With Humphreys County, Mississippi claiming “Catfish Capital of the World,” Mississippi has become known
Image from http://tours-tv.com
world wide for their delicious fish. It all started in the economically damaged area of the Mississippi Delta in 1965. It was during this year that J.B. Williamson dug his first catfish pond. As the years passed and catfish ponds grew in number, the US Farm Raised Catfish industry grew substantially with the help of the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service. Did you know that 75% of all catfish in the nation are produced in Mississippi? Because of these great numbers, Mississippi gains $300 milllion in income each year.
With more acreage of catfish ponds than any other state, Mississippi holds the record for 35,000 acres and 6,000 catfish to an acre. Catfish are harvested each week of the year when they are between 18-24 months of age, which makes anytime of the year a good time to taste the delicious fish! Cock of The Walk restaurant in Natchez, Mississippi was voted by People Magazine as having “the best catfish and hushpuppies in the USA.”
Belzoni, MS is also home to the Catfish Museum, where the history of catching and eating catfish is explored. Every year in April, the World Catfish Festival is held, drawing large crowds and plenty of catfish experts.