Mid-South Jr. Bass Club

A Bass Fishing Natural Resources Management and Conservation Partner

This article falls in just perfect with my goals as far as taking a kid fishing.

What better way for father and son or daughter to
spend a day on the lake together and bond, not to mention have the time of their life catching bass.

Chris Morlok, the 37 years old current President of Mid South Junior Bass Club, started fishing with father in 1992 in the Memphis Adult Bass Club tournaments. Chris states he was never a consistent winner but fell in love with the community of being in a club.

Just like his father did with him, Chris Morlok wanted to get his two sons, Nathan and Nolan involved with bass fishing.

As times passed and the boys grew older, Nathan seemed to show an unusual talent for bass fishing at an early age. It was after their first Charity Tournament together as father and son team that the idea of a Father/Son Tournament series was born in 2003.

When Chris found out all about the liability involved and the insurance required to protect sponsors and participants, the club went on the back burner. So Chris formed 5 fruit jar adult/youth tournaments.

It was during this time he was introduced to Joe Sills of the Mid South Hunting and Fishing News. Joe who also headed up a youth bass club affiliated with Bass Federation Nation helped Chris avoid mistakes in planning and forming the Mid South Junior Bass Club.

After only two years, the Mid-South Junior Bass Club became the Bass Federation youth club and as of February, 2009, it has 19 Father/Son teams.

They held 8 tournaments and gave all the participants monogrammed fishing shirts.

Bass Pro saw what Chris was doing and jumped onboard as the first primary sponsor.

The Mid South Junior Bass Club participated in the Tennessee Bass Federation Youth Championship where the club swept first, second, and third place in the 11 - 13 age division.

Strike King, another super company who is always there to ensure that no one walks away with nothing had a bag full of their great baits for the participants.

Hats off to Bass Pro and Chris Brown at Strike King.

The 2007 State Champ Lane kemper won a trip to Syracuse, New York for his whole family where he competed for a national title.

Year three has grown and proved to be better still. MSJBC switched to the FLW/TBF Mississippi Federation. 

Chris takes his club guys to boat shows to help raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital located in Memphis, Tennessee.

The club raised $3,600 for the kids at St. Jude and presented the check just five months into their efforts to the directors at St. Jude Memorial Day weekend tournament; the big St. Jude Bass tournament that they hold every year at Sardis Lake in Mississippi.

As you can see Chris Morlok is just like I am about teaching our youth about conservation efforts and managing natural resources properly to ensure we leave the outdoors better when we leave.

I worked at a show with Chris and I can not think I ever saw him sit down.

He approached every Father/Son/Daughter to see about joining the club.

Mid South Junior Bass Club's Mission Statement:

"We the members of the Mid South Junior Bass Club are united in the fellowship of youth Bass club participation. We resolve to teach our youth the importance of natural resource management and conservation. We pledge our devotion to our communities' lakes and streams so future generations of Dads and Kids may have the same opportunities to make lasting memories the way we do today. We join together in fellowship, competition and
conservation".

Mid-South Junior Bass Club's 2009 Tournament Schedule: 

• March 7 Bay Springs, Crows Neck 
• March 28 St. Jude Big Bass Tournament at JP Coleman Boat Ramp 
• April 25 Pickwick JP Coleman Boat Ramp 
• May 2 Trace Lake, Pontotoc, Ms 
• May 15-16 FLW/TBF State Championship Trace Lake Pontotoc, Ms 
• May 23-24 St. Jude Bass Classic Sardis Lake, Engineers Point 
• June 6 Enid Lake, Wallace Creek 
• July 18 Pickwick, JP Coleman 
• August 29 Sardis Lake Engineers Point 
• September 19 Arkabutla Lake, Hernando Point 
• October 10-11 Fall Classic Kentucky Lake, Paris Landing 
• October 24 Mid-South Junior Bass Club Cookout at the Morlok home in Hernando, Mississippi. 

Chris and I both are asking you to get your kids involved in the greatest youth fishing club in the Mid South.

If you would like to join, get in touch with Chris using the phone number or email address below to fill out an application. You can also show up for a tournament and join the bass club that morning but still contact Chris to verify the current membership fee due at the time of joining the fun. The club accepts checks only for fees and member shirts.

You Can Help the  Mid South Junior Bass Club Continue To Be There For Today's Youths and Future Mid South Youths By: 

• Becoming a Sponsor - contact Chris Morlok at 901-604-6274 or visit their official web site, MidSouth Junior Bass Club 
• Donating anything, the club would appreciate it very much and think how you are helping to get the kids involved in the outdoors. 
• Making Cash Donations to help conduct functions such as cookouts and helping with travel expenses for the National Championship. 

Right now is tough times I know, but to see the look on a young person's face while fishing one of these tournaments is well worth your involvement and investment in helping to guide these young folks.

You would think it is the BassMasters Classic, not to mention how dad glows when his kid wins the tournament.

Keep The Hooks Wet!

 Steve McGoldrick

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