De-barbing your hook

[FlareKing]

So every lure I buy has barbed hooks. Is crimping them down with pillars good enough?

[tonypower]

Thats what I do but sometimes i have a hard time getting them off. Is there a better way than using pliers?

[Albertafisher]

As long as there is no metal from the barb that is poking out to catch the membrane.

[Okotokian]

So every lure I buy has barbed hooks. Is crimping them down with pillars good enough?
If you do it well. I'll use foreceps and finish it off with a little filing if it still catches my finger.

[FlareKing]

So pretty much it is gonna do the trick then. Guess I need a small file.

[Bigdad013]

If you pinch them down, I use needlenose pliers, run your finger where the barb is, if it catches your skin, needs more crimping. They will ticket you if there is any type of point, even if you crimped it.

[BeeGuy]

Pinching the barbs on lures is always imperfect.

On some hooks the barb will break off leaving a ledge.

Until more barbless hooks are offered in stores, or lures come with them, I will not worry about the microscopic details.

If you pinch the barb as best as possible, you will not have a problem.

[Okotokian]

I guess until you have a fish cop run his fingers over your barb you'll never know (arrrgh, makes me feel dirty just saying that LOL). I've never had one test mine so I'm running on assumptions. But it only takes a few seconds to do what looks like a competent job.

[El Pescador]

I use a pair of flat jawed forceps for mine and haven't had any problems with releasing fish on my flies.

I'm sure that any decent judge would dismiss the ticket (should I ever get one) if I were to show him any of my fly boxes and demonstrated a clear intent to comply with the regulations...

[fish gunner]

I find crushing the barb. then giving the plyers a spin around the hook while keeping pressure, grinds down the barb. I got a warning from f&w for an improperly pinched barb. this resulted in a ticket a year later for the same thing, my fault. now I am very careful that they are well crushed.

[BeeGuy]

I find crushing the barb. then giving the plyers a spin around the hook while keeping pressure, grinds down the barb. I got a warning from f&w for an improperly pinched barb. this resulted in a ticket a year later for the same thing, my fault. now I am very careful that they are well crushed.

This is exactly what I do with larger hooks, works well.

[FlareKing]

Guess I just don't like hurting my hooks, don;t want them to break, ;).

[chriscosta]

had a fish cop stick my hook through his glove to check my barb luckily it didnt snag but i also heard tale of them using a q tip to check id be careful if you been warned

[FlareKing]

I will be looking for a small file.

[Isopod]

I use a Dremel tool to remove the barb completely whenever I buy lures or hooks. Pretty quick and barb is 100% gone.

[The Fisherman Guy]

I use a Dremel tool to remove the barb completely whenever I buy lures or hooks. Pretty quick and barb is 100% gone.

Careful with the dremel, the heat generated will weaken the hook and it could snap on an aggressive hookset.

Pinching the barbs with needle nose pliers, and then twisting the hook back and forth will legally pinch your barbs, everytime. Just as Fish Gunner suggested.

I have also heard of F&W poking the hook through their shirt, and if it snags any thread, it's ticket worthy. This is a good way to check your hooks, to see if your hooks are legal or not.

[bobalong]

I agree with barbed hooks.....but all this talk of snagging q-tips or a shirt to test the barb, what a crock. IMO clothing does not simulate the texture of a fish even remotely.

[silverdoctor]

I find a crush and a quick twist with good needlenose pliers will break the barb off and not damage the hook at all...

I'm a little more careful now, took a big stonefly in my left cheek from a miscast in high winds. The barb was gone, but still had the nub. Weird feeling yanking that out.

[Yéil]

A question that I've had for a while about barbless hooks in Alberta... if barbed hooks are illegal, why are they allowed to be sold here?

I've looked everywhere for barbless hooks here in town and found zero suppliers/retailers. I'd rather have two separate tackle boxes (three if you count the National Parks) that have all barbless lures and hooks for Alberta, one set up for the National Park.. no lead etc) and one for everywhere else that allows barbed hooks (I'm still going to crimp them but at least I wouldn't have to risk a FW deciding that the hook isn't quite as barbless as it should be).

[ogre]

I got some Gamakatsu barb-less trebles from Wholesale Sports last year, so I'm sure they have at least those. I think The Fishin' Hole also has them in stock, but not 100% sure. The barb-less hooks are easily doubled the price of the regular hooks though :(.

It'll get expensive if we were to keep different tackles for different regions. I can only wish for separate tackle boxes, still swapping out/in stuff depending where I fish.

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

I use a fly tying vise , Or Whatever flyfisherman call them they are like Hemostats , that make quick work of a barb , or Simple get barbless hooks , Which I use for river fishing , but they sell Barbless treble hooks.

