Johnny Morris

While he cut his fishing teeth in the state of Missouri as a youngster, Johnny Morris has proven that he can catch ’em anywhere he goes, around the world. During a very distinguished professional bass tournament career, he proved that he could “cast” with the best of them, when he competed along the B.A.S.S. tournament trail, during the early to mid-seventies. He qualified for five BassMaster Classics, during his professional tenure.

It’s not his contribution as a professional angler that brings him into this distinguished class, but his business skills. Johnny Morris has perhaps done more to assist anglers by providing quality fishing tackle, at affordable prices, than any single person in the history of the sport.

In 1971 he decided that he was tired of not being able to get a variety of fishing tackle at his local bait shops, so he did something about it. He cosigned an inventory loan with his father and set up a small, eight-foot tackle display in the back of his father’s “Brown Derby” liquor store. This wasn’t just any liquor store, on just any ole street corner. This was the most successful chain of liquor stores in the state of Missouri. With his successful father’s entrepreneurial sense of business savvy, a deep love and respect of the outdoors, and a desire to provide anglers everywhere with high quality fishing tackle at prices anyone could afford, the start of the now world famous “Bass Pro Shops” began in very humble surroundings.

His father also took the time to take him hunting, fishing and to teach him to respect and appreciate the outdoors.

His fish catching abilities were starting to get noticed by everyone around the central Ozarks region of the country. It was these fish catching skills that would aid him in selecting just the right lures to sell in his small, fledgling, tackle business.

By early 1974, the reputation of his tackle shop had grown to such a point that anglers who had traveled through Springfield, Missouri, and shopped with him, would often call back, placing orders for more lures, over the telephone. Sensing the need for a larger distribution network convinced this man to produce his first, 180-page catalog with about 1,500 items in it.

Today, that same “Bass Pro Shops” catalog is produced as both seasonal publications and a Master catalog. In all, more than 30,000 items can be found in today’s “Bass Pro Shops” catalogs, that are shipped to more than 34-million sportsmen. The success of the catalogs spawned two additional catalogs…one for saltwater anglers called: “Offshore Angler” and one filled with hunting gear called: “The Redhead” catalog. Regardless of your outdoor interest, this man has probably produced a catalog for your needs!

Before today’s mass produced, and mass marketed, fishing boats became mainstream, he saw a need for fishermen to be able to go to one location and purchase a fully-rigged, “fish ready” outfit.

“Tracker Marine” and “Bass Tracker” were formed. A move that proved to be both profound and profitable. Today, “Tracker Marine” entails a number of fishing boats, pontoon boats, houseboats, saltwater boats, and the high performance fiberglass bass boat “Nitro”.

By the early 1980’s “Bass Pro Shops” catalog had grown so large that thousands of anglers longed to have a place to shop for the same tackle that they were seeing on the pages of “Bass Pro” catalogs. Sensing a need in the marketplace, Mr. Morris created a place “where angler’s can meet and greet”. A wonderland for every fishing, camping, hunting or outdoor need that a person might have. In 1981, the now world-renowned “Bass Pro Shops-Outdoor World” opened it’s doors in Springfield, Missouri. A location that has grown to more than 4 million visitors a year and is the single largest tourist attraction in the state of Missouri, and one of the top 10 in America.

Johnny Morris’ accomplishments include: the world-class “Big Cedar Lodge”, on Table Rock Lake, south of Branson, Missouri; his “Top of the Rock”, Jack Nicklaus designed golf course, adjacent to “Big Cedar Lodge”. The 10,000 acre wilderness area he created: “Dogwood Canyon”.

He has been awarded the “President’s Award” from the International Association of Fishing and Wildlife Agencies, along with serving for six years on the Board of Directors for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, three of which he served as Chairman. He received the “Teddy Roosevelt Conservationist Award”, from former president George Bush and in 1992 was elected into the Sport Fishing Hall of Fame.