Barbed hooks

[Classic tier 0]

I was sitting down, dreaming of catching a nice, big salmon, when it dawned on me out of the blue. Would using barbed hooks be better for C&R fish? Just listen, I haven't gone barmy! Surely barbless hooks, without something to hold the hook securely, allow the hook to twist and turn as the fish fights, thus causing a larger wound (if that's the right word), and ultimately leading to an infection. Wouldn't it be safer for people to be taught how to take barbed hooks out quickly, this would mean the hook, whilst the fish is fighting, is held strong in the same position?

 

What are your thoughts?

[jared sartini 0]

i would think that the barbed hooks would create a larger wound because there's another point or object to penetrate the fishes mouth besides the hook point. with a barbless hook, it just slides in and out and instead of a creating new holes or ripping farther in the fishes mouth. those are my thoughts about it.

[Horseshoes 0]

There seems to be a bit of logic there. But is it true?? :eek:

[smallieFanatic 0]

A barbless might make a large wound during the fight, but a barbed hook would cause an even larger wound as you struggle to take it out.

[Futzer 0]

On all my small hooks, I keep the Tiemco barb intact as regs allow. Small hooks tend to rip a larger wound. I think the barb minimizes this.

 

Cheers, Futzer

 

[Redwings1 0]

The part of the hook that is in contact with the fish, the bend, is the same whether you are using a barbed hook or a barbless. The added damage with a barbed hook comes on the entry and exit of the barb. A true barbless hook has every bit the holding power of a barbed hook if pressure is maintained on the fish, and will not cause multiple entries. While a barbless hook is much easier to remove once the fish is landed, there is only minimally more 'damage' if a barbed hook is removed carefully and correctly. Do not confuse crimping down the barb on a barbed hook and a barbless hook as they are two different beasts...barbed hooks are designed to be fished that way. If you want to fish barbless then pick up hooks designed to be fished that way (Knapek, Dohiku, SPB Tiemco, etc) and you will not be disappointed with their performance.

[neoFLYte 0]

Personally, I don't quite buy this "barbed" theory. I'll have to stay with barbless hooks. Disclaimer: I am in Texas. My fishing experience, with some deep-sea and trout stream exceptions, my catched have included bluegills, bass, catfish and some other warm-water species. In my younger days, I never considered using (or had even heard of) a barbless hook. For keepers, I never worried about hook injury. I always hated when I had problems getting the hook out of a juvenile fish. I don't know about everyone else, but my ratio of keepers to throwbacks is fairly low - maybe one keeper per 20 catches. I've had a ton more problems removing barbed hooks. Now, all of my hooks are either de-barbed or manufactured that way. If I lose a fish because of a barbless hook, so be it. For me, fishing is as much about making that perfect cast and relaxation as it is chalking up another catch.

[tidewaterfly 0]

Hooks are made to impale the fishes mouth, hopefully, barbed or not. I primarily use debarbed hooks, and agree with Redwing1 about the part of the hook in contact with the fish should be the bend, if sufficient pressure is maintained. I've never seen much difference between debarbed hooks & manufactured barbless hooks, but frankly haven't used the manufactured barbless frequently enough to say I've compared them extensively. Damage will occur either way.

 

I debarb my hooks because they penetrate easier & are much easier to remove, either from the fish or my own flesh, should that happen. I don't recall ever losing a fish because of the lack of a barb. I don't buy barbless hooks because they generally don't make them for the type fishing I do most, and they're usually more expensive than barbed hooks. Debarbing is just as affective for me.

 

When I start getting so concerned about the degree of damage my debarbed hooks inflict compared to a manufactured barbed hook or even a barbless hook, that I have to loose sleep over it, then I'll quite fishing. That would be the only way to prevent damage.

 

Take as much care as is humanly possible to prevent excessive damage and keep fishing. Otherwise give it up, and worry about more important things.

[jimmyboy 0]

i wouldthink the barb would twist, ripping an even larger hole than a barbless.

[Hairstacker 0]

Well, I only fish barbless for everything. I mostly fish for bass and, in the past, at times I found it extremely difficult to remove a barbed hook if it penetrated the hard cartilage of a bigger bass' jaw. In fact, I recall one 4 lber where I felt like I was breaking the fish's jaw while trying to remove a big barbed hook. Never again, strictly barbless for me, especially since I'm 100% catch 'n release.

 

-- Mike

[Brian Brown75 0]

it depends, for trout i usually do, but for like panfish and bass and warmwater fish i dont

[ruffwater 0]

I am not sure what the big deal is between barbed or barbless hooks it seems to me we should all try and do our best not to harm the fish we catch and release. But we all know if we didnt want to harm fish ever we wouldnt hook them at all.

[Classic tier 0]

But hooks very rarely harm the fish, FISH DON'T FEEL PAIN! Certainly in their mouths. Think about it, if you suddenly found a hook stuck in your mouth pulling hard, would you run in the opposite direction? No, you'd run towards where the pulling is comming from. Do this to an ape and the same will happen. However when a fish notices the pulling it swims away from the pulling. If fish could feel pain in their mouths, they wouldn't make it hurt even more, would they?

 

There, rant over.