Trophy catfish preservation bill catches committee approval February 5, 2026 Rep. DJ Johnson, R-Owensboro, explains why House Bill 397 is needed to preserve the trophy catfish population during Thursday’s House Natural Resources and Energy Committee meeting. A high-resolution photo can be fou nd here. FRANKFORT — The Kentucky House is considering legislation that aims to preserve the trophy catfish population in the lower Ohio River and its tributaries. House Bill 397 would prohibit commercial fishing and transport of live trophy catfish beginning in 2027. The bill’s primary sponsor Rep. DJ Johnson, R-Owensboro, said the bill would not prohibit recreational catfishing or tournaments. Banning commercial catfishing where fishermen capture, transport and sell trophy catfish to a commercial lake is needed to protect the catfish population in the Ohio River, Johnson told the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee on Thursday. “In short, it takes 15 to 20 years for a catfish to reach trophy size. Left alone in their natural habitat, they can live much longer than that. But when removed from the river and placed on a commercial lake, their lifespan is much, much shorter,” Johnson said. HB 397 would define a trophy catfish as a blue or flathead catfish of at least 35 inches in length or a channel catfish that is at least 28 inches in length. The bill would make the practice of commercial catfishing a class A misdemeanor. The legislation would also issue a $500 replacement fine for any trophy catfish that is wounded or dies in the process. Johnson said since trophy catfish can only survive in a lake environment for a few months at best, HB 397 is needed to protect these animals. “If we continue to remove a natural resource that takes years to create and place them in an environment for only a period of weeks or months, we will eventually deplete that resource entirely,” Johnson said. “That is what is happening with respect to trophy catfish.” Nick Hart, a lobbyist with the Kentucky Waterways Alliance, told the committee the conservation community supports the legislation. “These (fish) are the breeders,” Hart added. “These are the fish that are going to create the next stock.” House Majority Caucus Chair Suzanne Miles, R-Owensboro, said she wants to ensure the bill would not impact recreational catfishing activities in her district. “I just want to go on the record and make sure this has no effect on changing the Butler County Catfish Festival that happens the first week of July – the catfish wrestling or the catfish catching,” Miles said. Johnson said HB 397 “does not impact the festival in any way.” The House Natural Resources and Energy Committee voted unanimously to approve HB 397 with one pass vote from Rep. Tom Smith, R-Corbin. Smith said he has heard a few concerns from constituents that he plans to seek more clarification on before deciding how he will vote on the bill on the floor. HB 397 is now before the full House for consideration. The post Trophy catfish preservation bill catches committee approval appeared first on The Lexington Times. ...read more read less