Barbed v Barbless

[HAWTHORN]

Right lets get it straight for the umteenth timeBarbless hooks were developed for match angling! not pleasure angling but Match Angling!! Why barbless? so they could unhook the fish faster as they were in a competition and time was money. Also thousands of pairs of lips down the length of the cannal after a match was not a great sight, this being caused by the barbed kind being ripped out.

Barbless for other forms of angling (carp) was just a spin off which grew as people seemed to like the idea of fishing without a nasty barb, if you are that worried either give it up or round the end of the point over so you don`t catch anything.

A good hook hold with a barbed hook is far better and less damaging.
Personally however I always use a crushed barb, the reason being club rules, also I have got so used to fishing this way. The little bump left after crushing (the confidence bump) does give an effective hook hold and I have never had a hook slip.

I never ever use barbless, nor would I.

[netbustercarp]

barbed all the way unless rules state barbless,funny thing happened a couple of years back,a certain no publicity club changed the rules from barbless to barbed because the fish tht were getting caught had serious mouth damage,this they put down to barbless hooks and too heavy a lead,the rules now state barbed hooks only and no lead in excess of 2oz!,but they still operate a barbless rule on other waters!

[kermit]

Originally Posted by The Newbie

MIke, I am astounded by this comment because of the chances of a tear as opposed to tethered is multiplied by 1000. Hand on heart how many tethered fish have you come accross where the carp is in danger? On any average water a fish trailing line will be picked up by another angler within 4-5 hours as the fish moves about.

A fair point Newbie - glad you feel happy to raise it.

Angling is fundamentally a risk-based sport. Everything we do when attempting to hook fish poses a risk to the fish. In order to go about our sport with a clear conscience we must all make our own decisions as to what level of risk (to the fish) we feel is acceptable.

For me, my decision is that the risk of tethering a fish is unacceptable and needs to be reduced as far as practicable. I believe that barbless hooks acuhieve this. Yes, I accept the point that the chances of tears vastly outweigh the chances of tethering fish. However, if I knew for one second that a fish was tethered as a reult of my actions I doubt I'd sleep for a week. I've rarely seen tethered fish, but can we honestly say that just because we don't know about them they don't exist? There are so many nooks and crannies on some waters that we cant possibly know what could be tangled up in every corner or every snag in the lake.

I'm happy with my choice of hook and will stick to it. My decision is based upon plenty of sound knowledge, by balancing out the pro's/cons and by assessing the risk posed to the fish.

Mike.

[edgeog]

Barbed for me unless the rules state barbless then i'll use pinched down barb and risk a bo**ocking.I'm confident in my own mind that if a fish snags me up it will only be left with the hook and hooklink but we can never be 100% certain.But i am convinced that barbed hooks do less damage.

[seanp07]

I use mainly barbless for fishing near snags or if its weedy. In open water it doesnt bother me barbed or less.

I have saved 2 fish in the last month which would have died because off barb hooks being used and them not being able to get rid.

One of those was this morning on poyton pool in the shallows where i spotted a piece of line entering the water which was moving the branch it was attached too.

I had to climb into the tree and untangle around 60yards of line and hand line a 10lb common to where i was up the tree. The fish must have been hooked for ages as it had started to heal over the hook. The fish just sat there whilst i unhooked it and then it swam away nice and happy.

I think it does come down to the angler at the end of the day but i am starting to hate barbed hooks due to these to incidents.

[kermit]

Originally Posted by seanp07

I have saved 2 fish in the last month which would have died because off barb hooks being used and them not being able to get rid.

One of those was this morning on poyton pool in the shallows where i spotted a piece of line entering the water which was moving the branch it was attached too.

I had to climb into the tree and untangle around 60yards of line and hand line a 10lb common to where i was up the tree. The fish must have been hooked for ages as it had started to heal over the hook. The fish just sat there whilst i unhooked it and then it swam away nice and happy.

Good effort Sean. If moderators were able to give you sticky gold stars like in the olden days at school you'd be getting one right now!

Mike.

