06-16-2011, 06:58 PM
Five years ago I hired a fish guide to fish the Green River and the rules of the boat were barbless hooks only. Before this experience I had never considered using a barbless hook. Since this experience I started using barbless only and now I sware by it.
Reasons to go to barbless:
Is to increase the survival rate of the fish. I believe this to be true because the handling of the fish time is minimized and there are less injuries caused to the fish. Many times when removing a barbed hook from a fish unfortunately it would injure parts of the fish like its jaw or gills. With barbless I haven't seen these injuries.
Complaints towards using a barbless hooks would be landing rate:
With barbless hooks at first I noticed that I didn't land as many fish as with barbed but in time I learned how to adapt and with practice managed to get back to the same landing rate. Once you set the hook you need to keep that line tight on the fish at all times and never give them slack. Doing this adds to the sport and creates an additional challenge to fishing.
So, logically and from experience working with a barbless hook I know that it is making a difference and I wouldn't doing it any other way.
This is a debated topic with differing opinions. Studies have been done to show that it does and does not make a difference. What is your opinion?
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Reasons to go to barbless:
Is to increase the survival rate of the fish. I believe this to be true because the handling of the fish time is minimized and there are less injuries caused to the fish. Many times when removing a barbed hook from a fish unfortunately it would injure parts of the fish like its jaw or gills. With barbless I haven't seen these injuries.
Complaints towards using a barbless hooks would be landing rate:
With barbless hooks at first I noticed that I didn't land as many fish as with barbed but in time I learned how to adapt and with practice managed to get back to the same landing rate. Once you set the hook you need to keep that line tight on the fish at all times and never give them slack. Doing this adds to the sport and creates an additional challenge to fishing.
So, logically and from experience working with a barbless hook I know that it is making a difference and I wouldn't doing it any other way.
This is a debated topic with differing opinions. Studies have been done to show that it does and does not make a difference. What is your opinion?
[signature]