B.A.S.S. announced today that outdoor retailer Bass Pro Shops will be the title sponsor of the 2024 Bassmaster Classic. The event will be held March 22-24, with competition taking place on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees. The tournament will feature 56 anglers vying for more than $1 million in prize money.
“We are very honored to partner with Bassmaster and serve as the title sponsor for the 2024 Bassmaster Classic,” said Johnny Morris, five-time Classic qualifier, noted conservationist and founder of Bass Pro Shops. “Some of my happiest memories in life were competing on the tournament trail and creating many special, lifelong friendships. I feel very blessed to have spent my entire life in and around the great sport of fishing and to have had the opportunity to serve fellow anglers. I am forever grateful to Ray Scott, for without him and his B.A.S.S. Tournament Trail, Bass Pro Shops would have never happened.”
The relationship between Bass Pro Shops and B.A.S.S. goes back to the birth of competitive bass fishing. When Scott created the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society in 1967, Morris became an early competitor. At the same time, Morris started a small tackle business out of a corner of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Mo., in 1972. As B.A.S.S. tournaments grew, so did Morris’ tackle business, and he eventually created the first Bass Pro Shops catalog in 1974.
“This partnership is so meaningful to B.A.S.S. for so many reasons,” said Chase Anderson, CEO of B.A.S.S. “Our organizations both helped build and define an industry while focusing on conservation, education and inspiration. We have shared values and both maintain a sharp focus on the future of our sport while celebrating the rich history of bass fishing. We look forward to celebrating together at the Classic with the rabid fans in attendance as a new champion is crowned.”
