Bad Hook Sets

[NoBoatLance]

Pinching the barbs on larger topwater lures with double treble hooks can be helpful as well. When popping or walking a lure plenty of bass may hit it initially just to turn it around or disorient it hooking them in the side or belly. No body likes a big hook in the belly, especially when you have to tear it out.

[Sun Fish]

I feel your pain. I always catch and release but in the rare event that I gut hook a fish like a couple weeks ago and I injur the fish to much or can't remove the hook safely for the fish to survive, it's the one and only time I bring the fish home and filet it. I feel it's better to eat the fish and not let the fish go to waste than to release it only to die in the water.

[SirSnookalot]

I feel your pain. I always catch and release but in the rare event that I gut hook a fish like a couple weeks ago and I injur the fish to much or can't remove the hook safely for the fish to survive, it's the one and only time I bring the fish home and filet it. I feel it's better to eat the fish and not let the fish go to waste than to release it only to die in the water.

Nothing wrong in taking that fish home for dinner, it's yours. I c/r myself but in the event a fish is out of season or not legal of size I'm throwing it back, don't want to risk a ticket. I don't feel it's waste for fish to die in the water due to an unfortunate gut hook, something out there is going to eat it, pretty much how things work in nature.

[NBR]

Crestliner and I are of the same mind. I have been crushing the barbs for well over 30 years at first I did't crush trebles on cranks etc but now all of mine are crushed from circle hooks to jigs to spoons. I rarely crush spinner bait main hooks but I do crush the trailer 100%. I lose very few fish and rarely is it the because the barbs were crushed. Advantages, easier on the fish, easier to ger our of clothers, boat seats, carpet and much easier to get out of me.

[ClackerBuzz]

I haven't had a ton of issues yet, but since I am just seriously getting into fishing, I can see it becoming a problem from time to time.

I also recently picked up a 7 wt fly rod with a nice reel. I just got my casting to a serviceable level and hope to land my first bass very soon. I am highly considering crimping my barbs on my flies just in case I hook myself on accident. I went out fly fishing with my bud for the first time last week and he whipped a back cast right past my head... It got me thinking to say the least!

things get scary when you're trying to make extra long fly casts when learning b/c the fly comes so close to ur face. and when u have a buddy that doesn't pay attention! the best piece of advice i can give is get a pair of sunglasses. i bought a pair immediately after a buddy did the same thing to me--his treble hook crank flying right past my face. now i don't feel safe unless i have my sunglasses on. and when dusk sets in i switch to clear construction glasses b/c i'm on the water well into dark----had a few close calls

[SissySticks]

I've watched Joe Bucher a lot. Like him, I t-rig and finesse fish a lot. Reality is, even with sensitive tackle, you're sometimes going to hook them deeper than you'd like when you use small baits. A lot of times bigger fish will nearly swallow a small plastic bait on the first strike-- they've already swallowed it when I feel them. When he hooks one deep, he always cuts the hook off the line and lets the fish go, figuring the fish has a better chance of dislodging the hook or it falling out as scar tissue forms around it than the fish has of surviving the trauma it would go through when he tears the thing out. Having caught fish with bits of rusted hooks still in their mouth, I tend to agree with his sentiment. Still, some will die, which is a bummer. I've followed his lead, but, I think after reading this, I'm going to go one step further and use side cutters to cut of as much of the hook as possible when I hook one in the throat. Great posts everyone. If I start throat hooking a lot of fish, I may even go to the barbless like Crestliner.