To use barbless hooks or not to use barbless hooks – that is the question.
Well, it is certainly a question that more and more anglers are asking themselves when they tie on a hook just before casting out. In order to better answer the question, it is important to understand the actual process of hooking a fish as well as the design characteristics of both types of hooks.
The barb on a hook is designed to prevent the hook from coming out too easily once it has penetrated the flesh of the fish’s mouth. Not too long ago pretty well all hooks were barbed. This began to change when the practice of catch and release started to become more popular. Initially, anglers would simply pinch down the barb on a hook to render it ‘barbless’, a practice that is still most commonly used by anglers who either intend to release their catch, or are fishing waters that are, by law, designated single, barbless hooks only. It is only in the last few years that more and more anglers are choosing to use hooks that are of a barbless design.
There is a certain amount of resistance that is created by the barb on a hook which initially makes it more difficult for the hook point to penetrate. A barbed hook with the barb bent down will offer less resistance than a barbed hook with the barb intact, while a manufactured barbless hook by design offers the least amount of resistance which actually translates into faster, deeper hook sets. As long as you use the bend of your rod to keep pressure on the fish while playing it, it is unlikely a barbless hook will come out.
The problem is that while a barbed hook may not come out easily while playing the fish, when the barb does come out it causes damage to the fish. This may not be a concern if you plan to keep and eat your catch; however, if you do plan on releasing it, the damage caused by the hook can result in the fish not being able to eat properly for some time after release. Removing a barbless hook from a fish’s mouth is much easier as it only takes a second or two to grasp the hook and gently back it out. Barbless hooks come out much more easily and cause little or no damage.
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This can become even more of an issue if your fish swallows the hook. A barbed hook means almost certain death, while a barbless hook can quite often be removed with little damage being caused to the fish.
If you fish long enough, it is only a matter of time before you eventually end up getting a hook in your clothing, or even worse, a finger. With barbed hooks, it can be a difficult and painful process to get them out. Barbless hooks are much more easily removed and represent a far less painful process. A couple of years back, I was down at the wharf with a classroom of young kids who were learning to fish. I was tying a hook on for one young fellow just as another walked by. Needless to say, he walked right into the line and the hook ended up penetrating my finger – right to the bone. It hurt a bit, but what worried me more at the time was the thought of having to go to the hospital in front of all these kids to have the hook removed. I decided to try and remove the hook by myself. I grasped the shank of the hook with a pair of long-nosed pliers and, before I realized it, the hook was out. I had forgotten that we were using barbless hooks. A totally painless process.
I use nothing but barbless hooks now when dealing with young anglers and for almost all fishing situations.
While some anglers will say that you lose more fish when using barbless hooks, I have found that in the long run, it doesn’t really make much of a difference. It is all a trade off. I just feel using barbless hooks is better for the fish that I catch and, subsequently, release. As for the fish that I lose because of having no barb, well, I just consider those as being early releases.
@SalmonArm
newsroom@saobserver.net
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