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| ive heard that when muskie fishing you should always cut the barb off of the hooks for better release.....how many of you guys cut the barbs before you go fishing???? |
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Posts: 440
| The first thing that I do with a new lure is smash the barbs down with a pair of channel locks and then I sharpen hooks. Been doing it for 5 years now. Makes releases go quite a bit faster. The main release I am worried about though is MYSELF. I spend a lot of time by myself and if I get hooked up, one quick pull and I am released. It is not a matter of IF just WHEN. Already saved myself a Sunday afternoon visit to the Vet. Bet those are cheap.
Edited by ChadG 3/17/2008 1:11 PM
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | I debarb every single hook before it goes into my bins. I sharpen them just before I tie. Unless I'm tying on a chemically sharpened hook, then I leave it be initially.
Jeff |
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Posts: 457
| Rarely on muskybaits or files to I crimp barbs. I've never had an issue with it. I used to, and lost more fish, also had more fish hooked deeper than with regular hooks. Now, if I get a bad hooked fish, I cut it, and don't worry. |
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | I lose enough fish with barbs on the hooks. Maybe if I was a better fisherman I would cut the barbs. Also, I don't feel that having barbs on the hooks hurts the release. I always unhook the fish with them in the water. If there are a 2 trebles in the fish, I will always cut first. Usually the pieces fall out when the hooks are cut. And, if not, its pretty easy to pull out a little chunk of hook. |
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Using barbless hooks requires a different style of fish fighting. Longer rods with a softer action are much better for keeping good tension on the fish, and at the same time absorbing the shock of the fish as it struggles.
A sharp barbless hook will stick easier than a barbed one will. You rarely need to set the hook, just start putting pressure on them when they hit.
I don't lose any more fish with barbless than I used to with barbed. In fact my trolling numbers are better for fish staying on.
Getting hooks out is very, very quick. Usually they come out in the net.
Cutting hooks is very helpful to quicken release when using barbed hooks, but still much more time consuming than using barbless hooks.
Definatley glad I've switched over to barbless. Doesn't bother me a bit if one does get off, if they do it's my fault. Just makes everything a little more challenging, and rewarding.
JS
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Posts: 1451
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | I've actually gone to removing all hooks from my baits. It's such a pain when you have to actually pull the hooks out...I figure if they grab the bait, I call it a caught fish. Most times they let go before the net job, but that's okay. |
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Posts: 8772
| I just can't bring myself to do it, for a few reasons:
- The only place I have any time to do anything is at work. If I brought all my lures? Well, let's just say that's probably a bad idea and leave it at that.
- If I changed my mind I'd have to change several hundred hooks.
- I only catch a fish about once out of every 10 days on the water -- if I went barbless it would be years between muskies!  |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | I always pinch down the barbs on the front hooks of all my baits, and leave the back hooks with barbs. That way I don't have to cut hooks and replace in the boat, more time fishing and less time rehooking baits. |
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Posts: 67
| I believe in cutting hooks, in fact I don't hesitate at all in doing so. Pinching barbs? Well I've argued this with all my buddies: There are so many unforeseen things that can happen if that trophy decides to hit, why give increase the odds? If a upper 50" fish hits my line and somehow release itself before boating him, well I figure it wasn't meant to be. But if he gets off because the hook popped out due to being barbless, I don't think I'll ever be the same LoL. Until I catch my 54, I will keep the barbs on, after that I will go barbless because then any lost fish will be of no consequence.
s54 |
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Posts: 375
| For those using barbless hooks, do you find a certain type of hook is better? Size wise, O'shaug bend vs. wide bend, etc?
stan |
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Location: Illinois | It's something I'm giving some thought. I might try a couple baits this year barb-less and hope it works out. However, it scares me a little to be honest. I voted for "when necessary", and as such I'll try this out when fishing solo, as it seems to make some sense to me.
On an unrelated note: anyone actually watch "BarbWire" starring the voluptuous Pam Anderson? How was it- bad right? |
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Location: Latitude 41.3016 Longitude 88.6160 | I use 8'6" & 9' rods, keep my rod up and keep pressure on the hook and I have not lost a fish, as long as you keep the line tight you will not lose a fish. It is better for the sport and it is so easy to unhook a fish and get back fishing with barbless hooks. One more thing how many have got a hook in your hand ??? now you can pull it out with out going to the E/R. 
Edited by PIKEMASTER 3/19/2008 10:55 PM
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | STUSHSKY - 3/19/2008 10:58 AM
For those using barbless hooks, do you find a certain type of hook is better? Size wise, O'shaug bend vs. wide bend, etc?
stan
I tie my flies on 4/0 Gamakatsu Finnesse. I love that big, wide gap. I also tie on Mustad 34007, and can't complain there either. I use one or the other depending on how much shank I need for the pattern I'm tying. But all else being equal, I like short shank, wide gap hooks.