[DanaS]

I use the dremel as well. It does work very well. I have been concerned about the integrity of the hook. I have not had a problem yet and I have used some of these hooks for Salmon fishing. I de-barb all my hooks now whether legal or not. Also use single hooks as much as possible. It does make for a quick and easy release.
I had a F&W guy call me on a barb I had pinched down. He ran the fishing line along the hook against the barb. If there is resistance, it is ticketable. He did just give me a warning though. He was kind of rude, but it could have been worse. I have been using the dremel ever since.
I agree that the intent should be good enough. If you have made your best effort to bend down the barb, that should be good enough. Unfortunately, it looks like that is not necessarily the case. The barbs don't always cooperate. I was finding I broke a lot of barbs using the twisting method described here.

[Yéil]

I got some Gamakatsu barb-less trebles from Wholesale Sports last year, so I'm sure they have at least those. I think The Fishin' Hole also has them in stock, but not 100% sure. The barb-less hooks are easily doubled the price of the regular hooks though :(.

It'll get expensive if we were to keep different tackles for different regions. I can only wish for separate tackle boxes, still swapping out/in stuff depending where I fish.

Thanks for that info, next time we're in Edmonton, we'll check out TFH.

We move from one end of the country to the other on a regular basis so we just got used to keeping different tackle boxes. What can I say, some women like collecting shoes and handbags, I like collecting tackle..lol

[Alberta Bigbore]

I simply crush down the Barks with a good set of pliers with a flat spot. Just have to hover the edge of the pliers on a certain spot and it will arch the barb closed.

[Jamie Black R/T]

i use a big pair of fencing pliers to crush them down to nothing....most of my hooks look like it was ground off...i dont expect any problems from CO's.

[Darren N]

This area always makes me nervous as it sounds like whomever you have checking them will be either anal or not anal. I pinch them with pliers so I dont see the sharp point but it still has a bump. I find especially with smaller flies it's a dangerour road. Nothing is more frustrating in loosing a nice fly as you break the hook trying to get tht barb down.

[pophouseman]

had a fish cop stick my hook through his glove to check my barb luckily it didnt snag but i also heard tale of them using a q tip to check id be careful if you been warned

Q-tip??? that is just rediculous

If the barb is pinched, and I was clearly intending to follow all regulations and still got a ticket, I would be livid

oh the joy of fishing in SK

[iliketrout]

A question that I've had for a while about barbless hooks in Alberta... if barbed hooks are illegal, why are they allowed to be sold here?


It's illegal to shoot someone but you can still buy guns...illegal to drink and drive but you can still buy booze. If we outlawed the sale of everything that could be used illegally, there wouldn't be much on the store shelves...

[Yéil]

It's illegal to shoot someone but you can still buy guns...illegal to drink and drive but you can still buy booze. If we outlawed the sale of everything that could be used illegally, there wouldn't be much on the store shelves...

That doesn't quite make sense. You're speaking about heavily regulated items that if compliances is met by the owner/user, they can still use them. The only way to use barbed hooks in Alberta is to make them barbless.

There are bathroom and kitchen sinks not allowed to be installed in Canada because they don't meet the CSA standard and they are not allowed to be sold here;

Lawn darts with elongated points are illegal to use and you can't bring them into the country or sell them;

There are tons of baby equipment that is porhibited and you can not sell it in Canada;

I mean if using barbed hooks is a big deal here in Alberta, why allow stores to sell them? Manufacturers create new lines all the time to meet legislation.

[El Pescador]

This area always makes me nervous as it sounds like whomever you have checking them will be either anal or not anal. I pinch them with pliers so I dont see the sharp point but it still has a bump. I find especially with smaller flies it's a dangerour road. Nothing is more frustrating in loosing a nice fly as you break the hook trying to get tht barb down.

This has been my problem in the past as well. After reading some of the other posts on this subject I will be considering other options but for the most part my barbs are well pinched. I will be having a look at them all again to see if there are any potential "snaggers"...

I've never been issued a warning or otherwise hassled by officers despite many license checks. The best was when they came around last July and checked my two buddies as well as my girlfriend who were fishing from shore and saw that all of the purchase dates were from the day before and then said to me (while I was a good twenty or more feet offshore) "Let me guess, you bought yours yesterday too?"

We all had a chuckle and I offered to come in to have him verify but he politely thanked us and continued on his way.

[El Pescador]

That doesn't quite make sense. You're speaking about heavily regulated items that if compliances is met by the owner/user, they can still use them. The only way to use barbed hooks in Alberta is to make them barbless.

There are bathroom and kitchen sinks not allowed to be installed in Canada because they don't meet the CSA standard and they are not allowed to be sold here;

Lawn darts with elongated points are illegal to use and you can't bring them into the country or sell them;

There are tons of baby equipment that is porhibited and you can not sell it in Canada;

I mean if using barbed hooks is a big deal here in Alberta, why allow stores to sell them? Manufacturers create new lines all the time to meet legislation.

