How many here would be in Favor of Barbless hooks

Another week of fishing in Canada where Barbless hooks are required, got me to thinking if people here would be on board with Barbless hooks being required where you fish. I’m not sure how many here have ever fished with barbless hooks, but I can tell you it is much easier and quicker to unhook and release fish caught on Barbless hooks. Every once in awhile in Canada I end up with a lure or Jig on my line with Hooks that where not pinched. It only takes unhooking 1 fish to realize it and to stop and pinch the barbs. I think the less damage caused to the fish and the quicker time to get it back in the water would lead to far less hooking mortality. A second advantage is if you ever get a hook in yourself. I can tell you as someone who has had to remove both Barbed and Barbless hooks from myself and others, Removing the Barbless ones was far easier and less painful. Will the barbless hooks cost you a fish or two every once in awhile – probably. But it would be far less than you expect. Just curious on everyone’s thoughts on this.

I wonder what the numbers are for fish mortality due to the barb in a hook??

The quality of fishing in Canada is not due to barbless hooks.

Matt Vogel wrote:

I wonder what the numbers are for fish mortality due to the barb in a hook??

Damage from the hook probably not that High with the exception to a hooked gill. The amount of time out of the water I think is where the mortality would decrease the most I believe. A single hook. Not much of a factor. A large bait with 3 treble hooks a big difference. Just my .02 worth.

Deuces wrote:

The quality of fishing in Canada is not due to barbless hooks.

I’ll agree. But less fish dying from Hooking mortality can not hurt the quality of fishing anywhere.

When in Canada.. I literally cut 2 of the 3 trebles off on each of my daredevil’s for a quicker cleaner release… and barb bent down on the one remaining hook. When I come back and fish Mille Lacs, most of my jigs are barbs bent, I can’t say I lose a lot because of that.

The river I fish king salmon for in Alaska passed a regulation if the fishery was restricted to catch and release, barbless hooks were required. Three years after it was passed, it was dropped. Experts testified (fish biologists) mortality rates didn’t change when using barbless or not. Keep in mind, this is fishing for king salmon in freshwater, and they are not feeding. I’m sure the results would be different for actively feeding fish like walleyes and northerns that often swallow bait/lure deep in their stomachs.

I personally prefer barbless hooks when I know I’m releasing salmon. It’s much easier and quicker to release the fish. I’m getting old and fat and the less time I have to hang over the side of the boat to release a fish the better.

I wouldn’t have an issue with it at all for a bunch of the stated reasons

I’ve fished Manitoba and liked the barbless idea just never get around to it for some reason!!🙄

Barbless hooks make sense for the C&R species like bass and muskies that get recycled over and over. It’s very obvious which muskies have been caught recently and it’s a no brainer that barbless hooks would do less damage each time these fish are caught.

Not sure why walleye guys would even care, fish that “fight” like walleyes aren’t really any tougher to land with barbless hooks. It’s the fish that slackline (trout) or jump (muskies, bass) that come unpinned more often without barbs.

I started bending the barbs while sturgeon fishing a number of years ago. As long as the angler keeps the line tight it works fine.

To me it’s all about taking the hook out without needing a pliers.
With sturgeon, I wouldn’t think hooking mortality is even an issue.

If I can land a fish with a barbless hook (which nobody here has ever seen) anybody can. Ya’ll have pliers in the boat, bend the barbs if you like.

Hey BK, nice to see you binge posting today, don’t wear yourself out i’ll que up todays Friday topic between 4 & 5.

I’ve adopted some barbless fishing already without any requirements. I’ve also swapped out a lot of treble hooks for singles but I primarily C&R fish. Some of the barbed hooks can be a little aggressive. I’d rather not wrestle with it while unhooking fish. It goes without saying you lose more fish on a single barbless.

I would tend to think that a barbless hook would make more sense when using live bait. Mortality goes up when using live bait anyways, so if you have one less problem like a barb to deal with, I could see it making a difference.

Artificial lures, not so much. They are more often hooked in the mouth.

I feel like I lose more fish due to poor hook sets than barbless hooks. I think in a lot cases, especially with larger heavier wire hooks, that the bard limits penetration on the hook set. I agree with the notion that making it easier to unhook a fish helps catch-and-release. I’ve been squashing down the barb for decades now. It works for me.

SR

gim wrote:

Artificial lures, not so much. They are more often hooked in the mouth.

You have not fished much Large Pike or Muskies I’d guess. When you are fishing 9-12 ” baits and you get a fish to the boatside and you can not see any part of the baits you will see what I’m talking about. Yes they are hooked in the Mouth but I’d call it more way back in the throat.

