The DESCEND Act, which went into effect on January 13, 2022, requires anglers to have a venting tool or descending device onboard while reef fishing in federal waters of the Gulf.Īny boat harvesting or attempting to harvest reef species (primarily grouper and snapper but other species are included as well) must have a “descending device” or venting tool aboard: Here are the basics: If we waste 75 percent of the fish we hook, it doesn’t take long for federal and state agency testing data to start showing declines, and that results in either tighter limits or fewer open days of fishing, neither of which any of us want.īottom line is it’s in our own best interests to make sure as many fish as possible survive the catch and release process.īy law, any anglers fishing for reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico must now carry aboard and make use of dehooking and descending devices aimed at improving survival.
If those released fish don’t survive, the numbers add up quickly. This is not only an obvious waste of the resource, but it can also impact future catches which can result in ever tighter harvest rules.Īn average angler might be catching three or four fish or more that have to be released for each of the few legal ones that go in the box.
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