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Barbless Hooks

barbed or barbless?

Hi Guys,
Try this experiment.....stick a barbless size eight hook through the end of your finger....then extract it ( ouch that hurt! but no lasting damage ). Now try the same experiment with a barbed number eight hook;). Pull this out the same way you have just done with the barbless hook....when you have recovered consciousness inspect the damage to your finger...horrific isn't it....case closed I think:p
Regards,
Graham.
 
Having a relatively small hook in their mouths doesn't seem to bother them too much. I've caught several with hooks attached over the years, all fairly recently lost I would say. what is of more concern, is the amount of line/rigs attached. I kid myself that it's youngsters who unfortunately know no better but seeing some of the so called rigs some adult "anglers" use, it's difficult to keep my mouth shut at times.
I'm amazed they can pick some of them up in the first place!
Regards,
Jeff
 
Lots of arguments, no scientific proof either way, but personally on the odd occassion I lose a fish I'm much happier knowing its barbless.
 
Terry Christopher said:
On inquiry they are invariably found to be using barbed hooks (probably keepnets too..I hope no one on here is still defending their use?!
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I'll pick up that gauntlet, I don't use a keepnet any more but only because (1) I no longer feel the need to retain my catch till the end of the day and (2) they are a bit of a pain to lug around.
However, in all the years I did use one I can't remember ever having a barbel hung up in the mesh and I certainly never saw a dead fish in one.
I have however had barbel hung up in the mesh of my landing net (one net I had and dumped was terrible for snagging the first ray of the dorsal) and seen plenty of dead barbel floating down the river after having been returned too early by anglers with the best of intentions when an hour or two in the keepnet would have given them plenty of time to recuperate properly.
Keepnets have been given a bad press by a certain minority 'holier than thou' section of the barbel fishing fraternity who's own practices might not stand up to scrutiny.
I do also appreciate that there are not many swims on the Teme where a keepnet can be staked out properly in a decent depth of water with a decent flow.
 
I used to fish with korum wide gape barbless hooks. Then due to the snaggy swims i fished, i changed to a thicker wide gape x (which only comes as barbed) but is designed for snag fishing. ( I am pretty sure the guys at korum did their research into the barbless versus barbed for snag fishing ;)) , so rather than squeezing the barb, i gave these hooks a try. So far i have had no problems removing these hooks, and any damage to the lips/mouth has been minimal. I have confidence in both and have still managed to slack line barbel out of snags with the barbless version.
 
I'd like to know what makes a hook "ideal" for snag fishing? Why anyone would chose to use a barbed hook for snag fishing is beyond me? I use a simple running rig with a barbless hook, should the mainline snap the lead will slide off. If for some reason weed or something else tangles around the line or lead preventing it from sliding off, I'm 100% sure the hook will come out of the barbels lip everytime! Just as it does in my landing net.
 
Well said Ben..snag fishing is one place barbless is needed every time (IMHO).
Whatever, I'm hopeful that this debate will encourage one or two anglers to try barbless..then stay barbless. Conversely I'm pretty sure it wont encourage anyone to switch from barbless to barbed. Those who already use barbless KNOW that they dont lose you fish, or damage barbel's mouths.
ATBA
Terry
P.S. Adrian :) :) :) ..I agree with all that you've said. A bad landing net is as bad as a bad keepnet.
 
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Terry,
Keeping your catch in a keepnet when pleasure fishing would be indefensible to most people on here? I could be wrong? Same as stocking barbel in ponds. I think that maybe on a "general" fishing forum, the results may be different but not on BFW.

Your points on resting fish however do have some validity IMHO!

Fortunately, i live in a perfect world where everything is brilliant and everyone agrees all the time...............................................NOT!

regards,
Jeff
 
Hi Jeff, I've not used a keepnet for over 20yrs..and will never use one ever again, whatever the situation. The point I was making was : IMHO a bad landing net can do as much damage as a keepnet.
ATBA
Terry
 
Terry Christopher said:
Hi Jeff, I've not used a keepnet for over 20yrs..and will never use one ever again, whatever the situation. The point I was making was : IMHO a bad landing net can do as much damage as a keepnet.
ATBA
Terry
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Thats very true Terry,
a couple of years back, an angler asked me if i could take a photo of his Barbel, not a big fish but he was chuffed, of course i was happy to, until i saw his the size of his landing net ! which given that he was fishing for barbel was totaly inadequate, however the real problem came when he lifted the fish from the water, the dorsal spike was almost inextricably caught in the mesh, i had to resort to putting the net in the shallows it took me so long to free it, the fish would have been in real trouble had i continued on land.
Mostly this is a result of the inexperienced just not realising the potential dangers, which is why we have to keep harping on !! making sure newcomers to angling understand these things :)

Ian.
 
Too true Ian, I think I'd have exercised a more radical solution to the problem at hand.. cut the net off the frame, then cut the barbel free :)
 
Happened to me with a Drennan specialist net, it was brand new too and was sporting a very fine hole I can tell you:)
 
well i have seen lots of damage caused by barbless hooks moving around when a fish is fighting hard and turning and twisting ect. yes they were carp,
yes they did cut and cause nasty damage from the inside of the penetration point and in some cases cutting so it was visual, carp aint barbel you may say, correct but barbel lb for lb fight harder than most species including carp,
i for one will never use barbless hooks because of what i have seen, micro barbs are tiny but efficient and nobody should have any real difficulty in removing them, as for fishing areas near snags? barbel would have little trouble discarding a hook barbed or barbless, try slackening off over weedy areas when playing one on a barbed hook and see how the can shed it lightning fast
 
john, my favorite hook for carp was the drennan micro barb starpoints, but i still prefer the less these days.
 
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