Catfishing Laws/Regulations

  • Author:
    n/a
  • Send To:
    Ohio State Legislator
  • Sponsored By:
    Members of GFO
  • More Info at:
It has been brought to our attention that there is limited law concerning using wild fish in paylakes ,in Ohio, from the Ohio River. This is allowing for commercially netted fish, by residents in Ohio, who have licenses through Kentucky and Indiana to utilize a loophole. Many fish are commercially harvested in the Ohio River by these people, then sold back in Ohio to paylakes. The larger fish that they target may take up to thirty or more years to grow. This is a limited resource, and is of growing concern. Specifically, catfish are targeted. They are becoming a more and more popular sport fish everyday and allowing this harvesting eliminates them. If this resource is contiually abused, it will suffer substantial damage. Fishing is a large attraction to our state, and by allowing this loophole, we will be losing some of Ohio's greatest qualities. We, the undersigned, would like to request legislation so that fish only certified from a fish farm may be used in paylakes in Ohio to eliminate this problem.