[Angry Bob]

I just got back from a successful smallie trip, and before I left I was a little uptight. The WI DNR has made the nothern half of the state including where my trip was catch and release only, and barbless hooks only until June 20th i think. Well I had never used barbless hooks before so I was worried about losing fish. Well after the trip I can say that I don't think I lost any fish because of the barbless hooks, and it was actually nice and easy to get them off the hook. So I was worried over nothing.

 

[LuckyBassTurd]

:thumbup01: yep i hated it for a while but it is safer and easy'r for both you and the fish that you C&R.... once i landed a few striper and trout on them i new it was possible...i still cuss the hooks if i do lose a fish but you know it better than cussing the sun in my eyes...lol
i dont throw barbless unless in barbless zone thO or i have the kids....

 

[Guest]

For worm fishing using barbless worm hooks doesn't effect the catching one bit. I have done it allot and caught most of the fish I hooked with it. Hook sets are easier too as the hook easily penetrates the membrane. As stated removing them is a breeze and if you ever have to remove one from your finger or body you will be glad it was barbless haha.

Baits like spinnerbaits though or crankbaits, using barbless on those is a different story. Tried that and my catch ratio was horrific.

 

[LuckyBassTurd]

you really need to keep a tight line, any bit of slack and it's over!!! more so on trout, to me anyway...trout are weird how they can roll over and fly and juke and jive, i love the fight but man it is that dead line that just kills me when they win the battle.....i lose more striper do to line breakage or handling, as most keep your line tight by them self, most of the bank i fish is steep so gitting to the water edge with a nice striper there is tuff, then reaching out over the water putting your hand in it's mouth and keeping the hooks at bay is tuff too, when you lip them if they feel the slightest slip or repostion in your hand they will kick like hell! i know getdanet! i still think it is fun this way i am only releasing them anyway, but it is nice to have a few pix, but it still doesn't seem worth bring`n a net with me , as a i walk into this spot and already can't carry everything i THINK i need easy....till the record striper hits...
i did sink a hook into me once, looked at the other 2 hooks and said ThankG it's barbless, still a hard thing to pull out, but once it starts it just pops out...

i think a fast tip can be a down fall in keeping it tight and in a giving really good hook set? maybe? i noticed on one pole it is super fast and i try setting on those harder & from the 7 to 12 position after the slack is gone, if you try to set from 9 to 12 you barley got the line tight the only thing that is really moving is the front half of your pole, very weird how you can notice it more after fishing another stiffer pole.... one quick snap of a stiff pole with power pro and you sent it home, but try a fast tip with mono, you need twice the power and distance? or set then reel and set again...?

 

[wormin_4_bass]

I use barbless hooks when fun fishing. The KEY is keep a tight line and don't let the fish jump. I have only lost 1 Bass due to slack line in all the yrs I have been doing it. Barbless makes is so much easier for the fish and you to get out.

 

[Sonny]

I have been a supporter of barbless hooks for years. All of my lures that don't use live bait are barbless. The only hooks I have with barbs are live bait hooks. Like LBT says, as long as I've kept the line tight, I've brought the fish in just like if the hook still had the barb on it. Setting the hook is much easier, too, because you don't have to drive it in passed the barb. A flick of the wrist usually does it.
:jitterbug:

 

[retired-psg]

Wisconsins early Trout season is all catch and release with Barbless hooks, don't see a problem with it myself. But a lot of folks have heart ache with it and are trying to get it over turned. Either way I still do catch and release on them.

 

[ace45102]

As stated removing them is a breeze and if you ever have to remove one from your finger or body you will be glad it was barbless haha.

I have to agree whole heartedly with this. While jig fishing for crappie I got snagged up and went to pull it free. The jig shot back like a bullet and hit me right in the arm. I looked all over for it, but couldn't find it. Finally traced the line to my arm where the jig head was chilling. Only part of the straight shaft was sticking out. I tried to poke the point through, but it wouldn't penetrate. So I grabbed the needle nose and just pulled it out. The barb did all the damage and even had a strained of muscle attached to it.

 

[CaptainMo]

I'll be fishing barbless for a week in May...All bass are C&R with barbless hooks until June 2nd in Northern Zones of Wisconsin. I will have to be crimping alot of my lures, so unless I want to replace every hook I use while up there, I will be fishing with some barbless hooks for a while after that. Crimping every hook on a 3 treble hook lure, could get costly to replace them all afterwards, so I will most likely continue to use them barbless for a while.
I used to fish barbless alot for trout out in California, and it is easier to drive the hook in for sure, and I didn't notice a huge difference in any fish getting off.