Barbed vs. Barbless

[clarkman23]

For trout, I've never felt that I've lost an inordinate amount of fish due to hooks that have the barbs crimped (I do this on all my trout flies). For some of my saltwater fishing (which isn't much), I leave the barbs on...don't really know why because I really hate taking out barbed hooks on really toothy fish...

one nice thing about barbed hooks is when you crimp the barbs down, there's that nice little bump that sort of acts like a mini-barb but it's still really easy for you to get the hook out...

I didn't read all of the responses but that's my 2 cents...
~Randy

[Wrangler]

I use only barbless, or crush barbs. I fish a lot with my grandkids. Barbless makes it easier to release both fish and me!

[bpatters]

I have used hooks with barbs for 55 years and at my age, change is always hard. You have a point but I would bet that more fishermen still use hooks with barbs and given a choice still would..
Bruce

[DShock]

I have used hooks with barbs for 55 years and at my age, change is always hard. You have a point but I would bet that more fishermen still use hooks with barbs and given a choice still would..
Bruce

Bruce,
Most of my life I used barbed hooks and I was skeptical that pinching the barbs would be a good idea, but I have never had a problem with losing fish on a barbless hook, and it is definitely the way to go for releasing fish.
Doug

[Jack Hise]

Darn!! I lost a fish to day using a barbless hook!! Of course the point was bent back at a 90 degree angle from an encounter with a rock! Do you think that had anything to do with it!

[flybinder]

Jack;
With the hook's point being bent to 90 degrees from its original position, (manufacturer's designed angle), the only way you could have missed a hook up is if the fish had approached your hook from downstream, angling towards the hook at a 27.3 degree angle, while maintaining a forward swimming speed of 1.7 knots.
The only other, reasonable possibility that could have caused you to miss the hook up, even considering the bent angle of the hook's point, would be if your nightcrawler had somehow slid down the shank of the hook and covered the point, thusly ruining any chance of a "point to tissue" penetration.

[Jack Hise]

Paul;
If I got you right it was because the hypotanoose of the tangent was not equal to the frabinstat as the canootan was off the quadrant by a country mile.

And another thread bites the dust!
Anyone keeping score?

Thanks to the NBOF, we aim to please!

[Thwack]

Since some of the places I like to fish require barbless hooks, I try to do all my fly fishing barbless.

Otherwise, when I'm in the barbless-only places, I worry that not having the barbs will be a problem. By always being barbless, it's no big deal...and the fish know when you're lacking confidence...

A while back, in another thread, it was pointed out that it's cheaper to manufacture barbed hook since the barb holds the wire in place as it's being bent into the shape of a hook.

Without the barb, more work is needed to hold the wire in place as it's shaped and more work means higher cost.

For those that feel "restricted" when forced to fish barbless, try fishing that way more often and soon it just won't be an issue...

[bonefishwhisperer]

I never crimp the barb...while guiding back in Alaska I discussed this in length with the Fish & Game Dept...the biologist showed me the damage a barbless hook does...it is true you get deeper penetration but is that really good? also the major drawback is that the hook never stops moving and more times than not it creates several different holes instead of one...every time a fish jumps etc the angle will change and the hook is always moving and not always remaining in the same hole...that was enough for me...I say if the barbed hook is doing all this damage maybe the fish are just too small....as of now I fish salt mostly but still do the peacock bass etc

[ohiotuber]

Jack & Paul,
863,426
Mikey