--- title: "The DESCEND Act in Texas: Releasing Reef Fish to Survive" description: "What Texas anglers must carry to release red snapper and other reef fish, how venting and descending devices work, and what the DESCEND Act requires in 2026." canonical: https://brazosportfishingguide.com/guides/descend-act-texas-reef-fish/ source: https://brazosportfishingguide.com/guides/descend-act-texas-reef-fish/ --- 1. [Home](https://brazosportfishingguide.com) 2. [Guides](https://brazosportfishingguide.com/guides/) 3. The DESCEND Act in Texas: Releasing Reef Fish to Survive ![An angler on an offshore boat holding up a red snapper, the Gulf reef fish most often released with a venting tool or descending device.](/_astro/snapper-release.QCFQ2MMa_1Kz4yA.webp "An angler on an offshore boat holding up a red snapper, the Gulf reef fish most often released with a venting tool or descending device.") Photo: [Extra Zebra](https://www.flickr.com/photos/23438569@N02/5827629435) / [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/) via Flickr # The DESCEND Act in Texas: Releasing Reef Fish to Survive What Texas anglers must carry to release red snapper and other reef fish, how venting and descending devices work, and what the DESCEND Act requires in 2026. 10 min read · Last updated June 5, 2026 Pull a red snapper up from 100 feet and toss it back without help, and it usually dies on the surface. The gas inside its body expands on the way up, the fish can’t swim back down, and the birds or sharks finish the job. Texas law requires anglers fishing for reef fish in state waters to carry a tool that fixes this, either a venting tool or a descending device, [rigged and ready to use](https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20230901a). This guide covers what the rules require, what the gear costs, and how to use it so the fish you release actually survive. ## What Is Barotrauma? Barotrauma is a pressure injury. Reef fish like red snapper, grouper, and amberjack regulate their depth with a gas-filled swim bladder, and when you reel one up quickly the gas expands faster than the fish can absorb it. The swim bladder balloons, [pushing the stomach out through the mouth and bulging the eyes](https://returnemright.org/barotrauma/). A fish in that condition can’t dive. It floats. The protruding stomach surprises a lot of anglers. That organ hanging out of the fish’s mouth is the stomach, not the swim bladder, and [you should never puncture or pop it](https://returnemright.org/to-use-or-not-to-use-a-guide-to-venting-descending-reef-fish/). The swim bladder doing the pushing is internal. Left floating, released reef fish die in numbers that affect the whole fishery. Discard mortality [kills millions of reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico every year](https://returnemright.org/barotrauma/), fish that were thrown back specifically so they would live. Depth is the main driver. Barotrauma [typically starts around 50 feet and gets worse the deeper you fish](https://returnemright.org/barotrauma/). Off the Texas coast that range arrives fast: anglers see [redfish floating off south Texas jetties in 30 to 40 feet, while snapper often show symptoms past 60 feet](https://returnemright.org/to-use-or-not-to-use-a-guide-to-venting-descending-reef-fish/). Past 80 to 100 feet, expect to need your release gear on nearly every throwback. ## What Does Texas Law Require? Two sets of rules cover the water off Freeport, split at the nine-nautical-mile line. Inside nine miles you’re in Texas state waters under TPWD rules. Beyond nine miles you’re in federal waters. Where that line sits, and why it matters for snapper season, is covered in our [state versus federal waters guide](/guides/state-vs-federal-waters-texas/). Zone The rule In force since Texas state waters (shore to 9 nautical miles) Possess a venting tool or descending device, rigged and ready, when fishing for reef fish. You must use it when a fish shows signs of barotrauma. [September 1, 2023 (TPWD)](https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20230901a) Federal waters (9 to 200 nautical miles) The DESCEND Act required the same gear, rigged and ready, from 2022 through January 2026. See the status note below. [January 13, 2022 (NOAA Fisheries)](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/descending-device-and-venting-tool-direct-enhancement-snapper-conservation-and-economy) Note the Texas rule goes one step further than the federal one did. The federal requirement was possession only; [TPWD requires use when a fish is showing barotrauma](https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20230901a). ### What Is the DESCEND Act? The DESCEND Act of 2020 (Direct Enhancement of Snapper Conservation and the Economy through Novel Devices) is the federal law behind all of this. [Signed on January 13, 2021 and effective January 13, 2022](https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/descending-device-and-venting-tool-direct-enhancement-snapper-conservation-and-economy), it required everyone fishing for reef fish in Gulf federal waters, on private boats, charter boats, and commercial vessels alike, to have a venting tool or descending device rigged and ready. Enforcement falls to NOAA officers and the Coast Guard, with civil penalties for violations. The [full statute](https://www.congress.gov/116/plaws/publ340/PLAW-116publ340.pdf) runs three pages, short by federal standards, and it carried one quirk that matters now: a five-year expiration date. Federal status as of June 2026 The DESCEND Act's federal device requirement reached its built-in expiration on January 14, 2026 (50 CFR 622.30). The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council voted in November 2025 to continue the requirement permanently, and that replacement rule is moving through federal implementation now. The Texas state-water rule is separate and remains fully in force. Carry the gear regardless of where the federal paperwork stands; it is what keeps released fish alive. ## How to Vent a Fish Correctly Venting releases the expanded gas through a hollow needle. Done right, it takes ten seconds. Done wrong, it injures the fish further, so the insertion point matters. TPWD’s [depressurizing guidance](https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/fishing/saltwater-fishing/depressurizing-saltwater-fish) breaks it down: 1. Hold the fish upright at the side of the boat. 2. Insert the venting tool through the side of the fish just behind the upper base of the pectoral fin, usually directly below the fourth or fifth dorsal spine. 