Pontotoc Progress

Follow Pontotoc County's 'Catfish Trail' during national catfish month

August 3, 2023

August is National Catfish Month! This designation is renewed annually by an official proclamation from the United States Senate. This recognition is sponsored by Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith, from Mississippi, along with others from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, and Texas. This is a worthwhile declaration that recognizes the economic and nutritional contributions of this delicacy.

National Catfish Month can be commemorated locally by eating Mississippi farm raised catfish and by introducing a young person to the newly formed “Hooked on Fishing” 4-H Club.

The Catfish Institute publishes “The Catfish Trail” which is a listing of outstanding restaurants in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Unfortunately, the current listing omits deserving Pontotoc County restaurants. They do not know what they are missing! The “Pontotoc County Catfish Trail” has been compiled to correct this discrepancy. I encourage you to visit each of the restaurants listed below on the inaugural “Pontotoc County Catfish Trail.”

”Pontotoc County Catfish Trail”

Cravin Catfish
101 Cemetery Lane Sherman, MS

Highway 41 Fish and Steak House
4390 Highway 41 Pontotoc, MS

Nate’s Steakhouse
388 Main Street, Ecru, MS

Outlaws Steak House
11347 Highway 6 West Thaxton, MS

Seafood Junction
101 Front Street Algoma, MS

Southern Brothers Fish and Steak
1335 Highway 341 Pontotoc, MS

The next way to honor National Catfish Month is to encourage a young person between the ages of eight and eighteen to join the “Hooked on Fishing” 4-H Club. The next meeting will be at the Pontotoc County Extension office on Monday, August 14, 2023, at 5:30 p.m.

Participating 4-Hers will learn about preparing fish, fish anatomy, fishing knots, and more! Youth must be enrolled in 4-H and complete required health and code of conduct forms.

All planning to attend are asked to call the Pontotoc County Extension office at 662-489-3910 by Tuesday, August 8th, 2023, for meal planning. The cost will be $12 for adults accompanying a 4-H member. There will be no charge for 4-H youth.

Celebrate National Catfish Month by following the “Pontotoc County Catfish Trail” and by encouraging a young person to join the “Hooked on Fishing” 4-H club. If you would like more information please call the Pontotoc County Extension office at 662-489-3910 or email me at james.shannon@msstate.edu.