Barbless/flattened barbed treble hooks

[ben306]

How many of you flatten the barbs/ use barbless trebles on your lures?

 

Ive seen a number of people get trebles stuck in hands and what not and had major issues trying to remove them, aswell as making unhooking fish much faster and safer.

[JohnF]

How many of you flatten the barbs/ use barbless trebles on your lures?

 

Ive seen a number of people get trebles stuck in hands and what not and had major issues trying to remove them, aswell as making unhooking fish much faster and safer.

 

Most of mine are squashed, and I've been happy about it at least a couple of times.

 

JF

[BillM]

Only when I am small stream trout fishing. Other then that, I don't pinch my barbs unless the regs state that I need to.

[muskeybugged]

I love the Idea and do it every time I go out when I'm not looking for Muskies - I don't want to wait another 10, 000 cast, as I get better/luckier at the whole musky thing I'd consider it then too.

It made getting pesky blue gills of the hook in a jiffy, and left more time for crappies the last 2 days.

[fish-miester]

honestly i pinch the barbs on most of my musky baits .. we catch so many even with the barbs closed big or small.. doesnt seem to effect it really ..

i mainly do this because i like to quick release them and it can be a pain in the butt trying to pull all 6 hooks out of a 40" muskie when its not wanting to be in the boat with you ..

 

other then that i keep the barbs on ...

 

maybe im just weird.. but it works for me and havnt had any problems so far

Edited May 4, 2009 by fish-miester

[NBR]

I pinch the barbs down almost 100% and have for over 30 years. I never noticed losing more fish.

[fishing n autograph]

I don't usually unless I'm fishing the upper grand....but then again, i don't really catch anything anyway so it makes lures hard to get out of trees!

[Weeds]

I pinched the barbs down on my lucky 9 inch Suick last year and figure I might pinch down them on my bucktails this year too. I figure I will probably leave my big musky spinnerbaits alone as the single hook is easier/safer to handle and remove anyway.

[muddler]

I debarb everthing that my kids (8 and 10 years old) use. That includes baited hooks and lures. It has saved a lot of problems when we fish. I've removed too many accidental casts from different body parts painlessly. It is also easier for the kids to remove the hook from a fish by themselves.

 

As for my lures I debarb all lures and flies. The only barb I keep on is the hook for fishing a roe bag or single egg. The bait stay on the hook that way.

 

I debarb by gently and firmly pressing down the barb with a pair of pliers first, then using a battery operated hook sharpener I smooth down the bump. If I do it a t home a Dremel type tool and a cone shaped stone does the job in a jiffy.

 

muddler

[steve barrett]

Pinch them all the time. If not one would limit out in a few minuits and would have to go home.The barbs tend to rip the mouth to the extent one cannot let the fish go one has to keep them .Shure makes a mess out of small trout. This was a good question Steve

[dks]

I pinch down my barbs 100% as well. The majority of my fishing is catch and release, so easy hook removal is important for me. When I started fishing years ago I had the misfortune of hooking the back of my head with a fly that was snagged. You know, snagged fly, pull rod, snag frees up, pull back rod to prevent tangle,oops, fly in back of head.....

Well, let's say I pinched down barbs ever since. Last year I embedded a treble in my hand and even though the hooks had their barbs pinched down, it was a challenge to remove it. I would have hated it if it was barbed!