3. Let the air escape on its own. Don’t squeeze or press the fish. 4. Put the fish in the water, hold it upright facing the current, and let water move through its gills. 5. Watch it go. If it can’t swim down, recover it and try again. The tool itself is regulated. A venting tool must be [a sharpened, hollow instrument, with a 16-gauge needle as the minimum diameter](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-VI/part-622/subpart-B/section-622.30), something like a hypodermic syringe with the plunger removed. A knife or ice pick is not a venting tool. It lets no air out and adds a second wound. Never vent the stomach The organ protruding from a barotraumatized fish's mouth is its stomach, pushed out by the swim bladder behind it. Venting happens through the side of the body, behind the pectoral fin. Puncturing the stomach kills the fish you are trying to save. ## How Descending Devices Work A descending device skips the needle entirely. It carries the fish back to depth, where the gas recompresses on its own, and releases it there. Federal spec calls for [a minimum 16-ounce weight and at least 60 feet of line](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-VI/part-622/subpart-B/section-622.30). Three styles dominate Gulf boats: **Pressure-release clamps.** The [SeaQualizer](https://returnemright.org/barotrauma/) grips the fish’s lower jaw and opens automatically at a preset depth; models cover release depths from 30 to 300 feet. Clip, drop, done. This style is the easiest to use and the most popular on charters. **Inverted hooks.** The [Shelton Fish Descender and similar designs](https://returnemright.org/barotrauma/) use a barbless, upside-down hook through the lip. Drop the fish to depth on a weighted line, give the rod a sharp lift, and the hook slides free. Cheapest option, takes slightly more feel. **Fish elevators.** A [weighted crate or basket](https://returnemright.org/barotrauma/) lowered upside down, which can return several fish at once. Bulky, but a milk crate that stores gear between releases earns its deck space on party boats. ## Venting or Descending: Which Should You Carry? Both, if you can. Either one satisfies the possession rules, but [Return ‘Em Right, the NOAA-funded Gulf release program, recommends carrying both](https://returnemright.org/to-use-or-not-to-use-a-guide-to-venting-descending-reef-fish/) because each wins in different situations, and a backup keeps you compliant if one goes overboard. ### Descending device - Preferred under most conditions: easiest to use, safest for the fish - No precision required, works for any crew member - Slower: one fish (or one crate) at a time, and the rig has to come back up ### Venting tool - Fast when several fish hit the deck at once during a hot bite - Requires precision: wrong placement injures the fish - A sharp needle on a rocking deck is its own hazard The practical pattern many Gulf anglers settle into matches what a Freeport-area angler described on the 2Cool Fishing forum: [a SeaQualizer for the big redfish and snapper, the venting needle for the small ones](https://www.2coolfishing.com/threads/new-to-texas-offshore.2670771/) when the bite is fast. ## What to Buy, and How to Get Gear Free Most descending devices run between $25 and $60, and a venting tool costs less. One purchase covers the boat, not each angler. Before buying anything, take the free route: Return ‘Em Right gives Gulf anglers [$100 in free release gear for completing a 15-minute online training](https://returnemright.org/about-us/gear-signup/) on barotrauma and release practices. That is the best deal in saltwater fishing, and the training itself is worth the time. If you’d rather buy directly, the [SeaQualizer](https://www.seaqualizer.com/products/seaqualizer-standard-50-100-150) (pick the 50/100/150-foot model for Texas snapper depths) and the [Shelton Fish Descender](https://www.sheltonproducts.com) are the two most common choices on Gulf boats. ## On a Charter, Whose Job Is This? The boat’s. Charter and for-hire vessels are responsible for carrying compliant release gear, and in practice the captain or deckhand handles venting and descending; they do it dozens of times a week during [snapper season](/guides/galveston-red-snapper-season/). You don’t need to bring your own device on a guided trip. Private-boat anglers carry their own. It’s also a fair quality check when you’re picking a charter. A crew that descends its throwbacks without being asked is telling you something about how it runs the rest of the trip. Our [red snapper page](/species/red-snapper/) covers what else separates the good Freeport boats. ## FAQ **What is the DESCEND Act?** The DESCEND Act of 2020 is a federal law that required anyone fishing for reef fish in Gulf of Mexico federal waters to keep a venting tool or descending device rigged and ready for use. It was signed January 13, 2021, took effect January 13, 2022, and applied to private, charter, and commercial boats alike. **Do I need a venting tool or descending device in Texas state waters?