Reel in the fun with Vicksburg’s Catfish Crawl and Mega Bucs Pro Series fishing tournament

Published 4:00 am Sunday, July 30, 2023

: George Young, left, Bill Dance and Roy Harkness show off a large catfish. The Bill Dance Mississippi River Monsters Mega Bucs Pro Series Catfish Tournament will kick off on Aug. 5 in Vicksburg with the legendary Bill Dance in attendance. (Photo Submitted)

The summertime heat is not letting up, but neither are the fun activities going on in Vicksburg.

With anglers trolling into town for the Bill Dance Mississippi River Monsters Mega Bucs Pro Series Catfish Tournament from Aug. 4 through 6, the River City is also jumping on the boat with its first-ever Vicksburg Catfish Crawl weekend.

Special events include the Vicksburg Restaurant Catfish Challenge, which kicks off July 30.

Participating restaurants will be vying for bragging rights as to who offers the best catfish appetizer or entrée, and patrons get to decide when they vote for their favorite dish at the Vicksburg Convention Center on Aug. 5. Voting patrons will automatically be entered to win a $500 downtown Vicksburg shopping spree.

Restaurants participating in the challenge are 10South Rooftop Bar & Grill; Beechwood Restaurant & Lounge; T’Beaux’s Blues Le Roux; Cocktails 101; Café Anchuca; Gumbo Pot; Riverwalk Casino; Rusty’s Riverfront Grill; Toney’s Grill Seafood Market and Walnut Hills.

Additional activities offered include:

Aug. 4

All-day museum tours
Catfish recipe cards at the Catfish Row Museum
All-day gallery viewings
Home tours (see website for times)
Fee-free visits to the Vicksburg National Military Park and VNMP tours
Downtown shopping from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Live music with Jeff Fulkerson at Key City Brewery & Eatery and Old School Band at the Water View Casino

Aug. 5

Pickin’ on the Porch at Levee Street Market Place
Riviera Day Club Pool Party at The Mulberry
Yogamosa Vicksburg, 10 a.m. at The Rose of Vicksburg
All-day museum tours
Catfish recipe cards at the Catfish Row Museum
All-day art gallery viewings
Home tours (see website for times)
All-day Vicksburg National Military Park tours
Downtown shopping from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Summer of Sours ’23 at Key City Brewery & Eatery
Vicksburg Restaurant Catfish Challenge voting at Vicksburg Convention Center
Duck Dynasty’s Godwin autograph signing at VCC
Mega Bucs Pro Series weigh-in at VCC
Glow and Throw/Glow Night at The Chopping Block
Live music with Pop Fiction at Ameristar Casino and Old School Band at WaterView Casino

Aug. 6

Catfish Blues Brunch at The Watermark featuring Jessie Prime

The fishing tournament

The Bill Dance Mississippi River Monsters Mega Bucs Pro Series Catfish Tournament will kick off on Aug. 5 with the legendary Bill Dance in attendance, founder and director of Mississippi River Monsters Tournament George Young Jr. said.

Anglers participating in the tournament will be vying for a purse totaling $120,000.

With more than 50 teams signed on to compete, Young said he is excited to have the tournament in Vicksburg.

“The city of Vicksburg has rolled out the red carpet for the MRM. All the people we’ve met are so nice. This is one great cat fishery, and we plan to put Vicksburg on the map as the catfish capital of Mississippi,” he said.

Young said they have videoed one show on the river at Vicksburg that aired on “Bill Dance Outdoors,” and plans are to video another this year. Young added that this year’s tournament is being videoed to air on the Sportsman Channel and the Pursuit Channel.

The Mississippi River Monsters Mega Bucs Pro Series Catfish Tournament is an optional two-day elimination event. Only the top four finishing teams will have the option to compete on day two, Young said.

At the conclusion of day one, the top four finishing teams will have the opportunity to fish it out in a two-day elimination event with these four having two options.

For option one, the four top finishing teams must unanimously agree to split $95,000 and thereby conclude the event after day one. For option two, all or some of the top four finishing teams agree to fish and compete on day two for first, second third and/or fourth place positions and cash prize awards.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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