How to insert SFD™ into rockfish lower lip for easy release during the release process. Inserting SFD™ in lower lip of rockfish is easy and simple to do.
SFD™ hookup
Picture above shows where to place SFD™ into rockfish lower lip. It is critical that you hook the SFD™ through the lower lip thin membrane as close to the thick part as possible. (thin part only) This will hold fish until you are ready to release plus prevent any membrane tearing. (By thin, that mean paper thin.) Do not place the SFD™ in the thicker part which would cause difficulty in releasing fish.
Insert SFD™ into rockfish lower lip through the thin membrane near heavy part of lip. The SFD™ is ready to lower over the side as demonstrated by Craig Wood (WildWood)
Inserting SFD™ Craig Wood
Rockfish

The SFD™ goes inside the mouth and out the thin membrane of lower lip. You want the penetration to be as close to the thick part of the lip as possible so you will have more support for fish's weight without tearing and enlarging the thin membrane penetration hole. The S shape design is designed to lay back along its lower body while descending fish and locking the SFD™ in place by using it's flexible lower mouth and the big round part of the lower lip as the lock until you chose to release it by snapping the line upwards. This turns the fish facing you for the SFD™ to easily be removed. Use the lower lip membrane allows a hook up with without thick flesh penetration. Also it's design keeps the line along the bottom of the fish to protect it's extended eyes while you are performing the descending and final under water release. Please do not use the upper lip for attachment, as it causes flesh penetration and allows lines and SFD™ to be along the top of the fish to close to the fish's extended eyes. Our fishery resources will appreciate you passing this info to other anglers about the SFD™ so they can save fish suffering barotrauma. Thanks to all for caring. Tip: Always descend fish with the wind at your back as the boat drifts faster than a floating fish if the fish accidentally drops off. The boat will float to towards fish, rather than away from fish.

Bill Shelton with rockfish Lowering rockfish Releasing rockfish
When releasing from a sports boat, hook up the SFD™ to the fish and then lower the fish over the side into the water then gentle pitch the weight away from the fish which prevent the line entangling and prevents any slack in the line between fish and weight. (Make sure you have plenty of slack in your line between the rod tip and the SFD™ while lowering over the side) The weight will pull the fish down head first. Then thumb reel spool for a control descent to counter out up and down movement cause by swells going under the boat. You will be able to release fish very quickly as the recovery is quick. Tip: Have plenty of slack in your line between rod tip and SFD™ when lowering the fish over the side to prevent fish from prematurely sliding off SFD™. It is very important that the fish be hanging directly below the weight to prevent main line from tilting SFD™.
Animation showing hooking a SFD™ to a fish (Bill Gygax doing the demo).
An animation on how anglers hook up a SFD™
A how to movie using a SFD™ inline with standard rockfish tackle catch, transferring the rock fish to the SFD™ with ease. Above water and underwater video. Bill Gygax is doing the video demo. Bill is s a good friend who helped me do all the demo video and work on this project. Thanks Bill for all your help and hard work.
Using SFD™ inline with fishing gear.
Bill Shelton Bill Shelton
Bill Shelton SFDing from a high platform boat such as a party boat. Hook up the SFD™ to the fish lower lip and then lower the weight over the side with the fish suspended directly below the weight and lower fish towards the water as far as you can. Then swing fish one direction (this temporarily suspends the fish in mid-air-at the apex of the swing) while pitching the weight the other direction from the fish away and down towards water which turns the fish head first and prevent the line entangling. The weight will hit the water first and by the time the fish arrives head first at the water all slack is out and down the fish goes. Then thumb reel spool for a control descent to counter out up and down movement cause by swells going under the boat. You will be able to release fish very quickly as the recovery is quick. Tip: Have plenty of slack in your line between rod tip and SFD™ when lowering the fish over the side of the boat to preventing tilting the SFD™ sideways and unloading the fish prematurely.

Rockfish Rockfish
Rockfish Rockfish
Rockfish
Typical SFD™ hookup for releasing from a high platform boat such as a party boat
Barorauma studies are going on regarding the effects on the fish from re-compression after barotrauma. As the scientific studies proves the technique then you may be allowed more fishing time at deeper depths. It's important that we have no floaters from our endangered species. No floaters, send all fish you are releasing down as you can not tell if the fish can go down on its own.

Note: To avoid any difficulty for the SFD™ to penetrate or be able to easily release fish after re-compression. Please do not use any part of the mouth to place the SFD™ that is thick or flesh.

Saving fish suffering barotrauma Saving fish with inflated air bladder with a SFD™ main site.

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