If you have ever traveled through the Missouri Ozarks, at some point in your journey you probably have heard of or even visited Bass Pro Shops. What started out as simply a love of fishing and the outdoors became a nationwide empire of outdoor and fishing gear that has made the Ozarks famous – and once you have visited the Bass Pro Headquarters in Springfield, Missouri (also known as ‘The Granddaddy of Outdoor Stores!), it is easy to see why! Bass Pro Shops is not just a store; it is an experience – one that is proud to have deep Ozarks roots.
Bass Pro Shops is the passionate project of Missouri native Johnny Morris. Johnny has always had a longtime love of fishing, and grew up participating in this activity with him family, including his ‘Uncle Buck.’ (Uncle Buck now has a line of Bass Pro Products named after him – just head to the candy counter inside the Springfield store to see for yourself!) In 1971, Johnny Morris took a road trip around the country with a U-Haul trailer. His objective? Collect the latest and greatest fishing tackle he could find, and bring it back to his homeland, which was sorely lacking in fishing equipment. Upon his return, Johnny opened a bait and tackle shop inside his father’s liquor store, conveniently located on the way to Table Rock Lake. This humble little tackle shop was the very first Bass Pro Shops – and at the time, Johnny had no idea how far it would go.
This well stocked tackle shop became very popular with both local and visiting fishermen – so popular, in fact, that by 1974, Johnny mailed out the first Bass Pro Shops catalog. Then, in 1978, he decided to take his business a step further by introducing a line of bass boats. The boats took the name ‘Bass Tracker’; Johnny’s was the first package to ever offer a boat, motor and trailer designed for anglers. His goal has always been to provide a quality product at a good value to the customer – and this mission has carried over into the Bass Pro Shops of today.
Bass Pro Shops is the number one outdoor retailer with stores in both America and Canada. They carry the finest selection of fishing equipment – lures, poles, reels, bait and more – as well as Tracker Boats, ATVs, camping gear, outdoor footwear and clothing, guns, bows and archery supplies, outdoor cooking equipment, kayaks, home décor, knives and gifts. You won’t find a better selection of products anywhere else! And once you’ve visited Bass Pro Shops, you won’t want to – a trip to Bass Pro is better than a trip to a museum. Johnny Morris has incorporated a message of conservation and preservation into his stores; this is obvious by the number of live animals (fish, turtles, alligators, ducks and more!) inside the Bass Pro headquarters. There is also a vast array of mounts, murals, replicated cabins and water mills, as well as an archery and rifle museum open to the public. One thing is for certain – you’ll walk away from this Ozarks success story with an even greater love of the outdoors than before!
