Going Barbless vs Gambling...is it the same thing?

[Baron]

Recently JerryC introduced me to barbless hooks. I'd never have tried them on my own as I've always figured that my catch rate needed all the help it could get. But he shared a few flies and I caught fish on them. Presto! It was like a new revelation. In the past I've often managed to catch my anchor rode or hook clothing. Now I don't fear that. If I hook something other than fish the hook will back out easily. Will my catch average suffer much if I switch entirely to barbless?

I'd love to hear more on this including how you get rid if existing barbs.

I'm trying to be cautious but I think I found a nice option to not hurt fish that I don't intend to harvest.

How do you see it?

 

[Swattie87]

Just pinch the barb down on your existing hooks with your forceps when you tie a fly on. On smaller flies, maybe size 12 or 14 and smaller the barb usually will literally break off. On larger flies, like streamers, just pinch the barb down flat against the hook.

There are more and more barbless hook options showing up on new flies, and when buying flies now, I try to buy barbless right out of the gate if I can, but it's not always an option on all patterns and/or if you're in a jam needing a certain pattern. After a little while, crushing the barb (if not barbless) becomes second nature habit when tying on a new fly.

 

[Dave_W]

Baron wrote:
Will my catch average suffer much if I switch entirely to barbless?

No.

I'm a staunch advocate of barbless hooks and have used them for decades. I don't believe I have lost more fish as a result of it. With very few exceptions, I de-bard all my hooks before I tie flies on them.

Since you are fishing for panfish a lot these days, barbless may actually help you catch more fish because you will spend less time getting them unhooked and more time with you fly in the water or bringing in the next one. Getting hooks out of sunfish, especially bluegills, can be time consuming and going barbless will help with this a bit.

And of course, if you stick yourself, the hook will come out easier (usually).

 

[nomad_archer]

Yes go barbless it wont hurt your catch rate one bit. Buy them barbless if you can otherwise pinch the barb. I tie my own and only use barbless hooks as there really are quite a few barbless options.

 

[Baron]

I feel like a traitor. For my whole life I've used the standard Eagle claw bait holder but I'm sick of mangling BG and PS with small mouths. I cut many free leaving the hook in there.
For trout I was using Eggs all those years and that was as bad or worse. Many a night I took fish home because they had completely swallowed the hook.
Since taking up FF there seems to be less swallowed hooks and I'm hoping that going barbless will save the rest.

 

[mellowluke]

When you lose or forget your forceps, barbless hooks are a day saver.

 

[hunter1]

80 % of my flys are barbles. Teaches you how to keep a lttle pressure on the fish, Plus if one gets off before I can handle it , thats a plus.

 

[Bruno]

My kid loves barbless hooks

 

[springer1]

The fish will thank you for being able to continue feeding without torn & ripped mouths & lips, and you'll also be glad you're barbless once you snag yourself or someone. Plus, the smaller diameter hook (without the barb offset) allows for an easier and more effective hook set - especially on larger hooks.

When I first started going barbless, I couldn't believe how different I felt personally while releasing the fish unharmed.

 

[Baron]

Okay, Consensus, even from that handsome youg'in Bruno is showing off. Sounds like a win-win and that will be my goal as I go forward. Thanks JerryC for introducing me to this new lifestyle of "hooked but not hurt".

 

[JerryC]

I've certainly lost some fish over the year's since I've gone barbless. It becomes a matter of keeping pressure on when fighting large ones, or those that like to jump a lot. I've also eliminated trips to the ER when I couldn't the hook out. All my flies are barbless, my lures are barbless. I'm not as cute as Bruno's kid but I don't look good with bling on my ear.

 

[Baron]

Yikes!

 

[Lou]

All fish caught and on the line for twenty seconds count as a landed fish! All the better if they get free after that. Definitely less stress on the fish as the water warms up. I guess the only negative if you lose a fish of a lifetime that you maybe would have liked a picture. Lou

 

[fishbaithohaha]

Barbless, only hook to use, especially for catch and release. Release all your children, granchildren, wife, girlfriend, fishing buddies, other fishermen ......

 

[Baron]

fishbaithohaha wrote:
Barbless, only hook to use, especially for catch and release. Release all your children, granchildren, wife, girlfriend, fishing buddies, other fishermen ......

Good One FB!

 

[RLeep2]

I prefer barbed hooks that I pinch down PRN over actual manufactured barbless hooks. I've convinced myself that I get the best of both world this way. I can back an errant hook out of pretty much anywhere, including my ear lobes and at the same time, I get whatever advantage/edge there is in terms of fish retention from the remaining bump.

I recognize that my reasoning about this probably has more to do with religion than science, but it makes me feel better, so that's what I do...

 

[Baron]

For now that's how half of my hooks will be, barbless bent down.
The exception will be bluefish and I'm not ready yet for them.

 

[Biggie]

Also it is much easier to pinch down the barbs with forceps that are smooth jaws at the tips instead of the typical ridges. You have to look a little to find them, but it is much easier to pinch the barbs. I also use barbless flies in NY for steelhead and big browns and no problems losing fish.

 

[Dave_W]

Baron wrote:

The exception will be bluefish and I'm not ready yet for them.

I always use barbless for blues.

They have a tendency, especially the big ones, to bite down hard when you are trying to unhook them. In addition to barbless, I recommend a very sturdy hook with a somewhat longer shank. This will give you something to get a hold of with your pliers - having barbless hooks makes it easier to get them loose.

 

[redietz]

RLeep2 wrote:
I prefer barbed hooks that I pinch down PRN over actual manufactured barbless hooks. I've convinced myself that I get the best of both world this way. I can back an errant hook out of pretty much anywhere, including my ear lobes and at the same time, I get whatever advantage/edge there is in terms of fish retention from the remaining bump.

I don't think it helps retention one bit, but what does help is if you fish a second fly by attaching tippet to the bend of the top fly. With a store bought barbless hook, that tippet will slip off, but it won't with a mashed down barb.

My thought when I lose a fish on a barbless hook is that's a fish I probably wouldn't have hooked in the first place with a barbed hook. It's easier to drive a needle into a fish's mouth than a wedge.