Whopper caught on Chubby Darter

[gatorhunter]

Go BARBLESS! Go BARBLESS! I can't make it any clearer than that. Manitoba has been barbless since the early 1990s as a fisheries management tool. The most enjoyable side benefit has been no more stuck hooks in various extremities or articles of clothing. I feel your pain but try pinching back the barbs on your hooks and you will quickly see and feel the benefits of going BARBLESS!

[DeeDee]

That looks so painful. Last year my sister caught her husband in the face with one. Not sure how they got it out but she too stopped to take a picture

[MN Shutterbug]

Ewwww. Dang Barb, you're one tough lady. I would have been about as much help as your hubby. I don't handle blood and pain very well.

[bottom-bouncer]

just glad im not the only one who does that.

[cookie129]

Theres a great way to remove a hook with a strong string and pliers and it works. I had one removed and the next year got to perform it on another fishermen. Hard to explain but it sure works good you do not even feel it come out. Maybe A guy can find it on the internet. It works

[cookie129]

I did a quick check on the internet under removing a fish hook with string and it is on there. The technich i used was a little different but it is a great thing to no in the field. Good luck on red this weekend

[Ed Carlson]

Hence my fondness for Barb-less hook fishing.

Try extracting a 8 O/T Gami Circle hook from the palm of your hand once..that will convert one to barbless preaty darn quickly.

[UdeLakeTom]

I slid down a lake bank one summer carrying my fishing rod already set up with a spoon. Buried the treble hook in my hand. A couple walking by asked if I was ok...I said sure, then walked back up carefully and extracted the lure from my right hand with one of those handy all purpose gadgets. It wasn't fun using my left hand to do this. It is also a good thing I carry a mini-first aid kit in my vehicle.

[glenn57]

ok, so whats wrong with using your left hand?

[FishNovice101]

ok, so whats wrong with using your left hand?

I have to agree with Glenn - what's wrong with using your left hand?

[UdeLakeTom]

Hey I married a lefty....Just that maybe you then should try to do it right handed and see how easy it is.

[FishNovice101]

You are right - for us lefties doing things right handed just don't work the same. Except bowling. Strange thing is I do that right handed. No matter which hand is more dominant, it is more challenging doing things with only one hand.

[glenn57]

oh-oh,i bowl and shoot my bow and guns right handed, aint so hard. i used to weld for a living so i got use to being a part time right hander. ULT try being married to a right hander!

[HugoBox]

I'm laughing my arse off right now. I think those darn Chubby Darters are possessed. In a span of five minutes I hooked my hand good (barb and all) - as soon as I got it undone I made the stupid mistake of adjusting my little Under Armor hoodie deal with the Darter still in hand and not only hooked the hood but also my scalp. Problem is it was about 1/2 hour before sundown and I didn't want to leave the ice so pliers and a hard pull removed it and a chunk of my head (a big reason why I went barbless on my muskie stuff!). You'd think I was done with that lure but I'm not that smart - as I was hop-scotching to the next hole (carrying too many things) I dropped the rod but fortunately it didn't end up in the snow because the chubby darter caught itself on the back of my shoulder. At this point I simply cut the line and left that lure where it was.

I definitely won the one-who-thinks-I-am-silly award that weekend - I'm less afraid of a 45" muskie than I am of a 3" Chubby Darter!!