This year’s Pickwick Bass Camp, for elementary- and junior high-aged campers, is shaping up to be a fantastic opportunity to learn.
“We’ll be teaching them a lot about fishing that took us years and years to learn,” organizer Tony Browning, of Ingomar, said.
The camp, set for July 20 to 23 at the J.P. Coleman State Park Inn, will include sessions on specific fishing knowledge delivered by a host of well-known, successful anglers who’ve spent lifetimes acquiring it for themselves. Many are touring professional and collegiate anglers who are fishing at the top level now. The fee for a camper, male or female, to attend is $150 and covers all meals and lodging for the duration. To register, search “Pickwick Bass Camp sign up” on Facebook or call Browning at 662-231-5613.
The camp is directed toward youngsters in elementary to middle school and up.
Held at the J.P. Coleman State Park Inn, the camp puts youngsters into direct contact with professional anglers and guides who will 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.”
Many of the professionals who will be doing the equipping are enjoying livelihoods based on doing it well, correctly, consistently and, most importantly, the right way. Professionals and collegiate tournament anglers lined up to serve as this year’s instructors include Mark Rose, Brandon Perkins, and Roger Stegall, along with Brock Mosley, John Garrett, and Dylan Nutt.
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.
Other notable speakers include Kyle Jessie from B.A.S.S., who will talk about brand building to attract sponsorships. Larry Pugh will talk about conservation and the opportunity for careers in the state wildlife department. Coleton Jennings, owner of Jenko Fishing, will talk about lure design and the associated business.
Planned classes include finding and fishing structure, fishing crankbaits, choosing the right rods, reels and line, how to approach fishing a new lake and more. There will be sessions on the demands and opportunities of collegiate tournament fishing, and on tackling the mental gymnastics of decision-making during a tournament. There will be sessions on conservation delivered by state wildlife officials.
There will be speakers representing both Mississippi and Alabama high school fishing, plus kayak fishing as well.
Organizing and operating this camp is a labor of love for Browning, and it’s drawn a tremendous positive response from the community and from all the invited speakers.
“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.”
Sign-ups for this year’s event are already roughly double that of last year’s camp, but there are a few openings that still remain.
“If you want to pursue a career in fishing, 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. Shane Cox, of First Flight, will be including this topic in his discussion.
“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 are to arrive on Sunday, July 20, at 3:30 p.m., 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.”
Support for the camp has come from many quarters. Some of the key contributors include:
■ Bro. Jeff Taylor
■ McDonald’s of Savannah
■ Towboat U.S. Pickwick and Jimmy Mason
■ Midway Marine
■ Jack’s of Iuka
■ Pickwick Sports Bar and Grill
■ Pickwick Pizza Company
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
