Barbs

[bloom]

Thanks for all the responses, everyone has their opinion and there is no right or wrong answer. One does have to have faith that their hook will remain stuck in the fishes mouth.

[padlin]

I do both, when I feel bad after messing up a fish digging out a hook I mash the barb and fish till i feel bad for missing a good fish, then I go back. I don’t keep anything so missing fish isn’t a big deal till it feels like a big one. 
 

I have to pay more attention when barbless, which is the hard part.

[Tackleholic]

Mortality rate increases with barbed trebles when using a net.  Often the hooks become entangled in a manner which makes removal very difficult, thus damaging both the fish and the net.