• You need to be a registered member of Barbel Fishing World to post on these forums. Some of the forums are hidden from non-members. Please refer to the instructions on the ‘Register’ page for details of how to join the new incarnation of BFW...

Hook pulls

Stephen Bell

Active Member
I've had more hook pulls this season than the total of the last two seasons put together. Some within seconds of a run, others at the net.

I've swapped to another brand of hook after noticing some were not as sharp as others in a pack or dulling very quickly.

Any ideas what I can do to reduce the chances of a hook pull other than above?
 
I've had more hook pulls this season than the total of the last two seasons put together. Some within seconds of a run, others at the net.

I've swapped to another brand of hook after noticing some were not as sharp as others in a pack or dulling very quickly.

Any ideas what I can do to reduce the chances of a hook pull other than above?
Dont forget,fishing is a sport and if you landed every fish it would not be a sport.Also the biggest fish you've ever hooked are the ones you've lost.🤨
 
Dont forget,fishing is a sport and if you landed every fish it would not be a sport.Also the biggest fish you've ever hooked are the ones you've lost.🤨
Was only joking with that one.I was going to suggest bigger/smaller hooks or hair rigging.Had it happen to me last week.
 
Was only joking with that one.I was going to suggest bigger/smaller hooks or hair rigging.It happens,had on me last week.
Had 3 hook pulls on one session out of 5, so only landed 2. Poor ratio. Same hooks as last two seasons so just wonder if it's a bad batch. Think there's a lot of weed around at the moment, more so than I remember in previous summers.
 
Had 3 hook pulls on one session out of 5, so only landed 2. Poor ratio. Same hooks as last two seasons so just wonder if it's a bad batch. Think there's a lot of weed around at the moment, more so than I remember in previous summers.
I once had a problem using drennan specimen hooks.Have changed to kamasans and ESPs but see thread which hooks.
 
Thanks, I've been following. I've now got some cryogens in the large size patterns for meat. Already used the bank tackle ones but starting to favour these over the hit and miss Korums which had been okay until the last lot I used.
 
Not relevent to fishing but my wife is in London untill Wednesday.Had meal+few pints in my local.Now having a bottle of red whilst watching replay of cricket.You will get no more sensible suggestions from me this evening.Good look steve,Im sure you'll find the answer and at least you're hooking fish.
 
Could be a needle in a haystack job to find out exactly why you are dropping so many but I’d probably go back to the beginning and start again
Basic things to check are:
ensure the numbers of turns you wrap the hook if doing a knotless knot don’t make the knot sit lower than being level with the point.
Bait size on the width should match the hook size well so that it doesn’t interfere with the hook doing it’s job.
Hair length is always going to be better on the short side than long so that the hook is well inside the mouth before she try’s to eject it.

Losing them at the net is just bloody unlucky and more often than not down to low relief in the tackle when they make the final bolt for freedom on such a short tight line. Keep your clutch well set at this point and apply tension on the spool with a finger so you can let it go if it bolts in that danger zone.

It’s also worth pulling a hook home even if the rod is flying off the rest and it’s clearly hooked before you’ve got to the rod I will still pick it up and give it a progressive pull to ensure it’s well set and not just lightly pricked.

I’m sure you know all of this anyway but if one of them isn’t quite right, it might be the change that gets you back landing them again.

Best of luck
 
Thanks Richard for the comprehensive reply. So many things to consider. I've recently moved to the palomar knot and wondering if I need to go back to my hooks and see how the different hook patterns are sitting. Always previously used the knotless/snell method. I changed as prefer the line passing through the eye twice.

I've started to set the hook early in the run but even this seems to not always guarantee a decent hook hold.

Maybe I should blame the canal fishing I enjoyed during the river close season 😀
 
It could be down to the river you are fishing Stephen ! Until I started fishing the Trent, some years ago now, I hadn’t lost a Barbel because of hook hold problems on either the Medway or the Kennett but on the Trent started to drop fish. The one thing I noticed on some of the fish I did land was mouth condition, unfortunately quite a few fish were a bit “beaky” due to repeat captures and possible bad unhooking practices. I noticed a similar thing these past two years spring Tench campaigns where Tench are being caught by carp anglers with very large hooks and not being treated with the same care that their quarry is (contentious comment !?) I increased the size of the hook I was using by one size and it reduced the fish being lost BUT didn’t eliminate it I’m afraid.
 
It could be down to the river you are fishing Stephen ! Until I started fishing the Trent, some years ago now, I hadn’t lost a Barbel because of hook hold problems on either the Medway or the Kennett but on the Trent started to drop fish. The one thing I noticed on some of the fish I did land was mouth condition, unfortunately quite a few fish were a bit “beaky” due to repeat captures and possible bad unhooking practices. I noticed a similar thing these past two years spring Tench campaigns where Tench are being caught by carp anglers with very large hooks and not being treated with the same care that their quarry is (contentious comment !?) I increased the size of the hook I was using by one size and it reduced the fish being lost BUT didn’t eliminate it I’m afraid.
Always fishing the Wharfe last few seasons. It is full of weed this year, more so than I remember from previous summers.
 
If you are striking, don't.

If you are getting a "Run" I presume you are using the baitrunner. The fish will be already hooked if you are hair rigging. A FIRM strike will simply open the point of penetrative.

I noted ladt week that this warm water has certainly made barbel mouths far softer than normal.
 
Thanks Graham, when using meat I don't hair rig but never had an issue before with obtaining a decent hook hold. I'm narrowing it down to a bad batch of hooks and/or how the hooks are angled with a palomar knot.
 
with a palomar knot the hook angle will be neutral and hence not as aggressive as with a knotless knot. id go back to the knotless and see how you get on. What made you change knot if you weren't losing fish last year ?
 
with a palomar knot the hook angle will be neutral and hence not as aggressive as with a knotless knot. id go back to the knotless and see how you get on. What made you change knot if you weren't losing fish last year ?
The comparative strength and ease to tie on smaller hooks without using a hook tyer.
 
Cheers, I've gone up to a size 4 for meat. Not sure how it'll pan out as big meat isn't great during the day in summer so far for obvious reasons.
I don’t fish meat a lot but a 4 seems a big hook?
At the risk of stating the obvious have you tried scaling down?
Smaller hooks penetrate better but obviously need to be proportionate to the bait
I’m not fishing the Swale at the moment due to low levels but when I was I don’t think I’ve used a hook bigger than a 12 this season and not had any hookpulls
Also are you using braid as a main line ?
Are you using a powerful rod? eg 2.25tc
When I get hook pulls it’s usually when I’m piking and this is normally down to braid and 3lb + rods- even though 6 hooks, no stretch so not difficult to pull the hook or straighten them
And I don’t mean straighten literally, just deform them slightly is enough to lose grip
 
Back
Top