** Yes. Since September 1, 2023, TPWD has required anglers fishing for reef fish in Texas state waters to possess one of the two tools, rigged and ready, and to use it on any fish showing signs of barotrauma. This state rule applies from the beach out to nine nautical miles. **Is the DESCEND Act still in effect in 2026?** The federal requirement expired on January 14, 2026 under the law’s built-in five-year sunset, and as of June 2026 the Gulf Council’s permanent replacement rule is still in the federal pipeline. The Texas state-water rule is unaffected and remains in force. Carrying the gear remains the recommended practice everywhere in the Gulf. **What is the best descending device for red snapper?** The SeaQualizer is the most widely used: it clamps to the jaw, drops with the fish, and releases automatically at a preset depth. The Shelton Fish Descender, an inverted barbless hook, is the budget pick. Either satisfies possession requirements, and federal spec calls for at least a 16-ounce weight and 60 feet of line. **Does venting a fish actually work?** Yes, when it’s done correctly with a proper tool. The needle goes through the side of the fish behind the pectoral fin base, never into the stomach protruding from the mouth. Return ‘Em Right and TPWD both document improved survival for correctly released fish, and descending devices carry documented long-term survival success. **At what depth do fish get barotrauma?** Most reef fish start showing barotrauma around 50 feet, and it grows more severe with depth. Off Texas, redfish can float off in 30 to 40 feet at the jetties, snapper commonly show symptoms past 60 feet, and beyond 80 to 100 feet nearly every released fish needs help getting down. **Do I need my own descending device on a charter boat?** No. The vessel is responsible for carrying compliant gear, and on Freeport charters the captain or deckhand handles the release. Bring your own only if you fish from a private boat. Fishing a Freeport charter during snapper season means the release gear, and everything else, is already handled. [ Find a Freeport Charter ](/fishing-charters/)[ Red Snapper Guide ](/species/red-snapper/) Share[](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbrazosportfishingguide.com%2Fguides%2Fdescend-act-texas-reef-fish%2F)[](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbrazosportfishingguide.com%2Fguides%2Fdescend-act-texas-reef-fish%2F&text=The%20DESCEND%20Act%20in%20Texas%3A%20Releasing%20Reef%20Fish%20to%20Survive)[](mailto:?subject=The%20DESCEND%20Act%20in%20Texas%3A%20Releasing%20Reef%20Fish%20to%20Survive&body=What%20Texas%20anglers%20must%20carry%20to%20release%20red%20snapper%20and%20other%20reef%20fish%2C%20how%20venting%20and%20descending%20devices%20work%2C%20and%20what%20the%20DESCEND%20Act%20requires%20in%202026.%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fbrazosportfishingguide.com%2Fguides%2Fdescend-act-texas-reef-fish%2F)[](https://brazosportfishingguide.com/guides/descend-act-texas-reef-fish/) Common Questions ## Frequently Asked Questions. ### What is the DESCEND Act? The DESCEND Act of 2020 is a federal law that required anyone fishing for reef fish in Gulf of Mexico federal waters to keep a venting tool or descending device rigged and ready for use. It was signed January 13, 2021, took effect January 13, 2022, and applied to private, charter, and commercial boats alike. Do I need a venting tool or descending device in Texas state waters? Yes. Since September 1, 2023, [TPWD has required anglers fishing for reef fish in Texas state waters to possess one of the two tools](https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20230901a), rigged and ready, and to use it on any fish showing signs of barotrauma. This state rule applies from the beach out to nine nautical miles. Is the DESCEND Act still in effect in 2026? The federal requirement expired on January 14, 2026 under the law's built-in five-year sunset, and as of June 2026 the [Gulf Council's permanent replacement rule](https://gulfcouncil.org/gulf-council-recommends-continuing-requirement-for-venting-tools-or-descending-devices/) is still in the federal pipeline. The Texas state-water rule is unaffected and remains in force. Carrying the gear remains the recommended practice everywhere in the Gulf. What is the best descending device for red snapper? The SeaQualizer is the most widely used: it clamps to the jaw, drops with the fish, and releases automatically at a preset depth. The Shelton Fish Descender, an inverted barbless hook, is the budget pick. Either satisfies possession requirements, and federal spec calls for at least a 16-ounce weight and 60 feet of line. Does venting a fish actually work? Yes, when it's done correctly with a proper tool. The needle goes through the side of the fish behind the pectoral fin base, never into the stomach protruding from the mouth. Return 'Em Right and TPWD both document improved survival for correctly released fish, and descending devices carry documented long-term survival success. At what depth do fish get barotrauma? Most reef fish start showing barotrauma around 50 feet, and it grows more severe with depth. Off Texas, redfish can float off in 30 to 40 feet at the jetties, snapper commonly show symptoms past 60 feet, and beyond 80 to 100 feet nearly every released fish needs help getting down. Do I need my own descending device on a charter boat? No. The vessel is responsible for carrying compliant gear, and on Freeport charters the captain or deckhand handles the release. Bring your own only if you fish from a private boat.