Inductees

He grew up on Table Rock Lake in the 1970s, spending time at his aunt Joleen and uncle Richard’s resort near Kimberling City, with his uncle serving as a fishing guide and his grandfather casting lines, too.

For Mike McClelland, having a rod and reel in hand has been natural ever since, with he and his dad learning to fish together and entering tournaments.

“I was very interested in that and saw (his uncle) enter tournaments,” McClelland said. “Seeing there was a competitive side to fishing intrigued me.”

Eventually, McClelland won $10,000 in his first U.S. Bass Dream tournament he ever entered, and that launched quite a career as pro bass fisherman. In fact, his enormous success is why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted McClelland with the Class of 2025.

Born in Branson in 1967, McClelland has competed in 261 total tournaments, including 11 Bassmaster Classics. He has enjoyed eight first-place finishes and four runner-up finishes.

Those were among a whopping 89 Top 30 finishes, with 64 of those in the top 20 and 32 in the top 10. He also has had career earnings of $1.85 million, with numerous sponsorships.

Overall, McClelland has hauled in more than 8,000 pounds of fish in his career.

His most significant wins were in the Bassmaster Elite Series – in 2006 at Grand Lake, in 2007 at Clarks Hill Lake in Georgia, at the 2008 Harris Chain of Lakes in Florida, and in 2014 at Table Rock, where he also won the Bassmaster Central Open in 2017.

His highest finishes in the Bassmaster Classic was fourth in 2009 at Red River in Shreveport, La., and fifth in 2013 at Grand Lake in Oklahoma.

It all started with winning the 1992 Central Pro Am at Table Rock, and then a rarity in the sport with back-to-back Bassmaster Invitational wins in 1996 on the Arkansas River and Ross Barnett in Jackson, Miss. Success continued by the winning the 2005 Bassmaster Open Championship.

All this from an angler who considered going to college and studying architecture after graduating from Fayetteville (Ark.) High School in 1986. That was, until he won the $10,000 in the Bass Dream event.

“I thought I was a rich man,” McClelland joked.

Honestly, the victory led him to meet standout anglers such as Stacey King (MSHOF 2020), Kevin Van Dam, Larry Nixon, Charlie Campbell and more.

Thanks to their mentorships and McClelland fishing daily, he learned the nuances and soared in the 1990s.

In 1992, he won the Central Pro-Am Championship at Table Rock, leading to a sponsorship from Ulrich Marine Center in Branson West. Four years later, he placed second, with his winnings allowing McClelland to pay entry fees into Bassmaster events.

“Lo and behold, I believe the good Lord has a plan for everybody’s life,” McClelland said. “I was maybe 30 at that time, and then won two Bassmaster events.”

In 1997, was a Bassmaster Classic qualifier by finishing in the top five in points.

“Back then, Jimmy Houston said if you can make the Classic, you’ve got it made in this business,” McClelland said. “I gained a lot of sponsorships, and things seemed to be going really, really well.”

Sadly, McClelland’s wife, Christina, and daughter, Whitnie, died in a car accident in 2001, and he understandably needed time to heal. He worked as a sales rep for Champion Boats, although he didn’t completely quit entering tournaments.

The year 2005 launched a new chapter. McClelland qualified for another Bassmaster Classic and, in 2006, Elite Series formed, with entry fees soaring from $1,500 a tournament to a $55,000 fee covering 11 total events.

Fortunately, he had found peace in his life, too, marrying Stacy. Their blended family includes Justin and wife Laura, as well as Jacob, and Noah and wife Hannah.

“My faith in the Lord and the support from my family and friends through the years has been a great source of strength,” McClelland said. “Along with supportive wife, Stacy, my mom and dad (Rodney & Lynette), have always been some of by my biggest cheerleaders. I worked with my Dad, and he helped me financially in the early years. He believed in me and felt I could compete with the best of the anglers.”

Sponsors included Bass Pro Shops, Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, Andy’s Frozen Custard, Spro/Gamakatsu, Falcon Rods, Garmin Marine, Beatdown Outdoors, Fayetteville Toyota, Sinline, Big Bite Baits, Pro Locker Outdoors, TH Marine and Odyssey Batteries.

“I’ve just been really blessed,” McClelland said. “It’s been a great life.”