Catfish; class as game fish.

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To: Wildlife, Fisheries and
Parks
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representatives Kinkade, Hale

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
HOUSE BILL NO. 1564

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 49-7-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
MOVE FISH IN THE CATFISH FAMILY FROM NONGAME GROSS FISH CLASS TO 2
GAME FISH CLASS; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 49-7-9.1, MISSISSIPPI 3
CODE OF 1972, WHICH RELATES TO COMMERCIAL FISHING LICENSES, FOR 4
THE PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 6
SECTION 1. Section 49-7-1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 7
amended as follows: 8
49-7-1. For the purposes of this chapter, the following 9
definitions and interpretations shall govern unless otherwise 10
provided: 11
(a) The following wild animals are classed as game: 12
bear, white-tailed deer, rabbits and squirrels. 13
(b) The following wild animals are classed as 14
fur-bearing animals: muskrats, opossums, otters, weasels, minks, 15
raccoons and bobcats. 16
(c) The following wild animals are classed as nuisance 17
animals: wild hogs, nutria, beaver, fox, skunks and coyote. 18
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(d) All freshwater fish in the following families are 19
classed as game fish: Sunfish family (Centrarchidae) - including 20
largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), smallmouth bass 21
(Micropterus dolomieu), spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus), 22
white crappie (Pomoxis annularis), black crappie (Pomoxis 23
nigromaculatus), redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus), bluegill 24
(Lepomis macrochiris), warmouth (Lepomis gulosus), green sunfish 25
(Lepomis cyanellus), longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis), 26
redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus) and shadow bass (Ambloplites 27
ariommus); Perch family (Percidae) - including walleye 28
(Stizostedion vitreum), sauger (Stizostedion canadense) and yellow 29
perch (Perca flavescens); Pike family (Esocidae) - including 30
redfin pickerel (Esox americanus americanus), grass pickerel (Esox 31
americanus vermiculatus), chain pickerel (Esox niger); Temperate 32
bass family (Moronidae) including - white bass (Morone chrysops), 33
yellow bass (Morone mississippiensis), striped bass (Morone 34
saxatilis) and hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops x Morone 35
saxatilis and/or Morone saxatilis x Morone chrysops); in the 36
Catfish family (Ictaluridae) - channel catfish (Ictalurus 37
punctatus), blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), flathead catfish 38
(Pylodictus olivaris), yellow bullhead (Ameiurus natalis), black 39
bullhead (Ameiurus melas), brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus). 40
The following fish are classed as nongame gross fish: in the 41
Herring family (Clupeidae) - gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), 42
threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense); * * * in the Gar family - 43
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spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus), longnose gar (Lepisosteus 44
osseus), shortnose gar (Lepisosteus platostomus), alligator gar 45
(Atractosteus spatula); in the Eel family (Anguillidae) - American 46
eel (Anguilla rostrata); in the Bowfin family (Amiidae) - bowfin 47
(Amia calva); in the Paddlefish family (Polyodontidae) - 48
paddlefish (Polyodon spathula); in the Minnow family (Cyprinidae) 49
- common carp (Cyprinus carpio); in the Sucker family 50
(Catostomidae) - river carpsucker (Carpoides carpio), quillback 51
(Carpoides cyprinus), highfin carpsucker (Carpoides velifer), 52
spotted sucker (Minytrema melanops), blacktail redhorse (Moxostoma 53
poecilurum), smallmouth buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus), bigmouth 54
buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus), black buffalo (Ictiobus niger); in 55
the Drum family (Sciaenidae) - freshwater drum (Aplodinotus 56
grunniens). 57
All fish native to Mississippi that are not classed as game 58
fish or nongame gross fish are classed as nongame fish. 59
All fish native to foreign countries and all fish native to 60
the United States but not native to Mississippi are classed as 61
nonnative fish. 62
(e) The following are classed as game birds: geese, 63
brant ducks, rails, coots, snipe, gallinules, moorhens, woodcock, 64
crow, mergansers, wild turkey, quail and doves. 65
All other species of wild resident or migratory birds are 66
classed as nongame birds. 67
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(f) Closed season: the time during which birds, 68
animals or fish may not be taken. 69
(g) Open season: the time during which birds, animals 70
or fish may be lawfully taken. 71
(h) "Commission" means the Mississippi Commission on 72
Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. 73
(i) "Department" means the Mississippi Department of 74
Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. 75
(j) "Executive director" means the Executive Director 76
of the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. 77
SECTION 2. Section 49-7-9.1, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 78
brought forward as follows: 79
49-7-9.1. (1) (a) Any resident engaged in fishing for 80
commercial purposes and selling or peddling nongame gross fish at 81
retail or selling or shipping same at wholesale, as to markets, 82
dealers or canning plants, shall purchase a commercial fishing 83
license. 84
(b) A licensee must label each piece of commercial 85
fishing equipment with a waterproof or metal tag containing any 86
information required by the department. A piece of commercial 87
fishing equipment is defined as: One (1) each hoop or barrel net; 88
one thousand (1,000) feet or less of trotline; one thousand 89
(1,000) feet or less of snagline; three thousand (3,000) feet or 90
less of gill netting; or three thousand (3,000) feet or less of 91
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trammel netting. Netting of over three thousand (3,000) feet is 92
prohibited. 93
(c) Upon the purchase of a commercial license for use 94
of hoop or barrel nets, the licensee is permitted to use lead nets 95
thirty-five (35) yards in length for each two (2) barrel nets 96
used, but not to exceed seven (7) lead nets. 97
(2) Each person taking nongame gross fish as defined in 98
Section 49-7-1, of any kind from the fresh waters of the state 99
shall be considered a producer and shall be entitled to sell his 100
own catch of nongame gross fish to anyone except as otherwise 101
provided by law or applicable regulations. 102
(3) Each resident buying or handling nongame gross fish 103
secured from commercial fishermen or others for the purpose of 104
resale, whether handled on a commission basis or otherwise, and 105
each resident shipping nongame gross fish not his own catch out of 106
the State of Mississippi shall be considered a wholesale dealer 107
and shall purchase a commercial fishing license. Resident 108
wholesale dealers' licenses shall be issued only to persons who 109
have been bona fide residents of the State of Mississippi for at 110
least six (6) months. 111
(4) Each resident buying nongame gross fish from a licensed 112
wholesale dealer or licensed commercial fisherman for retail sale 113
to the consumer only on rural or urban routes shall purchase a 114
commercial fishing license to do so. 115
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(5) Each resident engaged in the buying and selling of 116
nongame gross fish as a wholesale dealer's agent, whether on a 117
commission or salary basis, or otherwise, and not selling in the 118
open market, shall purchase a commercial fishing license and shall 119
be responsible for any illegal transaction ensuing between the 120
time he purchases the fish from the fisherman and the time the 121
fish are accepted by the wholesaler by whom he is employed. 122
(6) (a) Any resident using a wooden or plastic slat basket 123
shall purchase a slat basket license for each basket each year in 124
addition to a commercial fishing license. Slat baskets are 125
defined as commercial fishing devices used solely for the capture 126
of catfish and made entirely of wood and/or plastic slats in a 127
box-like or cylindrical shape. Slat baskets shall not exceed six 128
(6) feet in length nor exceed fifteen (15) inches in width and 129
height or diameter, may have no more than two (2) throats, and 130
must have at least four (4) slot openings at least one and 131
one-fourth (1-1/4) by twenty-four (24) inches evenly spaced around 132
the sides of the catch area. The one and one-fourth (1-1/4) inch 133
wide slots or greater must begin at the rear of the basket and run 134
twenty-four (24) inches toward the throat end of the basket. Slat 135
baskets shall be placed at least one hundred (100) yards apart and 136
may not be used with any form of leads, netting or guiding 137
devices. 138
(b) Each slat basket shall have a waterproof or metal 139
tag attached to it containing any information required by the 140
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ST: Catfish; class as game fish.
department. Any other identification of the owner of the slat 141
basket shall meet any specifications required by the department. 142
Slat baskets may be fished statewide except where specifically 143
prohibited. 144
(c) Any violation of this subsection shall be a Class I 145
violation as prescribed in Section 49-7-141. 146
(7) It is unlawful for any person to offer for sale 147
undersized nongame gross fish. 148
(8) (a) The fee for a resident commercial fishing license 149
shall be Thirty Dollars ($30.00). 150
(b) The fee for a slat basket license shall be Thirty 151
Dollars ($30.00). 152
(9) Any person authorized to issue any license under this 153
section may collect and retain for issuing each license the 154
additional fee authorized under Section 49-7-17. 155
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from 156
and after July 1, 2026, and shall stand repealed on June 30, 2026. 157