Anyone recall this...

Yes, I do, like I said in my other post re: the petition, these things burn like a wildfire & then turns to coals. I have forwarded that link to some who were working on getting the word out. It's a very complex situation. Many points to be addressed in a multi state jusisdiction.
You did a great job on that site.
There was alot of issues to look at. Apparently the paylakes make up th ebig demand for trophy fish. Also many of the paylake owners have their own commercial licenses. So the bottom line, in my opinion is to regulate the harvest of large catfish, same or similar to TN.

 

In here COMMERCIAL regulations(pdf file- warning takes Adobe & some time to open) it states all cafish over 34" in length must be released statewide. That's for COMMERCIAL fisherman.
Sportfisherman may keep one per day.
That's all it would take( in my opionion anyway), the rest would be redundant.
That would stop the slaughter of trophy catfish, there would still be a market(paylakes) but they have to get them from other sources. The commercial fisherman wouldn't be affected either, no change in gill nets or hoop nets, etc, just in the harvest, without the 34" and larger fish, it would stop some of them. Many of the "real" commercial fisherman are just taking paddlefish for meat anyway. It's sold to restaurants. I asked one why would the state permit commercial fishing of a fish that's on the consumption advisory to not eat? It's legal & I think FDA inspected(smelled for odor). Anyway, that's another topic, the roe is sold as caviar too. Although ultimately I'd like to see no commercial fishing of the Ohio River, but not much chance of that happening.