Catfish is king in north Louisiana, and on one Saturday each April its doting subjects gather in downtown Winnsboro to pay homage.
 
The Franklin Parish Catfish Festival draws an estimated 40,000 people to hear live music, browse 300 or so craft booths and, of course, eat catfish – lots of catfish. During the day-long event, cooks fry up two tons of the sliced filets. It's a testament to the place the humble catfish has earned in the hearts – and dinner plans – of so many local people.
 
For a deep dive into north Louisiana's catfish culture any time of year, travelers can choose from an array of dedicated catfish houses – from Scott's Catfish & Seafood in West Monroe, to Dave's Catfish in Ruston, to the Crescent Landing Catfish Restaurant in Shreveport. Their common calling cards are big portions, fair prices and a family atmosphere.
 
"Catfish is something people are raised on in this area," says Rory Covington, a manager at Johnny's Catfish & Seafood in Shreveport. "On Friday nights, if families are eating out together around here they're probably getting catfish."
 
Like many other catfish specialists, Johnny's serves whole catfish filets and thin catfish strips. Covington says each style is popular, though once people find a favorite they tend to stick with it.
 
"People who like whole fish best will say it's sweeter, has more meat and catfish flavor, while the (strips) are crisper, and you're getting more of the cornmeal and that seasoning," he says.
 
The local clientele knows how catfish is supposed to taste and, with so much choice and competition, restaurants must stay sharp and do it right. Catfish cooks agree that the best product is domestic, pond-raised fish coming from farmers in north Louisiana and their neighbors in Mississippi and Arkansas. The fish is rolled in seasoned cornmeal and most restaurants fry it in peanut oil. The best batches come out greaseless, crisp and piping hot, accompanied by the near-universal sides of coleslaw and fries.
 
While customers have specific expectations for their catfish, some restaurant owners find ways to stand apart. That's why after Odis and Drenette Johnson opened their catfish restaurant Big O's in Shreveport in 2008, they made sure visitors to the 11-table dining room knew about the house-made tartar sauce.
 
"It's a real specialty for us," says Odis Johnson. "I use five different dried peppers, and I picked them for flavor, not just for heat."
 
Travelers might find their favorite catfish house nestled in a neighborhood or along the rural routes on a north Louisiana road trip. For instance, catfish destination Port au Prince is perched right on the water's edge at Lake Claiborne State Park outside of Homer. The business started in 1966 as a marina and a grocery, but when hungry boaters started asking for hot meals after a day on the water, owner Ruth Prince started cooking. Now, the restaurant serves a compact menu with just two main dishes: rib eye steaks and fried catfish.
 
"We keep things real simple here, which is the way I like it and the way my customers like it," says Prince. "Everyone around here loves catfish, and they eat an awful lot of it. We do an all-you-can-eat deal, and people come in here looking like they could eat a pond full of catfish. If you come here and you didn't get enough to eat, it's your own fault."
 
The 2010 Franklin Parish Catfish Festival is held each spring in downtown Winnsboro. For details of the next festival see FranklinParishCatfishFestival.com