Going Barbless?

[Lucky Craft Man]

My Buddy took a hook past the bard three trips in a row and I unfortunately was there for two of those trips. Two times we went to ER and the third he was able to push it through and cut the hook. This got me thinking. I pinch down the bard on all my flies and I wondered about doing the same on all my lures. This would not only be better for getting any hook out from an accident, but it would probably be better for the fish as well. Since I don't fish tournaments, losing a few extra fish won't bother me. Do any of you guys debarb the hooks you use for bass?

[everythingthatswims]

It's really surprising how easily a fish can spit a barbless hook by shaking their head or jumping, and any slack immediately results in a lost fish. You said you wouldn't mind losing a few extra fish, but what if that fish was a 7 or 8lber? Just food for thought

[Lucky Craft Man]

It's really surprising how easily a fish can spit a barbless hook by shaking their head or jumping, and any slack immediately results in a lost fish. You said you wouldn't mind losing a few extra fish, but what if that fish was a 7 or 8lber? Just food for thought

Yeah, losing an 8 pounder would truly suck. I guess the reason for my thinking about this was watching my buddy take a hook down to the bone. The really sucked as well.

[TnSmallieFshmn]

I've fished for almost 20 years and I think I have taken 1 hook.  That is some terrible luck or he isn't living right.  How did he manage that?

[birdoflight]

The barb doesn't seem to add too much to the diameter of the hole in general, so it probably isn't that much more traumatic for the fish.  Your buddy, on the other hand, needs to develop greater care in paying attention to what he is doing.  Hopefully he got a tetanus shot in that recent E.R. visit?

[Lucky Craft Man]

My Buddy has been fishing for over 30 years and never had a hook past the bard. Trip one, the hook on his lure caught his line and he reached done to clear it when a wave crash into the side of the boat causing him to lose his balance and in went the hook. Trip two, he had a Smallmouth on the deck of the boat and he was trying to remove the hook from the fish with pliers. The fish trashed and the hook went right into his hand. Trip Three, another guy in the boat (fortunately it wasn't me) wan't quite watching where his back cast went and hooked my Buddy right in the back. He is a careful fisherman, but just had a string of bad luck. In the 25 years I have been fishing, I have never had a hook past the barb, but I am sure I am on borrowed time. Everyone seems to have a hook past the bard story.

[Dwight Hottle]

LCM we have been barbless up in northern Canada for over ten years. This is for pike & lake trout which are all hand landed or cradled. We simply pinch the barbs down with pliers. The guides insist it be done as they are the ones looking at multiple trebles coming towards their faces when cradling a fish . We have not noticed a loss of fish caught because of the pinched barbs. Hook penetration is said to be better with barbless hooks. As long as you keep a tight line without slack it is not a problem. With bass jumping it would be critical to maintain pressure when they are airborne . The few times I have seen guys hooked with barbless hooks has facilitated hook removal.

Someone else brought up the point that being hooked multiple times by the same boat partner might indicate a change is needed in casting procedures.

[Mccallister25]

I hate to hear that for your buddy. I actually fish with my barbs crushed on certain lures. Mostly treble hooked lures. When I fish with jigs or any other single hook bait, I keep the barb, but on spooks, etc, Ill crush them pliers. Although I have lost fish a few times, its actually not as common as you would think. I say go for it.

[jignfule]

If the bait has a good chance of sometimes landing up in the gut, I go barbless most of the time.

[hooah212002]

I lost 3 fish this weekend with a brand new spinner bait that had a trailer hook and both hooks had barbs, so I doubt I would lose more due to going barbless. However, what WOULD happen if you were to go barbless is a much easier time getting hooks out and less wrenching on the fishes face. Good hookset and taught line on retrieval ought to do you just fine.

[mmrivera86]

That is definitely crappy about your buddy. I'm surprised me and my fishing buddy haven't hooked eachother yet. We fish together on my 8' pelican all the time haha. As far as barbs go, I keep mine. Gives me that extra sense of security.

[OkobojiEagle]

I'm in favor of barbless fishing 100% of the time, including tournaments.  It adds to the challenge.

 

 

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[Trek]

LCM we have been barbless up in northern Canada for over ten years. This is for pike & lake trout which are all hand landed or cradled. We simply pinch the barbs down with pliers. The guides insist it be done as they are the ones looking at multiple trebles coming towards their faces when cradling a fish . We have not noticed a loss of fish caught because of the pinched barbs. Hook penetration is said to be better with barbless hooks. As long as you keep a tight line without slack it is not a problem. With bass jumping it would be critical to maintain pressure when they are airborne . The few times I have seen guys hooked with barbless hooks has facilitated hook removal.

