I would like to make a few of my muskie lures barbless. I have been trying to catch a muskie in my kayak and have been using only single hooks for ease of unhooking. Using treble hooks will give me more bait options. What is the best way to do this? Pliers? Try to cut the barb? Replace hooks?
thanks, Dream’n
You could crimp them with a pliers, or you could file them down. To file them you could do it with a power drill and a little sanding wheel pretty easily, but crimping might be just as easy!
Crimp them, that gives you a slight bump to help keep the hook from coming out. imho
Been doing this for many years now and haven’t seen any problems with fish getting off, and much easier to get them freed once caught.
Al
Crimping them works great and is all that is required in Manitoba where barbless hooks are required. Any lure tied onto your line must be barbless.
As long as you keep tension on the line, never lost a fish.
Quote:
Crimping them works great and is all that is required in Manitoba where barbless hooks are required. Any lure tied onto your line must be barbless.
As long as you keep tension on the line, never lost a fish.
I’d say as long as I can remember I doubt I’ve lost more than a couple fish because of barbless and I’m not sure on them either, few weeks ago we were on a local lake fishing Musky’s and we caught a 34 and 42″, he one and I another one, he had barbed hooks and ended up cutting hooks to get the fish free, little wiggle here and there and my lure came out no problem.
I’ve seen that enough that I now make more and more of my tackle barbless, some ya can’t, but much of it you can.
Al
Thanks guys!
Dream’n
I’m pretty much barbless all the way around besides a couple baits. You can just cut the barbs off with a Knipex hook cutter very easily. I have lost a couple fish by going barbless when the fish turned and I lost pressure on the rod. It does make for much quicker and easier releases though. 
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
