The Missouri Sports Hall of Fame joins with the family and friends of Charlie Campbell in mourning one of the state’s great ambassadors for the sport of fishing.
A 1951 graduate and multi-sport athlete of Forsyth High School, Campbell was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and has been a good friend of the Hall of Fame for years. In fact, a Bass Pro Shops-produced video of Campbell’s fishing advice – with the son of the late Jack Emmitt – plays in the Hall of Fame’s fishing display.
His rise to local fame was one of old-fashioned hard work.
Campbell spent 15 years as a teacher and basketball coach, leading Forsyth High School to a state championship in 1973. A year later, he opened a marine dealership in Branson and then won the B.A.S.S. (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society) national championships and placed fifth in the Bassmaster Classic.
That was probably no surprise to close friends, considering Campbell had been fishing his whole life. He had been guiding on Bull Shoals Lake in 1958 and developed the “Charlie Campbell CC Spinner Bait.” His successes in topwater fishing helped bring back Zara Spook.
In 1977, Campbell went to work for Johnny Morris’ Bass Pro Shops and helped design the Bass Tracker Boat. He also field-tested many products for the company and represented Bass Pro Shops at national seminars.
Through the years, Campbell won 67 tournaments and, from 1982 to 2019, co-hosted KY3 TV’s “Bass Pro Shops Fishing Tips” with Emmitt and then Emmitt’s son, Rick.
In addition to being inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, Campbell was inducted into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame and the Drury University Athletics Hall of Fame. He also was named an Outstanding Missourian by the state’s House of Representatives.
He graduated from Southwest Baptist Junior College in 1953 and served in the armed services. He later played for Drury, earning Most Outstanding Player in 1957, and graduated there with a master’s degree in 1963.
Funeral arrangements will be shared once they become available.
