A passion for fishing can develop on its own. The knowledge of how to do it properly, reliably and with good manners may take much difficulty and a lifetime to learn. That’s why lifelong angler Tony Browning, of Ingomar, organizes the Pickwick Bass Camp. This year’s event is set for July 20 to 23, and registration is open now. The camp is directed toward youngsters in elementary to middle school and up.
Held at the J.P. Coleman State Park hotel, the camp puts youngsters into direct contact with professional anglers and guides who deliver classes on subjects that range from how to find and catch bass to how to go about it the right way alongside fellow anglers. Campers stay in the hotel’s rooms and attend lectures and demonstrations in the facility’s convention area.
“Last year we had questions about why we didn’t fish during the camp,” Browning said. “We can carry these kids out and catch bass but, if they don’t learn how to find them, they can’t go back and do it again on their own. We want to equip them with what they need to know to do it themselves. We’ll be teaching them a lot about fishing that took us years and years to learn.”
Many of the professionals doing the equipping are enjoying livelihoods based on doing it well, correctly, consistently and, most importantly, the right way. Professionals and tournament anglers lined up to serve as this year’s instructors include Mark Rose, Brandon Perkins, Jimmy Washam and Roger Stegall. All are highly successful competitive anglers and each has a strong presence online, particularly through YouTube. They are volunteering their time for the good of bass fishing’s future, as is everyone else involved.
“I have been fishing forever and it’s been good to me,” Browning said.
The instructors will go into detail about how to find fish and how to go about catching them once you do. They will also describe the opportunities for making bass fishing a profession or strong sideline.
“If you want to pursue a career in it, these guys are going to talk about how to approach sponsors and how to manage the business side of things,” Browning said.
Another strong element of the camp will focus on the etiquette of angling behavior.
“I hear lots of complaints about high school angling and how they behave, and I think a lot of it simply comes from them not having been taught any better,” he said. “Many of us were raised on the water and taught to understand what not to do and how to conduct ourselves around other fishermen, but plenty of people didn’t have that advantage. We take for granted how we were raised, but kids who’ve picked it up on their own won’t learn it unless we mentor and teach them.
“From how to conduct yourself as a co-angler in the same boat with someone else, to how to fish around other boats, how to approach it, how to handle it, there are a lot of things to learn.”
The price to attend is $150 per camper and includes all food and lodging for the full event. Campers will arrive on Sunday, July 20, and depart Wednesday, July 23 around midday.
To register, go to Facebook and search “Pickwick Bass Camp sign up” through the Facebook search bar. Click on the post that brings up. Into that post’s comments, you will list your camper’s name, age and whether they’re male or female. Anyone willing to chaperone or to help with the camp in any other way is asked to follow the same procedure. Browning will then respond to each registrant directly through Facebook Messenger. Anyone with questions may call Browning directly at 662-231-5613.
“We want to encourage young ladies who are interested in fishing to attend the camp as well,” Browning said. “I know there are a lot of young ladies fishing, and some may be hesitant to come to a camp, but we have women chaperones lined up and we definitely welcome them.”
This is the camp’s second year. The inaugural event hosted 28 full-time campers, plus a few more who attended the day sessions without spending the night. This year, Browning expects to host roughly twice as many.
“Last year’s event was really good,” Browning said. “The way people reached out to help was really inspiring. Folks came and talked and didn’t ask for a penny. It was phenomenal to see how excited the kids are.”
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