Hooking mortality is a myth when fishing shallower than 30 fow. And the few fish foul hooked are statistically insignificant AND wouldn’t change due to barbs/barbless. If you disagree go ahead and pinch the barbs voluntarily. We don’t need another law that would be taxing the law abiders and not enforced on those breaking the law.

gim wrote:

I would tend to think that a barbless hook would make more sense when using live bait. Mortality goes up when using live bait anyways, so if you have one less problem like a barb to deal with, I could see it making a difference.

Artificial lures, not so much. They are more often hooked in the mouth.

I tend to think the opposite, using a leech or crawler, the barb helps hold the bait on… I have lost more than one leech casting out a jig… better off letting it spool out the back…

I agree, if you want to go barbless, do it. Do we need to mandate it… no.

i think with every new rule/law made 2 other laws have to be taken away. #maketheregbookshorter

big_g wrote:

I tend to think the opposite, using a leech or crawler, the barb helps hold the bait on…

That is a good point that I did not think of. I can easily see a leech wiggling off without a barb.

BigWerm wrote:

Hooking mortality is a myth when fishing shallower than 30 fow. And the few fish foul hooked are statistically insignificant AND wouldn’t change due to barbs/barbless. If you disagree go ahead and pinch the barbs voluntarily. We don’t need another law that would be taxing the law abiders and not enforced on those breaking the law.

It’s funny you say that. A guy from Gamakatsu testified in Alaska against barbless hooks. He said they’d sell a lot more hooks if it became barbless, but it doesn’t change the mortality. No reason to have more layers of laws and enforcement.

I’ve switched a lot to octopus hooks, even for panfish. After using them in saltwater for 3 years. So many fish are catch and release only after the red tide kill off. Circle style hooks do a great job of not buttoning up till they are exiting the mouth and catch the lip. Saltwater fish seem to run at you and put slack in the line more than freshwater. Very seldom end up with a deep hooked fish. We always used barbless and eliminated multiple hooks in Canada. Although barbless hooks do come out of your leg easier. Don’t ask how I know that.

There are some peer-reviewed research studies (with trout) in fisheries literature that show there is no statistical difference between barbed and barbless hooks regarding hooking mortality.

One study that I read actually showed more “hook penetrations” in a fishes mouth when using barbless treble hooks. The thought was that during the fighting of a hooked fish a barbless treble hook where two or three of the hooks are embedded in the fishes mouth and one or two of the barbless hooks may become free (easier with no barb) but the other hook or hooks remains in the fishes mouth and as the fighting continues the hooks that become free would again penetrate in another spot within the fishes mouth.

There is no doubt that barbless hooks are easier to remove from a fish or your finger or your clothes.

Buffalo Fishhead

Personal experience speaking, barbless hooks easier to remove from fish and self?
Yes.
Lost hook ups after a fish strikes yes.
Hooking mortality? only after anal hook sets or hooks/baits swallowed beyond the throat area and released.

I have caught many fish that have had hooks buried in their tongues, in the eye sockets, gills, and there isnt any easy way to save the fish with barbed hooks, especially with triple treble hook baits and all three are hooked in various body parts, these fish if within legal length limits die from the filet knife.

Am I in favor of barbless hooks?? yep, but we dont need another dang law to say so.

Do it if you want to, but don’t go mentioning it to the state… They’ve got enough BS floating around. And I have 1000s of hooks that I don’t want to bend!

BigWerm wrote:

Hooking mortality is a myth when fishing shallower than 30 fow. And the few fish foul hooked are statistically insignificant AND wouldn’t change due to barbs/barbless. If you disagree go ahead and pinch the barbs voluntarily. We don’t need another law that would be taxing the law abiders and not enforced on those breaking the law.

X2

I have used them in the Quetico and have not had a problem. I would be in favor. I don’t think you loose too many fish because of no barbs

At a time, we seem to be expected to be 100% for or against things. 100+ fish days in Canada, barbless hooks are a great thing. Especially on lakes with slow reproduction. This May on vacation, I struggled all day to catch one walleye to go with 3 crappies I ran across earlier in the day. Had it come off. Supper would have been drastically different.

Buffalo Fishhead wrote:

There is no doubt that barbless hooks are easier to remove from a fish or your finger or your clothes.

Buffalo Fishhead

Or some landing nets.

I dont know enough about them but I hate changes like these so no I am not in favor of a law forcing them on us. And I support lead…

Absolutely have no desire or intention to use barbless. Can barely keep my leeches on with barbs, might as well do away with livebait if you go barbless. Im all ears if someone has an easy way to keep leeches and shiners on without barbs… Using Canada anecdotes as evidence is apples and oranges to the Midwest.