Met Johnny Morris today at Rodman Reservoir campground boat ramp. He spotted my Tracker V-18 and introduced himself.

He complimented me on the condition of the boat and thanked me for being a customer.

Very friendly and personable.

That is awesome! ?

Nice to see these big timers willing to meet and greet with us common folks.  Also good to see them enjoying the mother nature just like we do.  Thanks for the pic!

I said I needed a picture or know one would believe me.

He said absolutely.He was fishing with Richard Childress ,he took the photo with my

phone and then John's phone.

 

9 hours ago, mfnew said:

Very friendly and personable.

Glad to hear that, I use a lot of BPS gear and baits.

I was wondering did you trailer from Welaka or did ya take the Cross Barge Canal. 

8 hours ago, mfnew said:

I said I needed a picture or know one would believe me.

He said absolutely.He was fishing with Richard Childress ,he took the photo with my

phone and then John's phone.

 

Hey Mr. Childress, can you take a picture of me and the important guy? ?

1 hour ago, GRiver said:

Glad to hear that, I use a lot of BPS gear and baits.

I was wondering did you trailer from Welaka or did ya take the Cross Barge Canal. 

Trailered from Welaka,about a 50 minute drive.

Buckmann Lock only operates Thursday to Sunday.

I got to meet Johnny twice while working for BPS. First time I called him Mr Morris. He thanked me and said "from now on it's Johnny." He is a really nice, down to earth guy that was in the right place, with the right idea, at the right moment in time.

Very cool!

Thanks for sharing!

That is really cool. Thanks for sharing the picture. 

That is so very cool! Is he a nice guy?

On 2/20/2023 at 8:16 PM, mfnew said:

Met Johnny Morris today at Rodman Reservoir campground boat ramp. He spotted my Tracker V-18 and introduced himself.

Don't he now own about 1/2 of Welatka? LOL

I have met Johnny Morris a number of times.  Once at an IGFA banquet at The Breakers in West Palm.  Many people don't know how he started.  If you Google him you will learn he came from humble beginnings to own one of the largest privately owned businesses in the Country.  He spent million of dollars to clean up a Federal Superfund Site to build the FT. Lauderdale Bass Pro Shop and funds conservation efforts all over the world. He is a true America hero.

That's great! His stores are second to none. There's a big project of his that has been approved by the county commission for lake Okeechobee. The project is supposed to turn the Okee-Tantie Recreation Area into a world class fishing resort. When I was at Bass Pro recently, most employees were promoting it. Can't wait to see the final results! 

I've got to meet him a few times and he really is a great guy, very humble and down to earth despite his successes. 

2 hours ago, Zcoker said:

That's great! His stores are second to none. There's a big project of his that has been approved by the county commission for lake Okeechobee. The project is supposed to turn the Okee-Tantie Recreation Area into a world class fishing resort. When I was at Bass Pro recently, most employees were promoting it. Can't wait to see the final results! 

 

3 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

I have met Johnny Morris a number of times.  Once at an IGFA banquet at The Breakers in West Palm.  Many people don't know how he started.  If you Google him you will learn he came from humble beginnings to own one of the largest privately owned businesses in the Country.  He spent million of dollars to clean up a Federal Superfund Site to build the FT. Lauderdale Bass Pro Shop and funds conservation efforts all over the world. He is a true America hero.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what he does with the old, basically abandoned Dogpatch USA amusement park outside of Jasper, AR. I've read that it's going to be some sort of conservation minded, open to the public park. I know that it is a beautiful area. I was up there not to long after the deal was announced. They were already cleaning up the place.

 

Edit, Just read that it will be called "Marble Falls Nature Center". Johnny Morris paid over $1 million for the park and surrounding acreage. The article I read was fairly old and didn't give an opening date. I hope to get up that way this spring or summer.

Edited February 22, 20233 yr by volzfan59
New information

6 minutes ago, volzfan59 said:

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing what he does with the old, basically abandoned Dogpatch USA amusement park outside of Jasper, AR. I've read that it's going to be some sort of conservation minded, open to the public park. I know that it is a beautiful area. I was up there not to long after the deal was announced. They were already cleaning up the place.

 

If it is anything like his fishing/outdoor stores, should be spectacular. He goes all out with all things. I get lost in his fishing stores down here in south Florida. I go in for few things and come out in even bigger debt! lol

38 minutes ago, volzfan59 said:

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing what he does with the old, basically abandoned Dogpatch USA amusement park outside of Jasper, AR. I've read that it's going to be some sort of conservation minded, open to the public park. I know that it is a beautiful area. I was up there not to long after the deal was announced. They were already cleaning up the place.

 

Edit, Just read that it will be called "Marble Falls Nature Center". Johnny Morris paid over $1 million for the park and surrounding acreage. The article I read was fairly old and didn't give an opening date. I hope to get up that way this spring or summer.

You might want to research first.  When he redid Wonders of World it took 7 years.

1 hour ago, Jig Man said:

You might want to research first.  When he redid Wonders of World it took 7 years.

I know, anything that BPS builds takes a while. The store that I worked at took three years to build. We go to Jasper close to every other year and rent a cabin. Love the area and fishing in the Buffalo River. We'll probably be up there regardless of the Nature Center's completion 

On 2/22/2023 at 11:25 AM, volzfan59 said:

I know, anything that BPS builds takes a while. The store that I worked at took three years to build. We go to Jasper close to every other year and rent a cabin. Love the area and fishing in the Buffalo River. We'll probably be up there regardless of the Nature Center's completion 

Sunday lunch at Ozark Cafe is hard to beat. 

47 minutes ago, AmmoGuy said:

Sunday lunch at Ozark Cafe is hard to beat. 

Ain't that the truth!