EEL P ROFIL.E
By Scott Smith
The Southern Sportsman
Hooke rto ns Franc White has gained a wide and diverse
following over the years through his syndicated fishing show.
You almost expect to find the
host of a widely syndicated fish¬
ing show living in a place called
Hooker ton. But when you
arrive at this backwoods Greene County
town, nothing prepares you for meeting
the "Southern Sportsman” himself. Franc
White, a fiercely independent .American
original known as much lor his ability to
fry a fish as catch one.
Oh. sure, other professional TV fisher¬
men like Bill Dance and Roland Martin
can sit in a boat for hours and reel in bass
after bass. But can they then take those
same fish, head straight for the kitchen
and prepare Bass Bordelaise or Swiss
Crappic, gourmet spoilsman meals lit foi
a king?
Probably not. A cross between Cajun
chefjustin Wilson and fisherman-philoso¬
pher Jerry McKinnis, there’s only one
Francis Pope White. You find that out in
a hurry.
“I’m very much taken with I lookcrton,"
the Goodwater. Alabama, native says
when asked about his home while prepar¬
ing fritters and venison stew for a visitor
in his log cabin. "In Hookcrton. the
liquor store is on Fifth Street, so people
won't forget where it is. I look for any
signs of intelligence I can find (in a place
to live)."
That's the kind of philosophizing view¬
ers of the “Southern Sportsman” have
come to expect from their host of the last
23 years. The show, syndicated on 50 sta¬
tions in the United Stales and shown on
the SportSouth and Home Entertain¬
ment cable networks, is not youi everyday
fishing show. White, a staunch conser¬
vative* and conservationist, speaks what is
on his mind during his 30 minutes of fish¬
ing and cooking, using the show at times
as a forum for causes he supports. So.
while he's cooking up his latest pot of
slewed muskrat, don't Ik* surprised if he
editorializes on littering, illiteracy or
clearcutling. While is different — and he
likes it that way.
"I think that's why I've been on so
long." he says. "Half my audience is
women. Most of these (fishing) shows
have good old redneck boys chewing
tobacco in their Ixiats. trying hard not to
cuss. I'm using to appeal to a variety of
people, women and children included."
The well-rounded White, fix. can catch
fish with the best of them, but his othei
talents are what set him apart from the
competition. In his early years hosting the
show, he was deluged by requests for his
unusual fish and game recipes. That led
to the publication of seven cookbooks,
close to 100.000 of which have
1нч*п
sold
over the years. So popular are the recipe’s.
White used to have his own Southern
Sportsman restaurants in Fannville and
Greenville* to give* folks an idea of what
they're supposed to taste like. He gave up
the restaurant business five years ago.
White embodies the American
entrepreneurial spirit. I le seemingly docs
everything in his professional life by him¬
self. He writes, films, edits, produces,
hosts and sells c ommeicial air time for his
television program, which is taped at the
studios of WRAI-TV in Raleigh. He flies
his own zebra-striped plane (whic h he
keeps in a hangar complete with landing
strip beside his Hookcrton home) to
most all of his fishing dates for the show.
His cookbooks are published by Franc
White Productions. Even his log cabin
was built by his own hands.
Interestingly. White doesn't live in the
lx*autifully constructed cabin. I le says he
reserves it "for company." He makes his
home about 200 yards away near the
hangar in a Ix-at-up old trailer. I le say’s he
lives there so his three Gordon setters,
three game chickens and Manx cat —
White calls them his “farm stall" — can
sleep with him and come and go as they
please.
"It's more comfortable and I don't
have to clean up.” lie* says of the alxxle.
Max. a Gennan shepherd guard dog,
patrols the grounds except when guests
are expected, reminding folks that White
treasures his privacy. White calls Max his
"werewolf from hell."
At fifoot-1 and some 225 pounds or so.
White is about as imposing a figure as
Max. That physical stature combined
with his Southern drawl and signature
goatee make you feel like you’re in the
presence of a Confederate general rather
by S<o«l SmO
The Statc/June IW4
31