Barbless or Barbs ?

[not_nuf_time]

Just curious to see if people do a lot or any Muskie fishing barbless.

[Scoot]

Yep, I'm up to about 50/50. I've got a few lures I don't plan on pinching the barbs on, but I'm pinching most of them down as I use them. Many of them are sort of soft pinched- not down 100%, just pinched down most of the ways.

[Maashkinoozhe]

I pinch down all my trebles. Seems to speed up the unhooking process.

Dave D.

[pondhopper]

I also pinch all the treble hooks. Its very difficult to remove a barbed treble when all three hooks are imbedded.

[TeddyBoy]

When you say you pinch the barbs are you taking a pliers and simply flattening out the barb? Does eliminating the barb reduce the chance of hooking the fish? What about the fish coming loose after it's hooked? Is pinching the barbs the way to go or do they sell barbless hooks? I've always wondered about this. Thanks,

[Maashkinoozhe]

I use a needle-nose pliers or a hemostat to pinch down the barbs (a hemostat doesn't do so well on large hooks, though, and it may break). It doesn't decrease the chance of hooking a fish, but it does increase the chance of a fish throwing it off, or slipping it off. This is where your angling skill is tested. You have to keep tension on the line at all times if possible. While you might lose the odd fish now and then, it pays of in spades when you are unhooking it. I remember being in a canoe with a friend and we were into some great pike action. I had a little trouble unhooking a fish, and decided to pinch down my trebles. My friend then landed a fish, and he was having a dickens of time trying to unhook the fish from his barbed hook. I landed three pike and unhooked them no problem, while he struggled with the same fish. Once he was done, he looked at me and pinched down the barbs on his lure. I like to spend my time fishing, not unhooking.

Personally, I think the 3 hooks are more than sufficient in keeping a hooked fish hooked. It gets a little tricker when using a barbless single hook. Sometimes I'll pinch those, sometimes not - depending on the size of the barb.

Dave D.

[RK]

Hiya -

I pinch the barbs down on many of my baits. Really makes releases easier on everyone, plus a safety deal in case I ever get hooked (I'm way, WAY overdue for having a hook in my hide again...).

I really don't think having barbless hooks costs me many fish at all. As long as you keep your line tight...you should be fine. In fact, I think there's a pretty convincing case to be made for better hook penetration when there are no barbs to get past.

I just pinch my barbs down with a needle nose. Some mash down, others break off. Doesn't matter much.

I have changed hooks on some baits lately to 3/0 Mustad Triple Grips. As far as I'm concerned they're the best hook there is for going barbless. With the wide bend they really hold exceptionally well even without barbs. Right now the 3/0 is as big as they have available, and those are Duratin coated. Duratin is a silvery coating, but it is NOT the same thing as the old Nickel-Cad hooks. Much easier to sharpen. I know some have a real hangup about silver hooks, but I can't imagine fish caring. (You'd really have to convince me that a fish wouldn't hit a purple bucktail with a red blade or a fiertiger jerkbait becase it has silver hooks...). That having been said, a few of us are working with Mustad right now on larger (2/0-5/0) bronze Triple Grips. I can't wait till they start making them. Triple Grips are freaking nasty...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[not_nuf_time]

Well, I followed your guys advice on going barbless for Muskies. Since then, caught four, all quick easy releases.

But, this last weekend was the clincher, my bro-in-law and I were out and I had a 47" engulf from behind a pacemaker. Swallowed it till I couldn't see it, by the time I was done looking for hook remover she already had kicked out the lure. It still took us 25 minutes to revive, but she would have been long dead if left barbs open. I'll always pinch em down from now on. Thanks for opinions.