In 2011, why not be a better sportsman? - two tips inside!

[fisher12889]

I really don't see the point. I don't generally fish without the intent to keep and eat what I catch (legal of course). And I am not going to lose a 4 pound bass that could be my dinner to try to make a few fish slightly more likely to survive C+R. If a fish is going to die after being released when caught on a barbed hook, then it most certainly is going to die with a barbless hook. What makes you think a barb will be the difference after a 10 minute or longer fight with a human 40 times it's weight? Personal experience or pure speculation?

And for most places you can hook a fish, if you do it right, you can remove a barbed hook as easily as a barbless.

The main benefit of barbless hooks, is that they are much easier to remove...this means that the fish is out of water less (anything over about 30 seconds is extremely detrimental to many species), and the hook does less damage in general when being removed. They actually help quite a bit with SUCCESSFULLY releasing fish (just because you put a fish back in the water and it swam away, doesn't mean its going to live.) Yes, there have been studies that prove the benefit of going barbless.

And honestly, if you know how to fight a fish, your not really gonna lose any more than you would with barbed hooks.

 

[pengu13]

i have gotten use to being barb less. it is law in alberta you have to use barb less hooks and in bc it has to be a barb less single hook now. i don't feel that i loose to many more fish with out the barb if you play them right. you might loose a few while trying to net them or on some high flying head shakes but thats part of the challenge.

i love getting the fish beside the boat and if i don't want it to just grab the hook and have it pop out no problem and to do a release with out removing the fish from the water or to pull out the hook with out taking a piece of flesh. barb less makes handling so much easier for the fish and you and like said if you get that hook into something other then a fish it comes out easy

 

[MultispeciesTamer]

Theres a time and place for everything. When fishing live bait which is a great potential of hooking the fish deep Option a go barbless. Or option 2 which the OP failed to mention is use a circle hook.

As for fishing with Lures I will just leave them be as is. 1. Because if I am fishing lures I am in a tournament and moneys on the line. 2. Because I dont want that wall mounter to get off with out a picture. Just remember when fishing lures with a barb to always carry a pair of pliers.

 

[Joe M]

The main benefit of barbless hooks, is that they are much easier to remove...this means that the fish is out of water less (anything over about 30 seconds is extremely detrimental to many species), and the hook does less damage in general when being removed. They actually help quite a bit with SUCCESSFULLY releasing fish (just because you put a fish back in the water and it swam away, doesn't mean its going to live.) Yes, there have been studies that prove the benefit of going barbless.

And honestly, if you know how to fight a fish, your not really gonna lose any more than you would with barbed hooks.

Uhh, ok. That was basically my point that you failed to notice. How do you know your happy barbless caught fish live any better than my fish caught with barbs? You don't. Link me to one of these "studies" cause Ive never heard of them. And where does this magical 30 second out-of-water time period come from? I have never once had any issue removing a hook unless the thing completely swallowed it, in which case barb or no barb doesn't matter. Now if were talking treble hooks, that's a different story. But were not. If you cant remove a single barbed hook from the mouth of a fish in less than your 30 second deadline, maybe you should use a net. Its safer. Hooks are sometimes too pointy.

By the way guys, whats the most humane way to fillet and eat a fish? I'm sure you have some good answers.

 

[pengu13]

Uhh, ok. That was basically my point that you failed to notice. How do you know your happy barbless caught fish live any better than my fish caught with barbs? You don't. Link me to one of these "studies" cause Ive never heard of them. And where does this magical 30 second out-of-water time period come from? I have never once had any issue removing a hook unless the thing completely swallowed it, in which case barb or no barb doesn't matter. Now if were talking treble hooks, that's a different story. But were not. If you cant remove a single barbed hook from the mouth of a fish in less than your 30 second deadline, maybe you should use a net. Its safer. Hooks are sometimes too pointy.

By the way guys, whats the most humane way to fillet and eat a fish? I'm sure you have some good answers.

I'm not sure how you can argue that a barbed hook dose less or the same damage as barb less stick both in you pull them out and see what leaves a large whole.

the 30 sec come from multiple studies where they exercise fish then hold them out of water for set time and study survival rates.
"As you'd expect, the control group had a 100% survival rate. The rainbow trout that were exhaustively exercised and not exposed to air survived at an 88% rate. However, the rate of survival for fish exposed to air for 30 seconds was only 62%, and those that were held out of the water for 60 seconds had a mere 28% chance of living to fight another day."

the line i like from one article is

"Holding a fish out of the water for 60 seconds or even 30 seconds would be like a human running full speed for a half an hour and then immediately being submerged in water for up to one full minute"

if you want some reading material this is what came up with a quick search
one for rainbows
http://www.wildtroutstreams.com/CatchRelease/catch_and_release_review_and_guidelines.pdf
one for Atlantic salmon
http://www.asf.ca/docs/uploads/tufts.pdf

as for your question on , whats the most humane way to fillet and eat a fish? do it like the asians
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivstO1Nv0rY&feature=fvst

 

[likestofish]

Man, Redearsunfish any thread you make causes drama around here. I dont usually switch the hooks on my lures but unless im food fishing i squish the barbs. I really dont see the difference. I have had barbed hooks and non barbed hooks thrown by a equally. I think its just keep the pressure on and you'll be fine. Also when a bass slings a hook back at you or it slingshots from a tree i wouldnt want the barbs in my arm.

 

[fisher12889]

Thanks pengu!

 

[NCStateFisher]

pengu while i don't argue your point in any way, it is trout and salmon being used in those studies, and they seem to be affected much more by this than other native fish correct?

at the end of the day, barbless will harm the fish less, but cause more losses. use your own judgment, and happy fishing

 

[pengu13]

Thanks pengu!

no prob

pengu while i don't argue your point in any way, it is trout and salmon being used in those studies, and they seem to be affected much more by this than other native fish correct?

at the end of the day, barbless will harm the fish less, but cause more losses. use your own judgment, and happy fishing

yes it dose seem that trout are more delicate, any studies i have been able to find on bass, pike, walleye seem to have much higher survival rates.


Sorry i'm not trying to turn this into a argument or start drama this is suppose to be about going barb less, which i do full support and don't have a choice in because my providence that i fish in made it law

 

[MultispeciesTamer]

pengu while i don't argue your point in any way, it is trout and salmon being used in those studies, and they seem to be affected much more by this than other native fish correct?

at the end of the day, barbless will harm the fish less, but cause more losses. use your own judgment, and happy fishing

Salmon and trout I dont even lift out the water if I plan to release. But fish like pike, walleye, bass, and catfish they can sometimes breathe for hours out of the water.