OUTDOORS & PARKS KALON JOHNSON KAYAK TOURNAMENT ANGLER Looking back on Kalon Johnson ’s rise from a little kid with a fishing pole to the world-class kayak tournament angler he is today, you might say he never had another choice. “My uncles introduced me to fishing at an early age and I just never looked back,” he recalls. “I really enjoy the challenge of figuring out what the fish want. I enjoy the peace, joy and fulfillment that it gives me as well, and I love to share those experiences.” Being able to inspire and motivate others through his adventures is what led him to start teaching kids how to fish – so maybe they’ll become hooked at a young age, just as he did, back in his hometown of Thibodaux. Some of his favorite places to fish these days are Caddo Lake near Shreveport, an internationally protected wetland famous for having one of the largest flooded cypress forests in the U.S., and Bayou Lacombe in Lacombe, which offers a haven of other wildlife surrounding its fish-rich waters. When in more southern points like Houma, he doesn’t miss Pointe-aux-Chenes, a marsh peppered with ponds, bayous and canals, and Bay Cocodrie, home to a fishing, shrimping and crabbing village on waters opening into the Gulf. When he’s not out fishing, Kalon says he loves to boil seafood (probably not a surprise) and smoke meats, along with planting and growing vegetables and fruit. “Doing these things in the comfort of my backyard with family is an escape for me.” KALON JOHNSON Follow Kalon’s adventures! 14 #OnlyLouisiana @ExploreLouisiana HENDERSON LAKE, ATCHAFALAYA NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA
Louisiana Travel Guide 2026: Page 14
