Pinch your barbs!
- Thread starter Redearsunfish
- Start date
I couldn't agree more, it will stop you from hooking yourself (like I have. Many times. Many Many Many time in fact) as well as it will be less painful to the fish especially delicate ones like trout. Always respect what you are fishing for, no matter what.
Just my.02 I will never bend my barbs down. Although some people might find this helpful. When you fish for things that jump or even at times swim toward you at high speed (kingfish/Bonita's/tarpon) if you have no barbs that will equal a list fish.
A few years ago I use to fish xraps without barbs and I would lose a fish every other time on the water. Ever since changing to barbed hooks I have caught many Bonita's that have been fouled hooked in the side.
Also if you think of what these fish eat including other fish with huge spines al over there bodies a lil tear in the mouth isn't harmful. The major thing that should be changed is the use circle hooks with a significantly less chance of gut hooking our fish.
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To each their own, but popping out a barbless from a fishes jaw with ease vs. digging and gouging and ripping a fishes lips and jaws to shreds? Is that fishes prey bony? Yup. Does it have the force of my hands, muscles, pliers and torque? Nope. Bend down your barbs to save fish and your own skin.
Will you loose more fish? Sure you will. But hey, that's why I SPORT fish, not fish TRAP.
I DONT FISH FOR FOOD. If I did, i'd use barbed hooks or a crossbow or a net.
But I respect your position, do what you like - I won't judge you or anyone.
Don't mean to start anything but just saying if you fish enough you should be able to look at most hookups and simply slide the barb right back threw the hole it created entering the fish.
But thanks for being respectful and not bashing people!!
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I agree, keep them hooks debarbed!
Especially in freshwater, where the fish tend to be a bit more delicate. You have no idea how many Catfish trips this trick has saved, with the barbs on you really either lose your hook or end up really messing up the fish's mouths, and avoiding that is worth the ten seconds it takes to flatten the barb down.
Not to mention, you'll be glad you did if you happen to get a hook in you.
Especially in freshwater, where the fish tend to be a bit more delicate. You have no idea how many Catfish trips this trick has saved, with the barbs on you really either lose your hook or end up really messing up the fish's mouths, and avoiding that is worth the ten seconds it takes to flatten the barb down.
Not to mention, you'll be glad you did if you happen to get a hook in you.
I'll never do this. It's not like every time you go fishing, you hook yourself. I catch a lot of big fish, such as Grass Carp, I would be pissed if I fought one for an hour on ultra light only to loose it because of no barb and then see it die because I wasn't able to help it back into the water properly.
I caught a crap load of native fish for my 500 and few other tanks. The few fish that got messed up a little bit from the barb, all healed up rather fast. I realize there are times when it can get infected, but anything that has an open wound with or without a barb can still get infected. I'm sure the fish can still feel the sharp hook penetrating his face with or without a barb.
If I did do this, it would be for the challenge but on small fish only. Fighting big fish and not being able to help them till they can swim off on their own is not a good things in my eyes. It takes me 15 minutes sometimes for me to help a fish get strong enough to swim off and not float belly up. Big fish build up lactic acid which can kill them very fast, especially in the hotter months.
A lot of times if you embed a hook deep inside you, your going to get it checked out anyways. So you will loose a day if fishing. Some folks may not be up to date on shots, they may get worried about infections and want it cleaned up, etc.
I've been fishing since I was 9, been hooked once in the lip and that was because the other guy walked behind me when casting. It was a small top water fly, dull and semi rusted hook.
I caught a crap load of native fish for my 500 and few other tanks. The few fish that got messed up a little bit from the barb, all healed up rather fast. I realize there are times when it can get infected, but anything that has an open wound with or without a barb can still get infected. I'm sure the fish can still feel the sharp hook penetrating his face with or without a barb.
If I did do this, it would be for the challenge but on small fish only. Fighting big fish and not being able to help them till they can swim off on their own is not a good things in my eyes. It takes me 15 minutes sometimes for me to help a fish get strong enough to swim off and not float belly up. Big fish build up lactic acid which can kill them very fast, especially in the hotter months.
A lot of times if you embed a hook deep inside you, your going to get it checked out anyways. So you will loose a day if fishing. Some folks may not be up to date on shots, they may get worried about infections and want it cleaned up, etc.
I've been fishing since I was 9, been hooked once in the lip and that was because the other guy walked behind me when casting. It was a small top water fly, dull and semi rusted hook.
