Releasing Deep-Water Fish with Barotrauma: Descending Devices, Venting and the Federal Gear Rules

In federal waters of the South Atlantic (the EEZ off North Carolina to the east coast of Florida and the Keys), anyone fishing for or keeping snapper-grouper species must have at least one descending device on board and ready for use (50 CFR 622.188). The rule defines it as a device that can release the fish at the depth where it was caught, with:

• At least a 16-ounce weight, and
• At least 60 feet of line

It can clamp the fish's mouth or be a container that holds the fish on the way down, and it must release the fish automatically, when the operator triggers it, or by letting the fish swim out. The same rule requires a dehooking device, and with natural bait, non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks north of 28° N latitude and non-stainless steel hooks south of it.

The DESCEND Act of 2020 required every commercial, charter and private boat fishing for Gulf reef fish in federal waters to carry a descending device or a venting tool, rigged and ready. It took effect January 13, 2022. The federal regulation says that paragraph was effective only until January 14, 2026, and NOAA Fisheries confirms the requirement expired in January 2026.

The Gulf Council voted in November 2025 to make a permanent replacement rule requiring a venting tool or descending device. As of NOAA Fisheries' update of July 30, 2026, that action was still being developed. The Gulf Council's page for the action links a transmittal version of the document dated July 2026 (the step where the council sends it to NOAA Fisheries for rulemaking), but as of November 6, 2026 we found no proposed or final rule for it in the Federal Register, so the Gulf federal requirement is still not back in force on that date. A new rule can be published at any time: check its current status before you go (NOAA Fisheries' Southeast bulletins or the Fish Rules app), and carry a descender either way. Still in force in Gulf federal waters for reef fish: a dehooking device and non-stainless steel circle hooks with natural bait (50 CFR 622.30). Some Gulf states have their own rules for state waters; check with your state wildlife agency.

The main types (as described by Mercury and RecFIN):

• Lip clamp: a weighted clamp grips the fish's lower jaw and opens at a preset depth by itself or when you jerk the line. Some models let you pick the release depth.
• Inverted hook: a heavy barbless hook pointing up with a weight below. You hook the fish's lower lip and lower it; at depth, a sharp tug and the fish slides off.
• Fish elevator: an upside-down, weighted crate or cage you lower over or with the fish; it swims out the bottom at depth.

Whichever you choose, make sure the setup meets the 16-ounce and 60-foot minimums where they apply. Mercury quotes one maker's suggestion of 1 to 2 pounds of weight per 10 pounds of fish; big fish need more weight to drag them down.

Captain Tom Rowland, quoted by Mercury, recommends a dedicated rod for the descender so you don't waste time re-rigging while the fish suffers. Braided line on a stout rod or an electric reel works well. Put it where everyone can reach it, already tied on and ready, with the dehooker next to it. "Rigged and ready" is also what the rules ask for.

• Fight the fish efficiently; don't play it out for minutes
• Keep it in or near the water if you can, and support its body if you lift it
• Use wet hands, a wet towel or gloves, not a dry rag; avoid squeezing the belly
• Keep it out of the water as briefly as possible; have the camera ready before you lift it

Use the dehooking device to back the hook out. Circle hooks usually catch the corner of the mouth, which makes this quick. If the fish swallowed the hook deep, cut the leader as close as you safely can rather than tearing it out.

RecFIN's advice: if the fish shows no signs of barotrauma, just put it back in the water head-first and let it swim. If it shows signs (eyes, stomach, belly) or floats when you try, descend it. Rowland goes further and descends even fish that look fine when they come from about 200 feet, because they get back down faster.

On the West Coast (rockfish), the same tools are used. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says research by ODFW, Oregon State University and others found that even rockfish with severe barotrauma can recover when returned to at least 66 feet, and that fishery managers give "survival credits" for fish released at depth, so fewer released fish count against the limits as dead. ODFW also suggests simply moving away from rocky pinnacles when you keep catching species you have to release.

Don't try to push the stomach back into the mouth, and don't puncture it. It will go back on its own as the gas recompresses at depth.

1. Attach the device: clamp the lower jaw, or pass the inverted hook through the lower lip from the outside, or put the fish in the crate.
2. Lower the fish head-first into the water and let the weight take it down steadily. Don't stop halfway.
3. Release it at or near the depth where you caught it, or at least deep enough for the gas to compress. The USF study found fish recompressed to at least 60 feet were about twice as likely to survive as vented fish, while fish released shallower than 60 feet did about the same as vented ones.
4. Trigger the release (if your device needs it), feel the weight change, and reel the device back up.

A venting tool is a sharpened, hollow needle that lets gas out of the belly so the fish can swim down. The federal definition says it must be hollow, at least 16-gauge, and that a knife or ice pick is not a venting tool; they cause more damage.

• Research now favors descending over venting for deep-caught snapper and grouper (USF 2023). RecFIN tells Pacific rockfish anglers not to vent at all.
• Venting done wrong can hit organs or cause infection. If you plan to vent, learn the right spot and angle from your state wildlife agency or the free Return 'Em Right training first.
• Treat venting as a backup, for example when many fish come up at once.

Note which fish needed descending and at what depth. If almost every fish you release at a spot is struggling, move shallower for the species you can't keep, or switch targets during closed seasons.

Return 'Em Right, a program led by Florida Sea Grant and partners, offers free online training on releasing reef fish. Its site says eligible Gulf and South Atlantic reef fish anglers can get low-cost release gear after the training. Your state Sea Grant office or wildlife agency may run similar programs.