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Barb less hooks

Last year I decided to take of the barb of all my hooks because, I think is the better way to take my kids fishing. Since that time I don't see differences in the quantity of fish that I can't catch. So what do you think?

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Comment by Leo Nguyen on April 27, 2013 at 8:47am: Bill, generations these days know all slangs of the old days. We just improve upon them. Rather than using ustacould, I use couldawouldawork, since I'm still 36. Kids use imawannado or just plain "loser" when one can't do something.

Debarbing for fish that I know I may release is what I taught my family. Full on barb and trele hooks for fish we are targeing to keep, when there is no species and size of concern for releases. So, my arsenal is 90% debarbed.

Comment by Mule on March 16, 2013 at 9:41am: Great idea as far as my thinking, I did this severral years ago and did not notice any less hook ups. i t does work great I have 3 grandaughters 2,3, 6, so it really helps when they cast out while you are still putting the hopper on the hook ,v comes out of the finger much easeier ! # ! # ooohk catch another one

Comment by dick tabbert on March 4, 2013 at 7:22pm: I guess that's something I need to start to do debarb my hooks especially the stories I'm hearing of some of you out there with stories of piercing your ears and the way my luck runs I guess that will be next for me. I do pinch down the barbs on my jigs but I'm much more wild with the fly rod so I'm thinking it might be a good habit to get into. Thanks all

Comment by Vince Fusco on March 4, 2013 at 7:11pm: Well boys and girls these old eyes played a trick on me. My new bugs do have barbs on them. I am already wearing trifocals, what's next....... quadfocals?????? I am still gonna try debarbing a few hooks to see what happens. I have torn a few lips with barbed hooks, and those fish get released in lake peanut oil.

Comment by Tony Livingston on March 4, 2013 at 6:43pm: I fish barbless most often. A BG hooked in the roof of the mouth, in the thick, tough tissue, can sometimes be difficult to unhook. And I notice that they tend to bleed from that area, so I try to minimize damage, and I think barbless lends itself well to those situations.

I have noticed however, that some hooks have a more pronounced barb than others, making unhooking more difficult, and lending themselves to being "de-barbed" by me.......

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on March 4, 2013 at 5:17pm: It boils down to personal preference......I like a barb so I don't have any long distance releases before the "P" in CPR....lol......Throat hooked fish are in trouble regardless of the barb and I personally don't believe the barb hurts fish hooked in the jaw or lips.....If I ever get that elusive sunfish on my line, I want every chance to land it......

Comment by paul sach on March 4, 2013 at 4:16pm: Been using barbless hooks for many years ... I'm a C&R release believer, mortality rate much much less with barbless hooks ....C&R , protect the resource ..let others enjoy the experience ..

Paul

Comment by Leo Nguyen on March 2, 2013 at 11:12am: Patricia, the masters here know the hooks. I've debarb all my hooks, whether be single, double, or treble hooks, either for salt or freshwater. They are much easier to remove from fish, allowing them to be CPR (caught, pictured, and released). Ripping the barbed hooks off the fish damaged them so much that they go into shock, and most of the time, died before they could swim more than 50 feet away from you. Debarbing the hooks allow you to efficiently remove the hooks, then release the fish with maximum amount of confident that they will survive the reentry into the water.

For me, it has always been a blessing when I hooked myself, or teaching beginners to properly cast and fish. Let just say they caught me more than fish. Since I do float tube fishing as well, imagine the accidental hookup s I get while in the middle of the deep parts of the lakes. It's a win-win.

Comment by Vince Fusco on February 28, 2013 at 8:06pm: I will be trying barbless hooks for the first time this year, as the ones Tooty tied for me are barbless. From everything I have read, there seems to be little difference in the amount of fish you land using them, and I can see where it will be easier on the fish you plan to release. I really don't know why I have not done this on my own, other than I am a creature of habit.