Abstract: A fish bait protector for protecting baited fishing hooks from disturbance as the hooks are lowered within a body of water. As the baited fishing hooks are lowered within the body of water, the hooks are surrounded by a protective enclosure of the fish bait protector to prevent upper and middle depth fish from disturbing the bait. When the fish bait protector reaches a desired fishing depth such as the fishing depth at a bottom surface of the body of water, a release mechanism such as a spring latch of the fish bait protector may be used to pull the hooks up and out of the protective enclosure. While the fish bait protector is being lowered, the release mechanism maintains the protective enclosure in a locked position. The fish bait protector thus provides a locked position for protecting baited hooks while being lowered within a body of water and an unlocked position allowing access by low depth fish to the baited hooks after the protective enclosure reaches a desired fishing depth.