Cheers All,
I have found that there is only one professionally recommended unit for fish. I know you can partially freeze or dry off each fillet before you put it in the bag but I find that too time consuming as to be practical.
I purchased a "Vaccupack Elite" (made in Italy) which is stainless steel, has adjustable sealing heats (4X), a crimping seal, automatic or manual mode and, most importantly, has a raised snorkel intake to prevent water or moisture getting into the unit as well as a water filter further down the air inlet. In a longish work - BULLETPROOF!
I also have gone to the pre-formed bags. They work out to be way less money than the rolls and they are all the same size so that I have zero waste. I can re-use each bag 3 times. I purchase big bags for fillets as well as small bags for Nog's Candy Salmon and Nog's Smoked Salmon. I can even put prawn tails in the bag, fill the bag with salt water, and seal the bag with no exposure to the pump to salt water. Try doing that with any other bag. Not possible. It will even seal (using the high heat setting) wet bags by combination of the heat and the crimp. Again...way beyond impressive.
At Christmas we did 400 bags of Indian Candy, Smoked Salmon and Frozen Prawn Tails and other than a couple of bags that were not sealed from factory, NO misfires. Neighbour has a guide company and he has the "TOP OF THE LINE" Foodsaver - and we almost threw it into the ocean. It misfires sometimes more than 1/2 the times with a lot of wasted material, time as well as frayed nerves.
You can find the units through "Professional Marketing Group". On my unit I purchased it and he sent it to Port Angeles. I walked on ferry, walked the 8 blocks to The UPS Store, picked up unit/bags, took a taxi back ($10.00) with all the boxes and caught the same return ferry back to Canada. At boarder I paid HST and was on my way. I brought another unit back for my neighbour.
Professional Marketing Group only handles vaccum baggers and you will find them very professional. I ordered it one day and it was at The UPS Store 2 days later.
They also have a toll free number which works from Canada.
Give it a look over...you will be impressed. And the owner/operator is a heck of a nice guy, with tons of experience and services what he sells.
I use mine a lot and, other than eventually a new heat bar/tape, do not anticpate my unit ever needing repair.