crushing the barb

[Eli]

I'm curious what people's experience with barbless hooks have been like..?

I am considering going barbless for all my nighttime bottom fishing (mainly cats and sturgeon). I think it would make hook removal a whole lot easier in the dark and minimize fish stress.

Thing is, I'm wondering if barbless hooks are easier for the fish to shake? Will the the number of fish that I actually land significantly decrease if I switch to barbless?

[Wallyboss]

Just need to keep tension on the line while reeling in.

[Jasonb]

the key to barbless is tension.... so you will loose a fair amount of fish switching from barbed to barbless.... but once you get the hang of things it will make it a whole lot easier to release fish, espically in the dark or when fishing cats(sometimes they take it deep)...but once you get a handle on things it will make life a whole lot easier.... and the faster you can get the fish off the hook the faster you can get another one on....

Jason

[Peppino]

I for one don't go barbless, there are so many ways for a fish to unhook itself, I don't want to increase those odds. I would prefer to have a trophy fish on securely and quickly cut the hooks then to lose one due to the lack of barb.

If the bite is hot with the catfish, then maybe, since they're a real pain to unhook, unless of course you're using circle or octopus hooks.

A lot of musky guys I know have started going barbless and it doesn't seem to make a big difference, they catch just as many.

Joe

[Todd B.]

All of my flies are barbless. As for gut hooking fish, your still probably better off cutting the hook off rather than trying to remove it, even if it's barbless. I would suggest circle hooks if you're having problems with deep hook sets. I can fish perch with a size 10 and have never had anything other than hookups in the corner of the lip. Ther work exactly as advertised.

[Eli]

Thanks for the replies fellas.

I don't have trouble with gut-hooked fish.
It's more of an issue of it taking me about twice the normal time to unhook fish in the dark, especially this time of year when my hands get hella cold.

I guess like many things, barbless hooks are a trade-off. Get the fish off the hook faster, but sometimes they also unhook themselves.

I think I'll give it a try next time out and see what happens.

[Jasonb]

Forgot to mention the use of circle hooks.... you want hooksets exactly in the side of the mouth almost everytime.... try out some circle hooks.... man theese things are great... a lil pricey but well worth it... plus you dont have to make a hard hookset.... just a simple sweep with the rod and ur on....

Jason

[Lunker Larry]

Went barbless all summer fishing smallies in my cottage lake and never noticed a difference in lost fish. I primarily use senko type baits and tubes. Soooooo much easier on the fish and for the release, especially when they're hooked deep. Just make sure your hooks are sharp

[Todd B.]

With respect to fish throwing hooks, whether barbed or barbless, the key is size of the hook and the relative bulkiness of the lure.

i.e. a size 4 weighted fly is more likely to be thrown by a fish than a size 14 dry fly.

Tube flies and salmon J-Plugs are good examples lures reduce the bulkiness of the lure. In both cases the line is passed through the body of the fly/lure and tied to the hook. When actively fished the fly/lure and hook are a single component. When a fish is hooked the body will slide up the line, leaving only the hook for the fish to attempt to throw.

[MattSymons]

Barbless is a lot nicer for the fish...but for those not inclined to fish barbless hooks there is still a way to get those deeply hooked fish back in the water without cutting hooks (a method that has come under recent scrutiny as not being as harmless to fish as once advertised...still better than ripping it out, obviously).

I'm talking about the through-the-gill-opening method that was showcased in many, many magazines over the last two years...In-Fisherman ran the story first, then gave any other publication permission to run the exact same diagrams and instructions, in an effort to spread the word about this effective and safe deep-hook removal technique. Kudos to In-Fisherman for placing fish conservation ahead of competition.

I'll try to dig up more details on where this piece can be found...

Matt

[creeky]

I went barbless some 8 years ago now musky fishing and I can say i've lost fish 'cause of it. one good high 40"er I remember with particular clarity. but I've also easily released huge fish (cough cough) and definitely saved many a smaller fish from a real thrashing. so if you're the kind of guy who can't loose fish. don't go barbless. if you're the kind of guy whose buzz comes from the zen of fishing (like me ) then barbless is part of the poetry.

one thing I've learned is that with barbless you don't want to let the fish swim away from you. keep the head aimed at the rod. after seeing it on tv i now walk my musky around the boat when they get close rather than try to fight that back and forth muskies will do boatside. get yer buddy to grab the net as you come around and scoop. big nets rule

[titowoody]

Barbless works for me. In the Brantford Conservation Area on the Grand River it is an MNR reg. I tend to use more moderate action rods with barbless hooks. They are a bit more forgiving when playing a larger fish.

As mentioned tension is everything and using braided line with no stretch no room for error. I have lost some very big Smallies after some extensive aerial acrobatics, maybe next time.

Something about a 2 foot Smallie shooting through the air and seeing your spinnerbait fly right as the fish goes stage Left..... leaves your mouth gaping open for a few seconds.

Sometimes you win, sometimes the fish wins.

Cheers

TW