Descending Devices and the DESCEND Act (2026)

If you fish for snapper, grouper or other reef fish offshore of Florida, the Carolinas or anywhere in the Gulf, the question is which release tool the law says must be on the boat. The answer depends on where you fish, and one of the rules changed this year.

How we chose: we did not test any descending device. The rules below are quoted from NOAA Fisheries and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the device types are the ones NOAA names. No device was sold by Amazon.com or its maker's own store when we checked on September 29, 2026, so this page has no product picks.

What each region requires, as of September 2026

The rules apply to commercial, for-hire and private recreational vessels in both federal regions, per NOAA. Sources are linked in the sections below.

The DESCEND Act in the Gulf

The Direct Enhancement of Snapper Conservation and the Economy through Novel Devices Act of 2020 was signed into law on January 13, 2021. NOAA's DESCEND Act bulletin says it required "a venting tool or descending device rigged and ready to use when fishing for reef fish species in Gulf of Mexico federal waters," effective January 13, 2022.

The Act let each angler choose which of the two tools to carry, and did not stop anyone carrying both. The same bulletin said the requirement would "expire on January 13, 2026."

It did. NOAA, which now calls the region the Gulf of America, says on its continuation page, issued July 30, 2026, that the DESCEND Act section and NOAA's regulations "expired in January 2026," and that a proposed framework action "would continue the descending device and venting tool requirements for all vessels harvesting reef fish." It was at the information-gathering stage when we checked.

So in Gulf federal waters, on September 29, 2026, there was no federal device requirement in effect. Carry one anyway: the Florida rule below covers state waters, and the federal rule may return.

The South Atlantic rule

The South Atlantic rule is separate and permanent. NOAA's Regulatory Amendment 29 bulletin says the final rule "requires descending devices be on board and readily available for use on commercial, for-hire, and private recreational vessels while fishing for or possessing snapper-grouper species," effective July 15, 2020 (action page).

Venting is not required here. The bulletin says the rule "does not prohibit the use of venting tools for those individuals that know how to use them properly (e.g., trained crew on charter vessels or headboats)."

The same rule set hook requirements: non-offset, non-stainless steel circle hooks when fishing snapper-grouper with natural bait north of 28° N latitude, and non-stainless steel hooks south of it, per NOAA.

Florida state waters

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's reef fish gear rules require a "descending device or venting tool rigged and ready for use" in both Gulf and Atlantic state waters, effective April 1, 2023, along with a dehooking device and the circle hook rules.

FWC's page still listed the federal Gulf requirement when we checked, while NOAA says it expired. If you fish both state and federal Gulf waters from Florida, carrying a device keeps you legal in both.

What counts as a descending device

NOAA's definitions are close in both regions. For the Gulf, a descending device is "an instrument capable of releasing a fish at the depth from which the fish was caught," a "weighted hook, lip clamp, or box," with a minimum 16-ounce weight and at least 60 feet of line, per the DESCEND Act bulletin.

The South Atlantic version adds that the device "MUST be capable of releasing the fish automatically, by the actions of the operator of the device, or by allowing the fish to escape on its own," and that the line must reach the capture depth or at least 60 feet.

NOAA treats all three as meeting the rule; it does not rank them. SeaQualizer's lip clamp, for example, is sold in versions that open at three preset depths (such as 50, 100 and 150 ft), per its listing.

Venting tools: when they still count

A venting tool satisfies the Florida state rule and satisfied the Gulf federal rule; it does not meet the South Atlantic requirement on its own. NOAA defines one as "a sharpened, hollow instrument that allows air to escape, such as a hypodermic syringe with the plunger removed," no smaller than a 16-gauge needle (0.065 in outside diameter).

NOAA is blunt about the rest: "A tool that is not hollow, such as a knife or an ice pick, does not meet the requirements of a venting tool, and must not be used to vent a fish."

Why it matters: barotrauma

Barotrauma is gas expanding inside a fish as it comes up from depth. NOAA says it "generally occurs when retrieving fish from depths of 90 feet or greater, but it can occur in waters as shallow as approximately 33 feet." Signs are a distended belly, bulging eyes, the stomach pushed out of the mouth and bubbling under the scales.

A NOAA feature on the Return 'Em Right program says more than 10 million federally managed reef fish are released each year and "at least 1 million of those will die after release," and that research "supports the use of descending devices in many cases as the preferred way."

A 2021 study of red snapper released with descenders off North Carolina, summarized by NOAA's Southeast Fisheries Science Center, estimated a median discard mortality of 0.13 if every released fish were descended, lower than the roughly 0.2 to 0.3 used in the stock assessment.

Key point: the rule is about having the device ready, not about using it on every fish. The South Atlantic Council's stated intent is that descending devices be used "only when a fish may be experiencing barotrauma."

Related: corrosion-resistant fishing pliers, which count as a dehooking tool under Florida's rules, and saltwater reel care for the rod you rig the device on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I get release gear and training?

Return 'Em Right runs a free online training in best release practices, and its site says eligible Gulf and South Atlantic reef fish anglers can also get release gear through the program. Sign up at returnemright.org.

Does a descending device need its own rod?

Not by rule, but NOAA's South Atlantic guidance for weighted-hook and lip-clamp devices is to attach them "to an easily accessible, separate rod and reel or handline capable of reeling up a sizable lead," so the fish is not waiting while you re-rig.

Is there a descending device rule in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands?

It was proposed. In 2024 NOAA requested comments on a rule that would require a descending device, with the same 16 oz and 60 ft minimums, when fishing for Council-managed reef fish in U.S. Caribbean federal waters.

Do I have to use the device on fish I keep?

No. The rules require the device on board when fishing for reef fish; it is for fish you release that show barotrauma.

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SaltProofLab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Rules are quoted from NOAA Fisheries and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission; check them before each trip, because they change.