SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Like their coverage of bass fishing, Mark Zona and Mike McKinnis presented spot-on speeches at the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
In front of more than 400 people at Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium last Thursday, the stalwarts of Bassmaster TV credited family, friends and co-workers in lieu of taking credit.
Zona was typical Zona — smart, fast, engaging and emotional. Not a fan of public speaking, McKinnis, 60, of Little Rock, Ark., kept pace. It was moving that he finished his 10-minute speech with the most important figure in his life.
“One more,” he said after naming every single crew member at JM Associates. “None us would be here without him — my dad, Jerry McKinnis, my best friend. I’m unbelievably honored to be in here with him.
“It’s just crazy awesome. To know that the Hall of Fame holds me in this high regard means the world to me.”
Mike and Jerry McKinnis are the first father-and-son in the Hall, which grew to 100 members with the 2024 class of five. The other inductees were iconic lure designer Fred Arbogast, Classic and AOY champ Skeet Reese, and Alfred Williams, the first African American to qualify for a Classic.
In 1990, Mike McKinnis joined the production company his father started decades ago on the back of his long-running show The Fishin’ Hole. He worked in most every capacity before taking the reins, now overseeing award-winning broadcasts as B.A.S.S. VP.
“Mike started working in the mail room here,” said Tommy Sanders, who witnessed his progress during his 35 years at JM. “He was the lowest level of editor. He’s worked at every position on the oil rig.”
“Without making it look tough, he’s a deft manager of creative people. His smarts make it look easy. He gets the best out of people by putting them in the right positions and guiding them where they can succeed.”
One expectation of working at JM is doing whatever it takes to get the job done, and not taking credit. There are no crew lists at the end of shows, but Mike McKinnis at times will point out those who he sees going above and beyond.
“All Mike wants to do is give credit to the JM team, but he doesn’t want you to take credit either,” said right-hand man Steve Bowman, a BFHOF board member and 2015 inductee. “He wants everybody to contribute. It’s a group effort. He’s a bit of a socialist that way.”
Bowman has had Mike McKinnis’ ear during his two-plus decades at JM, powwowing with him and Sanders most every day at lunch on how to move the needle. He easily sees why Mike McKinnis is a successful leader and why most of his employees stay on long-term despite the demanding field.
“Mike’s a good leader. He’s smart enough to know everything these guys can do, and he can do it better in most cases,” Bowman said. “That’s why these guys will do anything for him. He’s got that something, something, they say, ‘Hey, we’re on board.’”
Sanders agrees. He said Mike McKinnis might be mild-mannered, but he’s earned the respect of his crew.
“He’s got a super calm demeanor, which really contributes to the fact that people stay here a long time,” he said. “Mike’s as good a producer as there is, but he’s also a terrific manager of people. He also has the interpersonal skills to communicate and negotiate with anyone at any level in the television business.”
Like executives at ESPN and FOX Sports, which recently renewed the contract to air Bassmaster LIVE. Mike McKinnis takes part in high-level meetings alongside B.A.S.S. owners, who he was also sure to thank.
His father was in the ownership group that included Don Logan and Jim Copeland, and he’s appreciative of current owner Anderson Media and B.A.S.S. CEO Chase Anderson for also caring about the sport, its legacy and future.
“Chase and his family are in this for the long haul,” he said.
Mike McKinnis added that the TV talent he’s assembled makes his job easy. He was appreciative of Bassmaster emcee Dave Mercer knowing every single fact about all the anglers and making them stars, while Davy Hite, a Classic and AOY champ, is a valued analyst for his insight and steady, accurate voice he brings to broadcasts.
Zona and Sanders, the face of Bassmaster TV for 20 years, were thanked for their talents, but also their friendship. The dynamic team was discussed at length last month in an article after Zona announced the end to his time on LIVE. McKinnis said they have “lifted this sport over the past 20 years, like no other broadcast team. I put them with big-name announcers.”
Mike McKinnis also thanked his family for supporting him, and he reeled off the names of his staff.
“Let me get through the list of the shoulders that I’ve been standing on all these years,” he said. “Paul Bing, Kevin Witherspoon, Bruce Cash, Julius Morgan, Ronnie Moore, Mike Suchan, Wes Miller, Carey Barrett, Mike Breedlove, Michael Middleton, JP Bodiak, David Lipke.”
Special notice was given to Bodiak, who created Bassmasters’ famed “Dream Big” video to remind “everyone who we are,” and Lipke, who’s worked magic at his edit station producing highlight footage for the past 24 years.
“I call him a machine,” McKinnis said. “He does nothing but try to make bass anglers stars. I’m standing up here getting this honor, but he and all of these people that I’m talking about are the reason.”
JM lost several family members through the years, and Mike McKinnis acknowledged each. His father, affectionately known as “The Hammer,” passed away in 2019.
Seven years earlier, the McKinnises lost Jose Wejebe, host of the top-rated saltwater fishing show who died in a plane crash. Mike McKinnis traveled the globe producing the Spanish Fly, and Jerry McKinnis memoralized his sudden passing.
Even more personal was the 2016 death of Jerry’s nephew and Mike’s cousin Rick Mason. Known as the Mason Boys, Rick and brother Brian were longtime cameramen for JM and the backbone of the road crew. His brother gone, Brian left JM shortly after. Also in the inner circle, producer Tim Schick died from COVID in 2022.
Former colleague David Healy was acknowledged as was Bowman. Building manager and tech guru Howard Downs received special kudos.
“Howard Downs, for probably 10 years, fought to get us live on television,” he said. “He is absolutely the reason we’re on, and he’s still there every time we go live today.”
Emceeing the event, Mercer introduced McKinnis to the podium, whispering for him not the blow it. Zona, the last inductee to speak, said McKinnis most certainly did not, and he doubled down that the JM production group has been incredible.
In a poignant speech, Zona related his trophy fish catch story that shut up some older kids bullying him. He showed off the 40-year-old smallmouth mount and became emotional talking about all those who helped throughout his career.
The night kicked off with Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris presenting Rick Clunn with the third-ever Ray Murski Lifetime Achievement Award. The legendary Clunn retired from the Elites after 50 years and 505 events.
Morris presented him with a Browning rifle, similiar to the one he pawned to get to New Orleans for the mystery flight to the 1976 Lake Guntersville Classic, which he won. (See Clunn’s Classic pawn.)
With Clunn still on stage, Chase Anderson announced that B.A.S.S. has created Rick Clunn Man of the Year award, which will be given to anglers exemplifying his class and professionalism.