A;Barotrauma occurs when fish are rapidly brought up from deep water. The sudden pressure drop causes gases in the swim bladder and in body fluids to expand. In addition to swim bladder inflation, microscopic gas bubbles form in the blood and tissues, leading to internal injuries, bulging eyes, stomach protrusion, and loss of swimming ability.
The belief that the airbladder is the only organ affected is very wrong as the fish is struggling with gas expansion like bends in a diver.

A: Fish suffering barotrauma often cannot return to depth on their own. They float at the surface, exhausted, disoriented, and highly exposed to predators such as sharks, dolphins, or seabirds. Many will die from exposure or predation if not actively assisted.

Any fish being brought up from depth can show barotrauma .Bottom and reef-dwelling species such as snapper, grouper, cod, rockfish, and many others are highly vulnerable, as they often inhabit deeper waters where pressure differences are extreme.

Bait and lures vary by species. Common baits include worms, minnows, and crickets for freshwater fishing. In saltwater, live bait like shrimp or cut bait can be effective. Lures range from spinners to crankbaits and jigs. It’s a good idea to research what works best for the specific fish you’re targeting.

A: Venting punctures the swim bladder to release some gas but does not address gases trapped in blood and tissues, nor does it help with the severe fatigue and internal trauma many fish experience. Even after venting, fish may struggle to control their buoyancy, often hovering in mid-water where predation risk remains very high.

Descending devices return the fish safely to its original depth, where pressure recompresses gases, and the body can naturally reabsorb bubbles. The fish recovers faster, regains buoyancy control, and returns to its habitat in much better condition.

Yes. In one large study involving 2,000 filmed fish descents even into areas with active predator presence, the observed post-release predation rate was less than 1%. In contrast, vented fish released at the surface had extremely high predation and often attracted predators rapidly, becoming easy prey and sometimes disrupting entire fishing areas by drawing sharks to the boats

A: Descending avoids physical damage, greatly reduces predation risk, and allows the fish to recover under natural pressure. Venting compromises the fish’s ability to regulate buoyancy for days, making it vulnerable to predators and along with high risk of damage and infection venting is lowering its chances of survival.

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A: Yes. FishSaverPro requires no moving parts or complicated setup. Simply attach it to the fish’s jaw, lower it to depth, and retrieve. The fish releases automatically. This fast process reduces handling stress and increases survival odds.
The thumb rule is that you need to add 20% of the fishes weight in descending weight. Our quick release clip means change the weights to suit size and you don’t have to wind up massive weights.

A: In many regions, including the East and West coast of the USA and Western Australia, fisheries management authorities now mandate  descending devices are carried when offshore and for certain species or depths to help reduce release mortality.

A: Yes. One of the best design features of FishSaverPro is its strong and robust yet compact design along with interchangeable weight system which allows you to quickly adapt for different species and sizes, ensuring a safe descent every time — from small bycatch to large reef fish.