Those pre mid-1970s sport catch estimates have been pretty well accepted as being somewhat inflated. They were based on punch card returns (successful anglers much more likely to return their cards). Numerous studies have fund that actual harvest general are only 50 to 60% of those based on punch card returns.

Regardless there were lots more fish harvest 50 years ago than today. There were not efforts to separate hatchery and wild fish (a fish was a fish).

Curt