[seanp07]

Originally Posted by kermit

Good effort Sean. If moderators were able to give you sticky gold stars like in the olden days at school you'd be getting one right now!

Mike.

I would need two lol if you remember the one from compstal aswell.

[Deano]

Originally Posted by grubby pants

Its match size fish logic applied to big fish and it just does not translate.

Thats 100% correct, theres no place for barbless hooks when fishing for big fish IMO

Although saying that I did read a very good article by Shaun Harrison suggesting the use of barbless hooks when fishing into weed to aid hook penetration and presentation.It made a lot of sense but I too have witnessed horrific damage due to a barbless only rule

[seanp07]

Originally Posted by Deano

Thats 100% correct, theres no place for barbless hooks when fishing for big fish IMO

Although saying that I did read a very good article by Shaun Harrison suggesting the use of barbless hooks when fishing into weed to aid hook penetration and presentation.It made a lot of sense but I too have witnessed horrific damage due to a barbless only rule

I have also witnessed very badly snagged fish which would not have lived if it wasnt for being hooked. This is why its a no win situation.

[Dennis Elbow]

3 years ago or so, I fished a 'barbless only' water. I hooked a fish that turned out to be a gorgeous looking 27lb mirror that fought like Tyson ! The damage to its mouth where the barbless had torn through about 5" of flesh was sickening, I really can't explain how upset it made me feel, I packed up there and then and didn't fish the rest of the season. Barbed all the way for me and, as previously stated, if I get a deep hookhold I simply 'snip' the hook to remove the two halves easily.

[basil]

Originally Posted by seanp07

I have also witnessed very badly snagged fish which would not have lived if it wasnt for being hooked. This is why its a no win situation.

Yep, swings and roundabouts IMO. Barbless have got to be better for fish that get left with rig and hooklink - but I know some trout fisheries are making a complete turn of thought and now prefer barbed hooks for catch and release. This is because barbless hook holds allow for a greater circular movement of the hook point - which, in prolonged play does result in a open pocket of injury around the point that is prone to infection. A barbed hook on the other hand provides a secure hold and gives a better anchor and minimal movement around the hook point during play.....makes sense when you think about it I suppose?

[kevw]

Originally Posted by The Newbie

On any average water a fish trailing line will be picked up by another angler within 4-5 hours as the fish moves about.

Unless it is lost in snags and gets tethered, which isn't usually down to whether the hook is barbed or barbless in the first place. In this situation a barbless hook must be easier for a tethered fish to throw once it's torn it's mouth and the hole is big enough for the hook to come free. Not ideal but a better outcome for the fish maybe

Prefer barbed hooks myself though.

[grubby pants]

What I can not understand is that every time this debate comes up we get the tethered fish argument. Who was it who started the myth that fish can not get rid of a barbed hook?

It is now almost woven into the fabric of our sport yet the evidence would suggest that they are quite capable of getting shut of any hook, barbed or barbless.

Hands up if you have never lost a fish through a hook pull or the fish just dropping off.

As for the test curve of rods theory in my opinion thats just a red herring. If the problem was down to heavy rods then we would see damage with barbed hooks. The fact we dont tells us it is the hook thats the problem not the rod. Besides the experience I related in my first post occured while using lower test curve rods.

[kevw]

There have been documented cases of tethered fish being found dead in/around snags, whether a barbed or barbless hook was used who knows but it must be easier to shed a barbless hook than a barbed, look at Greenman's "Ouch" thread.

I agree with you Grubby and prefer barbed hooks, and have lost one or two as well while fishing them, but can see why some believe barbless to be the better choice for snag fishing.

[carpking]

barbed all the way i wouldnt ever join any club that enforced the rule,in the past when ive fished cuttle i still use barbed, but down there the last time i fished it fish at all costs didnt really matter 12in zig rigs hooking fish in the belly an where ever else it should *****ed aint fishing its brutality and this is fact as somebody whose was very regular was set up in peg 3 i was in 1 had 3 20+ commons one in the tail one in the top of the head and one int the tail and the barbless ripped em to bits