There are plenty of folks who include the outdoors as a part of their lives. They hunt; they fish; they hike but their nine-to-five jobs occupy the majority of their time.
For a handful of others, the outdoors is basically their life; they’re consumed with the
woods and waters. That’s why this select group can’t wait to wake up every morning and go to their job in some form of make their living in outdoor industries. John Brown is just such a fellow.

For the 57 year old Brown, it started some 30-odd years ago when he teamed up with fellow Ruston High School graduate, Rex Moncrief to plan, film produce and star in an outdoor television show, “The Outdoor News”, which ran for a few years on area TV stations.

Wanting more exposure to the outdoors, Brown had become adept at handling video
equipment and he began doing free-lance video works for such outdoors-related companies as Knight and Hale, Primos, Mossy Oak. His work caught the attention of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and for near 30 years, Brown worked with that organization eventually becoming executive producer of their television and video work.

Aside from his involvement with the outdoors, Brown developed an interest in coaching youth baseball. While living in Edgefield, SC, headquarters of the NWTF, he coached youngsters and in 2019, his team of 12 year olds won the national championship. Interestingly, the tourney was held in Ruston.

“I came to Ruston for the tournament and it was like a homecoming to me. I wanted to plant myself back here in north Louisiana where I was raised. I told my boss at the NWTF I wanted to take an early retirement so I could move back home,” said Brown.

After retiring, Brown and his wife, a retired school teacher, live in the country outside West Monroe. Has he retired from his outdoors ventures? That’s not in Brown’s DNA. He writes features for LA Sportsman magazine and has taken a consuming interest in 51 acres of land in Caldwell Parish his dad had purchased before he passed away last year. Brown is converting the property his dad left him to a mecca for wildlife.

“When I first walked over the property, it was so thick and overgrown you could hardly
pick your way through it. There was no way you could think about finding a turkey track. For the past year and a half I have worked on the land, clearing brush and establishing food plots. Last week,” said Brown, “I called up two longbeard gobblers, a hen and six jakes at one time. “I have rededicated myself to telling the conservation story that no matter if a piece of property is large or small, if you work on the habitat, wildlife will react and find it.”

Brown’s next project, which will reach fruition on April 30, is his book, “Gathering
Light’, which will be released on that date.

“Before he passed away, my dad had encouraged me to write down what I had done in stories I could pass down as a legacy to my kids and grandchildren. I finally did it. The book tells about my growing up in Franklin Parish on the Tensas River as well as my outdoors-related work down through the years,” he said.

The hard cover book as well as in E-book form will be available starting April 30. Search for it on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

This book will appeal to not only outdoorsmen and women but with John Brown’s God given ability to tell a story, it’s a book anyone will enjoy reading.

FISHING REPORT

CANEY LAKE – Big chinquapins are on the beds and some real good fish are being caught on small crawfish, worms and crickets. Best bass catches are made fairly shallow on Wacky Worms, Sinko, Bandits and spinners with some moving out to deeper water. Crappie are best fishing jigs or shiners around submerged tops in 12 foot water. For information contact Caney Lake Landing at 259-6649, Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
BLACK BAYOU –Bream are starting to bite crickets and worms around the trees. No report on crappie or bass. Contact Honey Hole Tackle Shop 323-8707 for latest information.
BUSSEY BRAKE – Bass fishing is good with some to 11 pounds caught flipping creature baits around the trees. Crappie have moved off the banks and hitting jigs and shiners in the flats. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole at 323-8707.
OUACHITA RIVER – The water is high, rising and muddy and nobody is fishing. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE D’ARBONNE – Crappie are good with some still spawning in the shallows and some moving to the flats. Shiners and jigs are catching them. Some bass are still spawning around the grass with some moving out and hitting crank baits and soft plastics.. Catfishing is improving fishing cold worms off the banks. The bream are on the beds up and hitting crickets and night crawlers. For latest information, call Anderson Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.
LAKE CLAIBORNE – Crappie are starting to move out to 12 foot water and are hitting mostly shiners. Bass are best fishing Carolina rigs, spinners and jerk baits around the docks. Stripers are beginning to school and hitting shad imitation lures. Bream are on the beds and worms and crickets are working on them. Catfishing has been good on night crawlers. For latest information, call Kel’s Cove at 927-2264 or Terzia Tackle at 278-4498.
LAKE POVERTY POINT – Catfishing is good and the bream are moving to the beds and hitting worms and crickets. Crappie have moved off the banks and are fair. No report on bass. For latest reports, call Poverty Point Marina at 318/878-0101.
LAKE YUCATAN – The water is quite high and rising and nobody is fishing. For information, call Surplus City Landing at 318/467-2259.