Don't hold your breath. Problem is the historic split between the states and "producer states" get to keep little fish during special seasons. If it where to happen they would have to revamp the entire management scenario. SW License may end up changing things but it will take many years.
Commercial bass in CT will not happen either - why? CT does not have a share of the commercial catch - it would have to come out of the recreational harvest - or another state will have to give some of "their" bass to CT.
In the "big picture" , I think bass will become a sport fish during the next 20 years (that's a fairly long time). I could envision a trophy limit (1) and a smaller fish for the table (pure speculation).
Scup - the big fish that left a tear in my eye was caught on 450 of wire line - the water was very warm the the fish had a long fight and came from 60 feet of water. I have also had a hard time reviving many big fish caught on eels (July/August). Big fish do not handle catch and release in the heat of summer. Sad but funny scenario for me - dad likes to fluke fish off Hammy Beach - so I do enough fluke fishing on the weekend to avoid the bass crowds that tend to "put down the fish" - on an incoming tide (down tide of my fluke grounds) I usually pick up a live but dying fish down tide of the bass fleet on the way back from fluke fishing. I have picked up as many as 3 bass (swimming in circles on the top with gulls getting friendly) on the way in. Biggest fish I have taken this way is about 30 pounds - no joke.
Jack |