BARBLESS? Pros, Cons, Experiences

[Stephen Glassic]

Does/has anyone practiced or contemplated using barbless hooks?

If so, what are your experiences, thoughts, pros, and cons.

Is it worth considering to reduce trauma and facilitate the release process?

If you grind them down rather than pinch them it could increase hookups but will shake offs be a significant problem or can it possibly pay off overall?

[John Jarosz]

Steve...I plan to pinch down the barbs when I fly fish for muskies. I don't know how that will work out, but that's the plan for now.  I do pinch down the barbs when I fly fish for steelies and especially panfish without any problems.  I find that releases are much easier & I don't recall losing any fish when the barbs were pinched, but there will be that difference in the fight factor.  I've found that there is a big difference (barb vs. pinched barb) when trying to remove the hook.  I don't intend to grind, though.

What I do prefer, though, is using single hooks instead of trebles.  Even on my cleos & Blue Foxes that I spin with, I've changed the trebles for singles.  I feel that the singles will penetrate easier and on my walleye rigs, there's not a treble to be found.  I don't want to have to go digging inside to remove a treble.

I talked with Toothy about single hook points vs. trebles & he told me that he tunes his lures with NO hooks, so they should run pretty true with singles.