I don't get it

[not_nuf_time]

Every year we see post of muskie mortalities from to long a battle, or can't get the hooks out, or to long shooting photos. Last week a post about hook cutters,which indicates that hooked to deep or taking to long to get fish free. Trout fisherman have used barbless hooks for years. I use-to trout fish alot and became accustomed to crimping down the barbs. So about 2 years ago I did it to my muskie lures.

Now I don't catch alot of muskies a year, roughly five, but have never had one shake free while on a fight. The bonus to crimping barbs also is that if you fish alone alot, the hooks if you get one imbedded in your skin should just pull right out. almost all of the fish I have caught end up shaking the lure free when they are netted. You get a quick release and sure a lot safer on hands. These quick release have convinced my brother-inlaw to crimp his down also.

I think if more guys would give it a try they would find crimping barbs works just fine and that they wont lose as many fish as they think they would, plus maybe save more big fish from dieing on us. Give it a try you wont believe how easy the lure comes out when finally netted. Any thoughts?

[Questor]

My thought is to use single hook lures like spinner baits. Not only do they help the fish, but they keep the hooks out of my hands too. What I'd really like to see is some information on how to substitute treble hooks on plugs for single hooks that are effective.

About the mortality statistics you might be seeing, I doubt them very much because it is unlikely that the information to base the statistics on is actually available. For example, do you ever measure and report the amount of time it takes you to land and photograph a fish? I don't and heard of anyone that does. The simple fact is that the catch and release ethic among muskie fishermen is very strong and there is far lower mortality today than when we were killing them all.

I prefer barbs on hooks that are used for fish with the explosive boatside fighting properties we see in northern pike. With trout, the lures are much lighter and the fish are generally tired out by the time they come to the hand.

This makes a good debate. Thanks for the post.

[RK]

Hiya -

I do fish barbless most of the time. It definitely makes releases faster and easier - hugely so in fact - and I don't think it costs me any fish - or at least not enough to matter in the long run. Muskies are good at getting off, barbs or not... In fact, I think I can make a convincing case for losing fewer fish with barbless hooks because I get better hook penetration.

But - hook cutters are still a necessity. If I have a fish in a net (which I don't do often frankly - I prefer to hand land) I still start by cutting every hook in sight if it looks like the fish is really hooked. Even with barbless hooks, I still have to cut hooks once in a while when fish get their mouth pinned shut by multiple trebles.

Good post not_nuf...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[CaptainMusky]

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What I'd really like to see is some information on how to substitute treble hooks on plugs for single hooks that are effective.

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I used to work with a gentleman that replaced all of his trebles on crank baits, etc with single saltwater barbless hooks. I saw pictures of them and he showed me a couple of them and they are funky looking. They have a bit of a bend to them similar in location to where the bard would be that is supposed to lock the fish in better that without a barb.

He was getting these from Bass Pro Shops at the time. Sorry, but I don't have any more specifics than that, but he used them for large pike in Canada and had excellent success.

[PDXFisher]

First thing I did when I bought my first couple batches of Musky lures was crimp down all the barbs. Having spent most of my life as a trout fly fisherman, I was just used to it (though not used to having to do it nine times per lure!). I always thought the hook would plant itself easier that way. I also have been quite intimidated by the prospect of getting nine barbed treble points out of a thrashing fish quickly, so I wanted it to be as easy as possible.

That said, after having two strikes on LOWriders that came off (I later learned I was setting at the wrong time "FEEL the weight of the fish"), the next batch or two of lures I didn't crimp down. Didn't seem to matter. I lost two huge ones on a reef hawg and a Vibrax tandem 6, latter with barbs, former without. After I lost the one on the Hawg without a huge hookset, I vowed to set hard the next time. I did, and it came out not five seconds later. I sharpened the hooks, too.

After about 25 days fishing without one boated, I just want to boat one know. I got my jaw spreaders and hookout and will pick up my big net once I arrive in a couple of weeks. Barb or no, I will not be denied this time! But if I have my druthers, I'd like to catch it barbless.

[RK]

Quote:

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What I'd really like to see is some information on how to substitute treble hooks on plugs for single hooks that are effective.

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Hiya -

For a lot of treble hook baits, singles just don't work very well. Too many ways for the body to get in the way of the hook, or for the hook to lay flat against the body...

What I have done, especially on trolling baits, is to take the back hook off completely. At least with muskies, about 95% of the fish are hooked on the front hook, and it's the back hook swinging around free that does the damage, either to you, or to the fish. Muskies really head-hunt baits, so I don't think I'm missing anything but hassles at boatside without the back hook on Jakes, etc.

The other thing you can do is just reduce the number of trebles overall. A lot oflures have 3 trebles and don't really need that many. Replace the front and rear hook with a size (or two) larger hooks and take the middle hook off completely...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[Muskiefool]

Ive been thinking about going barbless on baits for some time now, all my trout stuff(Raps and PM Spinners) is barbless with very few exceptions, I think it may have cost me a fish or 2 but I cant say for sure (some get off no matter what)till I started rotating the hooks similar to the Excalibur Hooks by I believe Heddon, after doing this it's pretty much 100%, the hooks twist in and don't come out till they are pulled out, I think this may start finding it's way into my boat soon.

[RK]

Hiya -

Another GREAT hook for barbless is the Mustad Triple Grip. Right now they're only available up to 3/0 in Duratin (saltwater hooks, but not nearly as miserable to sharpen as the old nickel/cad hooks). Supposedly, they're working on coming out with them in bronze in muskie sizes. When they do, I'm going to be doing a whole lotta hook replacing, because they're awesome hooks, barbed, or barbless....

Cheers,

Rob Kimm