviest of the tournament, thus far.
On the co-angler side, South Carolina’s Reid McGinn earned $150 from Allstate for leaping from 90th to 29th place with a second day catch of 6 pounds, 15 ounces.

The field has been cut to the top 12 pros and co-anglers for the final day of competition. The weigh-in will take place at the BASS Pro Shops in Concord, N.C. at 4 p.m.
The winner on the pro side will pocket $5,980 and receive a Skeeter ZX200 rigged with a Yamaha VF200LA outboard and prop, a Skeeter Single Axle Trailer, a Minn Kota Max 80F 42” 24v trolling Motor and an in-dash Humminbird 788.
If the winning angler fished the two previous Southern Opens this year, he will also qualify to fish the 2015 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell. This doesn’t apply to Montgomery and Morgenthaler, as they have already qualified for the Classic via the Bassmaster Elite Series.