When Lanny Parkhurst first dug out a fishing hole for his daughter, he had no idea what it would become. More than a decade later, this fishing hole has spawned an entire business—Big Whiskers Catfish Farm—along with the TV show Catfish Warz.

Visitors don't have to be reality-TV stars or lost seabirds to try their luck in the pond. Nor do they have to know how to cook a catfish, since Big Whiskers happily allows catch-and-release fishing. You can walk away with your catch for a per-pound fee, or just stop into the clubhouse for catfish fillets and other snacks. There's just one fish you can't take home: the pond's mascot, Big Mel, a beast so massive he requires two men to lift.