Barbless hooks?!?

[BigBassin144]

My dad and me were watching a fishing show the other day where they were fishing topwaters. The one guy had a white Rapala Skitter Walk and He said that before he changes the hooks, he bends the barbs of the new hook down. It made it much easier to revome the hook, getting the fish back in the water faster, but he lost more fish than the other guy.

Anyone use barbless hooks? Where, What for, Why?

Thanks,
BB

[bassthumb32]

dont use barbless hooks I cant see a whole lot of an advantage of removing them faster. like that is an issue anyways

[zooker]

no dam way!!!


zooker

[bassinbob]

Forgot where I read or saw this exact thing. Someone said that when you bend the barb down it still is very hard for the bass to unhook itself. Something to do with the hump the barb makes. I guess if you don't totally mash it flat there might be something to it.

[JB]

some guys pre fish with barbless cranks, and let the fish shake it off..that way the angler knows to come back tournament day and hope to catch some fish that havent seen his hands Yet.

[ROBZILLA]

The reason behind most of TV personalities using barb less hooks are as follows. 1) they get allot of flack by the animal rights people for using barbed hooks. 2) If your not intend on keeping the fish why leave the barbs on? 3) It might hurt the fish to the point of killing it on release.

So if you want to keep all your fish or are in a tourney I would use the barbs. But why have them on if you know your letting them go? You know you caught the fish so what if he shakes it loose at the boat. You know deep down inside you had him. Now if you lost a record fish that might kill your day!

[brushhog]

my two cents...No barbless hooks ever. I need to get the fish in the boat, hold it, snap a pict , and put it back. If you fish properly it is a small number of fish you injure...

[BigBassin144]

You know, At first I was really against the barbless hook idea, but now I realise there are good times and reasons to use them.

BB

[Bob Smith]

If you're busting buck bass in a surfacing school with a trap or some other multi-trebled hook bait and don't plan to keep any of them, go barbless! It's just easier to get them off. The same thing applies to sandbass or other prolific schooling fish.
Now, on the other hand, if you are fishing with a deep diving crank bait and the goal is lunker sized fish, and you have any hope of landing the fish, by all means keep the barbs!!

And if you see PETA standing on the bank slapping cane poles on the water keep a giant treble hook tied on with as many barbs as that sucka will hold, and make sure they get a close look at it!

[MississippiBoy]

Originally Posted by Bob Smith

And if you see PETA standing on the bank slapping cane poles on the water keep a giant treble hook tied on with as many barbs as that sucka will hold, and make sure they get a close look at it!

And maybe fire one or two shots across their bow with this massive hook? Ya know, just to get them to duck a little bit...

[Lilmoosecountry]

Some places in Canada you have to use barbless. ITZ THE LAW.

[jasonfish320]

I agree with ROBZILLA on this one, but on the flipside I've fished with guys who file down the back edges of the barbs almost to a 90 degree angle...they say it holds the hook better, who knows never tried..sounds like a lot work.

[WallStreetAmigo]

Originally Posted by Lilmoosecountry

Some places in Canada you have to use barbless. ITZ THE LAW.

That's how it is here. You cannot use barbed hooks in any river or stream in BC. On a side note, we can't use treble hooks in the rivers or streams either. Only single barbless hooks allowed. If we choose to pinch down the barb to make it barbless, it must be completely crimped down. If the conservation officer inspects your hook and the barb isn't pinched completely, you're busted!

Thank god all the great bass fishing here is in lakes where anything goes!

I will say that you haven't experienced a challenge until you've tried to land a big rainbow trout on a barbless hook!