by John Jefferson
Well, sometimes, it’s too deep to reel in healthy fish.
Actually, you can fish any depth as long as your reel has enough line to reach the bottom. If you’re fishing offshore for reef fish like red snapper or grouper, that can be up to a hundred feet or more.
On our last trip out into the Gulf, we ventured on a “party boat” or “head boat”– one that charges a fee to take you out to the depths where red snappers occur down deep. The crew supplies fishing gear, bait, and fish handling. Undersized fish were thrown back after their swim bladders were punctured to release the gas from suddenly being reeled up too fast.
I took a picture of a long trail of floating fish behind the boat that probably would end up being chum for sharks, other fish, and birds. That image is unavailable. The floaters had failed to survive the sudden pressure change and bladder puncture.
The condition that occurs is called barotrauma. Scuba divers call it “the bends.” In fish, the symptoms are the stomach coming out the mouth, bloated bellies, distended intestines, and bulging eyes. It’s not pretty. I suggested instead changing the bag limit to “the first five red snappers caught, regardless of size” but that was ignored.
The regulations for red snappers are two-fold. In Federal Waters (over nine nautical miles from shore out to 200 nautical miles), the limit is two snappers, at least 16-inches long. But inside nine miles from shore, Texas State regulations are four fish at least 15-inches in length. The season in Federal Waters opens June 1 and closes when the state quota is reached. TPWD will notify anglers electronically. The State season is open year around. A Texas fishing license with a saltwater endorsement is required.
Any snappers caught in Federal Waters count in the four-fish State Waters limit.
The regulations were more liberal earlier in time. In the 1994-1995 Fishing Regulation booklet, the bag limit was seven and possession limit was fourteen. When surveys indicated a declining population, limits were decreased.
Now, regulations require that all commercial and recreational anglers must possess a venting tool or a rigged “descending device” on their boat while fishing for reef fish in Federal Waters. Research shows that properly and quickly releasing reef fish, such as red snappers, reduces mortality.
The TPWD Commission adopted rules in March that become effective September 1 for all commercial and recreational anglers fishing in state waters. These require having a venting tool or rigged descending device for reef fish exhibiting signs of barotrauma.
Inexperienced handlers can still harm fish by improper use of venting tools. Research has shown that using a descending device leads to better conservation. Descending devices are available at coastal tackle shops for around $60. Inland tackle purveyors may have some before the end of August.
Descending devices can be jigged several times to release an undersized snapper near the bottom. If it’s too small, though, porpoises might eat it on the way down!
JJ
