Going barbless

[Anyfishisfine]

It seems more and more the only reason I take fish home is because I hooked one bad and decided to keep enough for a meal. A lot of places I'm looking at fishing don't even have edible fish. So the solution I suppose is to stop hooking them bad by losing the barbs.

My questions is, will I stop catching fish? This would involve damaging a lot of tackle if I start bending barbs in.

 

[MontanaMoose]

No problem going barbless...

No problem going barbless...

I say no but I don't know how you fish. I fly fish exclusively and have been barbless for a good 25 years or more. Some will tell you hooking fish is easier and others will tell you it's difficult to keep them hooked. This may be so if you cut fish slack.
If you don't and keep steady pressure on them, you'll be fine. Again it would help knowing how you fish.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

 

[Anyfishisfine]

I try never to let the line go slack, but I'd worry about the fish being able to throw it. Especially a heavy lure.

 

[Troutski]

Barbless...

Barbless...

I mainly use a spinning rod for most of my angling now days, along with fly angling. Not as much fly any more, the main lure of choice for me is the Spinner and Spoon; I have been barbless for close to ten years now and can say that if I keep the right amount of pressure and the drag is set properly I don't miss that many fish. One thing is to keep a very sharp hook, I chose a treble hook over a single hook based on my experience over the years; I have found that when fishing with single hook lures I would harm more fish. They seem to take it much deeper and at times I have actually hook them in the gills on the inside. I changed to wire treble hooks and keep it very sharp and the only time I keep a fish is when I want to.
I recommend it wholeheartedly...now this is only my opinion as a member.

Tight lines.
Chuck

 

[MontanaMoose]

Barbless

Barbless

Well, if'n yer about not keeping the fish, then that's a bonus to many that practice catch and release....that the fish throws the lure/fly/etc. and handling the fish isn't required.

I welcome 'long line release' and you'll be surprised to learn many that practice catch and
release do also. Hopefully they'll begin chiming
in here on barbless fishing be it lure or fly.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

 

[Boywhofishes]

on all my lures i bend down 2 out of the 3 hooks, that seems to work for releasing the fish i want to and keeping the fish that i want, i've never noticed a difference in losing fish vs catching them, i usualy also bend my hooks out just a touch from factory standards, that seems to help me catch more fish rather than lose them. but then again that's jsut the way i fish, i know that everyone fishes differntly so you kinda just gotta feel it out.

 

[Outdrsmn]

Like all the others side, don't let your line slack up and you will have no problem.

 

[trollin4trout]

It's surprising how few fish you do lose while fishing barbless, with some care to avoid slack lines. I don't do it much on purpose (unless regs require it)because fish caught on flies and lures just don't often swallow a hook far enough to cause them harm. A quick twist and shake with the needlenose is as bad as it usually gets. I don't keep any fish either -all I really want is a quick pic and then they go back to be bigger next time. It makes me really nervous to have a nice size fish on a barbless hook- hoping it stays on long enough to just get a picture of it!ray:

The most often cause of fish "hooked bad" is using bait, which they tend to try and swallow. Using barbless hooks may make it easier to remove even deeply swallowed hooks and I bet you will lose only a TINY percentage more of the fish you hook with bait.

Thanks and kudos to the the original poster and anyone else who practices catch and release- by any method.:clap::clap::clap:

Jim- CPR member

 

[FishSchooler]

Those powereggs wont stop being swallowed! Some of the fish I caught even had other leaders in them... how would a tiny 10 inch trout break someone off? :think:
But 2 of them, I hooked perfectly. The hook was in the corner of the mouth like a lure. What? :think:

 

[Anyfishisfine]

Some of the fish I caught even had other leaders in them... how would a tiny 10 inch trout break someone off?

Well if I hook deep and it's not bleeding I'll cut the line and let the fish go. From what I understand the hook will dissolve and the fish will be ok.

 

[metalmania]

Well if I hook deep and it's not bleeding I'll cut the line and let the fish go. From what I understand the hook will dissolve and the fish will be ok.

I'm no expert on the subject but I think it takes longer to rust out then everyone thinks they do. I know for a fact that hooks,and especially painted hooks will sit in a river for many months before dissolving. I'd imagine a deeply imbeded hook would stay in a fish for quite a while.

 

[osmosis]

You catch and release guys should really look into "shelton products" quick releasing hooks.
I have used these hooks on everythnig from chinook down to little bluegill and yellow perch and they work AMAZINGLY. You never have to touch the fish and you never need any type of leverage to get the hook out. just a quick slide of the tag end and a gentle pull on the mainline.

 

[Anyfishisfine]

I saw that same hook Larry Dahlberg's show. He said it never made it to market, he was wrong.

 

[osmosis]

I first bought them about 3 years ago now and keep ordering them as soon as I run out.