barbless lures and hooks...

[newmember]

Hi everyone. Since it is barbless season for MN streams, I wanted to ask and see where everyone gets their barbless hooks from? It's been harder than I thought trying to find barbless hooks.

Do I have to order hooks online? I'm looking for replacement hooks for crankbaits and spinners. Are there any local stores I can drive to? I'd rather drive than order online. I guess i can always go onto HSO-Classifieds or amazon. Also, has anyone ever heard Ouchless Lures? i googled barbless hooks and it came up. Seems like a rather new online store. I might give them a try if I can't find anything else.

newmember

[nubote]

Manitoba is entirely barbless. We pinch the barbs with pliers. Barbless hooks are very expensive even if you can find them(small market). If you need barbed hooks after you've pinched the barbs, just replace with your favorite barbed hooks.

[mainbutter]

I've always assumed that pinching/grinding down the barbs makes 'em legal. Do fly shops that carry tying supplies not have barbless hooks?

[ted4887]

Yes, I asked a DNR officer when I got checked a few weeks ago before heading out if pinching them down works, and he said absolutely. He also acknowledged the fact that finding true barbless hooks is hard, if not impossible in some cases. So just make sure you pinch the barb down and you'll be fine.

[newmember]

Thanks guys. I've searched past threads on here and the consensus seemed to be pinching them, but I guess I just wanted to be careful. I don't want my trout fishing rights taken away I've pinched a couple spinners in past and always have consistently lost one of the (of the three)treble hooks (it just breaks off).

newmember

[Ufatz]

It is important to remember that a fly or lure with a de-barbed hook is much easier to remove, not only from a fish, but from YOUR hand or finger! Or from your dog. Or your kid.

[ted4887]

Amen to that Ufatz. I had one get completely buried in my finger a few weeks ago. It hurt like hell, but pulled right out. Thank goodness, because I was pretty sure there was a trip to the ER in my future.

[Nate McVey]

It is important to remember that a fly or lure with a de-barbed hook is much easier to remove, not only from a fish, but from YOUR hand or finger! Or from your dog. Or your kid.

You got that right! My dog ran by the truck while my rod was resting against it. 2 seconds later she was dragging my rod behind her with the fly in her eyelid! Long story short, the pinched down barb pulled right out.

[OnAFly]

Every time a deeply hook a fish, I think about when I pinched down that barb and how much time I saved (and the fish no less).

[Jerry]

I have mixed feelings about this. I know pinched barbs are considered permissible, but clearly they offer more resistance (i.e. less apt to back out of the fish) than a true barbless hook would. But if this satisfies the spirit of the law, it works for me! Not to mention the difficulty and cost of true barbless hooks. I have some--I think from the Cabela's fly shop--but I do not use them on many of my lures because, as I said, they do not hold as well. Still, single crimped are a world apart from barbed trebles, and I often use the former even in the regular season when barbless are not required.

As far as the process of crimping them, some types of hooks crimp more cleanly than others, but really the only way to find out is trial and error. Once in awhile I will have the lower end of a barb break off rather than crimping, making it impossible to get a flattened point (unless you file it down). Other times the barb crimps partially but leaves a gap, in which case I am reluctant to use it and usually play it safe by starting over with a new hook.

[itchmesir]

If you are looking for barbless flies... i know of a supplier i use that carries them.. and they make good quality flies at a really reasonable price.

[email protected]

[barbless]

Hi, New member here. Did you purchase barbless treble hooks from Ouchless Lures? I bought some Pike lures from them last year. Good quality & prices.

[newmember]

nope i haven't. I will have to give them a try though.

[pkv]

I just found where you can get barbless hooks. Call me up 651-###-####

[reinhard1]

i just pinch down the barbs on my hooks with long nose pliers. good luck.

[goblueM]

Hi, New member here. Did you purchase barbless treble hooks from Ouchless Lures? I bought some Pike lures from them last year. Good quality & prices.

might as well just come clean and admit you represent ouchless lures...

[walleye365]

why just assume! you dont know for sure.