Last year a local spearo was stopped on a routine 'resources' check. Although he had BOTH a descending snap-release device PLUS the required 60ft of thin line in a ziplock bag he failed the 1 pound attached weight. He quickly tied the line to his foldable pliers and problem solved. When questioned about "readily available" because it was in his dry bag, he said the drybag was clear and since it was under his seat it met the test of "line of sight".
I was hoping this wouldn't be the case, but the way it's written, it's best to be prepared even if it's just absolutely ridiculous.
When I was trying to buy one, a couple years ago, I simply couldn't. At that time, it wasn't required for the Gulf, only for the Atlantic, so I could sort of understand why the local tackle shops didn't have anything. So, I had to make my own.
I found these plans.
With just a couple of tools and a few minutes, The Fish Grip™, originally designed as a safer way for anglers to land fish, can easily be converted into a rockfish descending device. Fish Grips™ can be purchased at local tackle shops or online.
myodfw.com
I made one modification. The Fish Grip brand seems to have a stronger lock. I instead use a Rapala Fish Gripper in the 6" size. One side of the gripper handle is attached to the line, the other side has a 2lb weight on a braided cable. The line is connected to an old broken rod and reel (reel works, rod is just 1/2 of a 2 piece rod). With the Rapala gripper, the rubber band is not needed. When sending a fish down, clamp and lock on lower lip, open bale on reel, and send over board. When it stops, close bale, reel in slack, then "set the hook." This will open the jaws and release the fish.
The Fish Grip brand wouldn't release quite as easy, which is why those plans call for a rubber band. The only challenge with the Rapala is with triggerfish. As it has a more blunt nose, it can be tougher to get in the small mouth of the trigger.