And I've never lost a fish that I can attribute to a barbless hook. I've never had a hook just fall out. I've had hooks come out on a headshake; both recently, and back in my "barbed" days. A good hook-set and line management will negate any problem you might expect with barbless hooks.
Barbless hooks are standard fare in flyfishing circles; even legally required on most fly fishing only water. The FF'ing community is by and large all-aboard with barbless hooks. And not just for trout, but for salmon, steelhead and saltwater applications. They've done studies (however fish studies are done) showing that barbless hooks do penetrate deeper, and under normal circumstances will hold just as well as a barbed hook. I've fished barbless for approaching ten years now, and have been quite satisfied with their performance catching steelhead, salmon, halibut, pike and the occasional grinnel on barbless flies.
Jeff
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Posts: 2752
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | I've been fishing barbless for over 11 years. I went barbless after being hooked up to a fish on a Canadian flyin. The guy I was fishing with got the fish unhooked but couldn't pull the hook for me- he said he was going to throw up! So I did it myself- he held my hand down on a big rock. Human flesh & skin is pretty tough stuff. It felt soooooo good when that hook came out.
I do it for my own safety and those in the boat with me, especially the kids. My grandaughter Jazzy already has her first muskie & pike. Both were pretty exciting events and she did it with barbless hooks. I honestly don't think being barbless has negatively impacted my fishing success. As others have said, you've got to keep pressure on the fish. Those that have fished with me, know I don't screw around playing the fish, a lot of my fish are pretty green when they hit the net. The minute you know I have a fish on, you better be reaching for the net! Otherwise I might get a bit testy and ask if you'd like a pillow for your nap It definitely makes releasing the fish easier. I've only had to cut a couple of hooks, i.e., they had their mouth pinned shut or were so tightly wrapped in the net that I didn't want to waste time messing around- > quick release.
Have fun!
Al |
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | HA! I'm the same way about getting fish in. Not to say I'm able to horse anything in a flyrod, even a 10 wt. But alot of my buddies talk about enjoying the fight, and enjoy playing the fish the most; and I see their point. I enjoy that interaction as much as anyone, but the longer the fish is on the hook, and not in my hand, the more opportunity it has of spitting a hook, snapping a leader or whatever. I use gear for a fair fight, but as I've stated in other threads here, I never want to be undermatched to a fish in such a way as to have a fifteen minute fight getting them to the boat.
Even with a jumping fish, as salmon often do, the biggest problem there is them landing on the leader, rather than spitting the hook.
Jeff |
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Posts: 375
| First the "off" the water experience. Two Januarys ago spent some time in the garage sharpening a few boxes of new barbed 4/0's I had just received. I walked back into the garage a couple hours later to grab something and knew it was only a few feet through the door so I didn't bother to slip on the garage shoes that I had certainly glanced down at. Two steps in I felt a pinch on the bottom of my right foot. You guessed it, I had a freshly sharpened 4/0 buried to the bend! Sat right down on the floor and spent 45 minutes digging and whatever at it until I gave up and drove myself to the ER at 2:30 AM. The ER folks got a real kick out of it I must say! They had to call the hospital maintenance gentleman for a pair of bolt cutters since they had nothing in the ER that would cut through it! Needless to say I had an interesting few days afterwards hobbling around on that "tender" foot!
Next the "on" the water experince. While out trolling on a nice sunny early summer afternoon (just a few months after the first "experience") with my fiance and her daughter I hooked into a northern pike around 40" / 15 or so pounds on a depthraider. They were all excited and wanted to take some pics (while I was thinking !@#$%^& pike) so I lifted it out of the net "without" removing the depthraider from it's mouth first and sat down for the photo shoot. After a couple of pics it flipped out of my hands landing at my sandled feet and, you guessed it, proceeded to bury one of the hooks deep into my big toe while the other two points of that 4/0 (out of the same batch I had sharpened 3 months back!) were solidly buried, one in the roof of it's mouth and the other in it's lower jaw clamped tightly shut and thrashing about with my toe attached! While they screamed in horror I put a solid grip around the back of it's head and proceeded to cut the hooks in the fish's mouth free with the Knipex hook cutters then with a pair of pliers gently backed the "barbless" hook out of my big toe the same way it went in! A little medicated cream and a bandage around my toe and all was well! Of course they said with sad faces "Well it looks like our day is over" and of course I said "No way, the fish may just be turning on!". After three more hours and two muskies later on "barbless" hooked crankbaits, we called it a day rather than spending a few hours at the nearest ER, wherever that was!
Needless to say since that January day I now grind every barb off of every hook before it gets hung on a bait!
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barbs on hooks?