Someone else brought up the point that being hooked multiple times by the same boat partner might indicate a change is needed in casting procedures.

 

I pinch all my barbs down when I go to Canada to fish. A lot of times with pike I can just shake it when I get them to the boat and they swim off. I'm like you in I think I get a better hook set with no barb. And by not handling the fish as much it has to be better for them too. Plus where we go if you get a hook past the barb in you there is only one way to get it out.

[Loop_Dad]

I went all barbless one time and now I am barbless for only single hooks. Basically the ones I need to set the hook, I'm barbless.

 

Only fish I loose are usually smaller fish. They tend to flop around by the boat and come off, but I don't care. The bigger ones are fine as easier to maintain the pressure on the line.

[Crestliner2008]

This is interesting. I do a lot of fishing each season. From deep water smallmouth, to shallow water largemouths, deep water laker fishing (jigging), salmon and crappie as well. I have been barbless on everything except drop shot hooks now for at least 5 seasons. Even the trebles on my blade baits, top waters and cranks. Rarely have I lost a fish. 

 

The late Doug Hannon was once interviewed on the subject and explained that most fish that are lost are because of the lack of penetration, not whether or not the hook had a barb. And I believe he was correct. The barbed hooks actually take considerably more force to penetrate the bass's mouth/jaw than hooks with crushed down barbs. And, he contended, the "bump" left by the crushed barb actually held better and deeper, than a barbed hook.

 

I suppose I would be upset by loosing an 8 lb. largemouth or a 6 lb. smallie. But the fact remains that there may be other factors involved in such losses.....not necessarily the barbless hooks. JMO.

[OntarioFishingGuy]

I have recently gone 100% barbless on everything. Had some bad experiences with a muskie putting a BIG treble in my dads hand while trying to unhook it, and proceeding to flop out of his hands, into the water, and take off, ripping the hook out of his hand, and taking another big treble with him as a souvenir (if i put it like that I don't feel as bad). I have yet to lose one fish this season, and the few times i have gotten myself hooked, it has made it much easier and less painful to remove the hooks. It also makes hook removal 100X easier, especially when a fish has takes multiple hooks fairly deep.

[Lucky Craft Man]

Really interesting points here. The ease of penetration I find the most intriguing. I buy thin wire hooks to help with penetration, but if I just pinch down the barbs of regular wires hooks, I'll have the same ease with penetration, but have a stronger hook. I think you guys have me convinced, barbless is the way to go! Thanks!

[Lucky Craft Man]

I have recently gone 100% barbless on everything. Had some bad experiences with a muskie putting a BIG treble in my dads hand while trying to unhook it, and proceeding to flop out of his hands, into the water, and take off, ripping the hook out of his hand, and taking another big treble with him as a souvenir (if i put it like that I don't feel as bad). I have yet to lose one fish this season, and the few times i have gotten myself hooked, it has made it much easier and less painful to remove the hooks. It also makes hook removal 100X easier, especially when a fish has takes multiple hooks fairly deep.

I musky fish a lot and those hooks scare me (as far as getting one impaled). I never thought about going barbless with them with the assumption I would just lose every fish. Though, I am sure I have lost fish, because I didn't get a good hook set (back to the penetration issue). I am starting to realize the need for a barb is an old wives tale and the common thought is that you have to have a barb to keep fish buttoned up (which is what I have always thought). However, I don't seem to lose any more trout since going barbless 10 years ago. Good stuff. Thanks!

[Hattrick7]

I'm totally barbless. If I lose a fish it's because of something that I did or didn't do and it teaches me to be a better angler. Bass fishing for me is strictly for sport and I place a high value on skill.

Also in the case of your buddy it would be a lot easier to remove.

[JickleFish]

The barb doesn't seem to add too much to the diameter of the hole in general, so it probably isn't that much more traumatic for the fish.  Your buddy, on the other hand, needs to develop greater care in paying attention to what he is doing.  Hopefully he got a tetanus shot in that recent E.R. visit?

Not exactly the diameter, but ripping a barbed hook out wrong can kill or seriously injure a fish.

[Catch and Grease]

Not exactly the diameter, but ripping a barbed hook out wrong can kill or seriously injure a fish.

Then don't rip a barbed hook out.

I've had times when I gut hook a fish and wish I was barbless but with a normally hooked fish I've never thought going barbless would put less stress on a fish.

[Jdm219]

I give my girlfriend cranks with the barb crushed so i don't take a treble hook deep in my cheek or shin.

[JickleFish]

Then don't rip a barbed hook out.

I've had times when I gut hook a fish and wish I was barbless but with a normally hooked fish I've never thought going barbless would put less stress on a fish.

Well, rip was more of a way to say take out in this case. I'll chooses my words more carefully next time.