Barbed or Barbless hooks: What is your opinion?

[BigFishChalleng]

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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[HATH]

I like using barbless for the fact that the hook is removed easily. I have a river I love to fish, and I try really hard to do my part to keep it a prime brown trout fishery, there I only use barbless lures/hooks.

Other than that I usually don't do barbless, though sometimes I wish I did when I'm bait fishing because they practically gut the hook. But it makes me sick when I lose a fish, especially if it's large, so for the most part i keep the barb on.
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[curt69]

Last Tuesday I stuck a hook past the barb into the middle finger on my left hand , Boy I wish I would have been fishing barbless that day . The only time I fish barbless is if the law requires it or I am catching panfish . Curt G.
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[OldTroller]

I go barbless for the same reasons BFC listed. I don't get to bent out of shape when one doesn't get reeled all the way to the boat especially if I got to see him jump and felt the tug.

The Tug IS The Drug!
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[high_n_dry]

Only way to go for catch and release fishing in my opinion.

I don't go out of my way to tie barbless flies, but I often smash down my barbs when fly fishing with light wire flies.

They are going to go back anyway, so one or two getting off during a fight is to be expected and no big deal. Much less harm to the fish, better hook penetration with less effort, and no stuck dropper flies in the net, clothes, or hooked in the body of the fish.

I do replace treble hooks on lures with barbless ones for fishing high mountain lakes. Those feisty brook trout seem to get all three hooks stuck every single time.

It's a good practice in my opinion.
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[Hooked1]

Are there barbles only waters in UT?
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[BigFishChalleng]

I don't think Utah requires barbless hooks. I fish the Green river and Provo river and I know it isn't a requirement there.
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[12inchlunker]

[fishon]
I don't use barbless hooks unless I have to. I did on accident have a barbless hook once and I never lost to many fish. Once I figured it out I tried keeping the line super tight and at the last second freak out of the fish I would still lose them. Also I often like to take fish home and eat them. The only time I really C&R are on very slow days or Big fish. Big fish deserve to be let go plus they don't seem to taste as good.
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[BigFishChalleng]

I agree about letting the Big Fish go. 99% of the fish I catch is all catch and release. There is an occasional time that I will take fish back to eat. Over the years of trying to hook into a trout over 20" on the Green river and Provo river I know how rare they are so I would never take one off the river. A 13"-15" trout is a perfect sized fish to eat and there are many of them.
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[catmaster23]

Barb or not, the survival rate of the fish caught is ultimatly going to depend on how the hook is removed, how the fish is handled ect. I'm not against barbless but either way your sticking a sharp piece of steel in the fishs face. I could see going barbless if the fish your catching are suseptable to going belly up ie small planter bows. If your fishing for anything like bass, cats or larger fish like muskies or lakers, I'd say the more barbed hooks the better.
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[Coldfooter]

Barbed if I intend to chew down, barbless if I dont
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[flygoddess]

[quote catmaster23]Barb or not, the survival rate of the fish caught is ultimatly going to depend on how the hook is removed, how the fish is handled ect. I'm not against barbless but either way your sticking a sharp piece of steel in the fishs face. I could see going barbless if the fish your catching are suseptable to going belly up ie small planter bows. If your fishing for anything like bass, cats or larger fish like muskies or lakers, I'd say the more barbed hooks the better.[/quote]


Absolutely, but I think you are missing the point (no pun intended)you need not handle the fish at all with barbless. Sure they all put the hole in the fish, but you all know it is very hard to remove a hook with the barb, so in my opinion...Big Difference....all in the handling.....

Much more sporting too...[] And I NEVER fish a barbed hook...caught plenty of bass, carp, crappie, bluegill, trout and cat. The barb really doesn't need to be there.
I do however, prefer to mash the barb as it leaves a little bump if I tie a dropper off the bend.
And I alway mash the barb BEFORE I tie, because I have had hooks break off from this, and that sucks when you have spent all the time tying it...LOL
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[GorgeHound]

Hi all,
What about treble hooks on cranks, spinners and spoons?? Talk about tearing some faces appart.... I usually switch out the trebles for a single hook, and pinch the barb, with spoons. Pinch the barbs down on the trebles on cranks, and pinch all barbs on flies. You might have a fish shake off now and then, but the catch rate is not that much different, and it is a LOT easier on the fish.
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