A number of years ago I asked this same question and I was told by a company rep at an sports show that it would cost too much for the factories to re-tool the machines that make the hooks to provide product for a limited market when the majority of the world is allowed to use barbed hooks.

Whether this is true ten years later (or in the first place, since as you and others have mentioned barbless hooks are indeed being produced and sold then and now) or even at the time I can't say. I would still very much like to know why they continue to be sold despite regulations prohibiting their use.

[sonny42]

Was checked last winter by Fish and Wildlife Officers while ice fishing, I did ask the officer to check the hook that i was using to see if the hook passed his inspection, The officer checked my hook and said it was legal , i pinch my barbs with a pair of pliers, I did ask about running the hook over say a piece of cloth and he said that would not be neccesary for that i had made a decent effort to pinch the barbs,
I would think if i had not been respectfull to the officer to start with, the outcome may have been different.

[Donkey Oatey]

Actually there are places in Alberta where you can use a barbed hook legally. Private lakes like Sundance( unless they have a bylaw that says you can't of course) and anyone that has a recreational license for their dugout. Ufish operations you can also use a barbed hook.

Rest of the province is barbless.

[retten]

If the provincial government gave a D _ _ about who is paying their salaries they would demand all manufactures supply barbless to the stores, unfortunately they can't nickel dime us to death if they did that.

CFS !

CAN'T FIX STUPID !

[Okotokian]

If the provincial government gave a D _ _ about who is paying their salaries they would demand all manufactures supply barbless to the stores, unfortunately they can't nickel dime us to death if they did that.

CFS !

CAN'T FIX STUPID !

I suspect if they did this alone without other governments joining in, the only result would be that we would have few hooks to choose from. No manufacturer is going to change their production and distribution just because one tiny jurisdiction (in the North American scheme of things) says they have to produce a different product.

[nekred]

I hate the barbless hooks rule, There is actually lots of peer reviwed articles how there is very little difference in catch and release mortality between barbed and unbarbed hooks.

Barbed hooks stay in place and do not "saw" their way into flesh as fish fights... or unhook and rehook....

Treble hooks have less pressure than single hooks, when two or three hooks hook in then the hooks do not go as deep.... (smae pricnciple as person on bed of nails or only one nail)

Catch and release mortality is more related to fish handling than the hook.

However I have seen other studies where fisher succes with barbless hooks is decreased greatly with barbless hooks. So when stuides are made whereby fishing effort becomes a measuremnt there is a different multiplier between barbless and babed hooks and is the real reason for barbless hooks from what I have read.

It certainly takes more fishing skill to land a fish on a barbless hook than a barbed one. Ibarbless does nat aid cathc and release as much as it does hook and release...

No matter the reason behind the law nonetheless it is the law.

[El Pescador]

Being ex-military I always treat officers with the respect they deserve as they are serving their country and fellow citizens just as I did and have never had any problems unless I deserved them (*cough* speeding tickets *cough*).

Being polite and showing respect can make all the difference between a warning and a fine.

[nekred]

time and place for everything: explaining how absurd the barbless hook law is is not a good idea when fish and feathers is checking your hooks to see if they are barbless...

[retten]

I ahve travelled throughout Manitoba and you can't find barbed hooks anywhere, it is already being done.

[Yéil]

I just want to be able to buy barbless locally. We have 4 retailers in town that sell tackle - 3 are big box stores - if there are barbless hooks being made, why can't they order those instead of the barbed ones?

[Shawnlh]

I like barbless, and pinching the barb with pliers has deemed effective to this point. F&W thought so too, they've checked a few. If I don't want to measure length, most of the time I don't even remove the fish from the water. I just slide my hand down the line, get hold of the hook and slide it out. Takes 2 seconds to release this way.
I couldn't do that with barbed as there was too much resistance and my fingers would slip off the hook. And I've seen more barbless hooks entering the stores as well.

[iliketrout]

That doesn't quite make sense. You're speaking about heavily regulated items that if compliances is met by the owner/user, they can still use them. The only way to use barbed hooks in Alberta is to make them barbless.

There are bathroom and kitchen sinks not allowed to be installed in Canada because they don't meet the CSA standard and they are not allowed to be sold here;

Lawn darts with elongated points are illegal to use and you can't bring them into the country or sell them;

There are tons of baby equipment that is porhibited and you can not sell it in Canada;

I mean if using barbed hooks is a big deal here in Alberta, why allow stores to sell them? Manufacturers create new lines all the time to meet legislation.

Things that don't meet CSA are different than a provincial fishing regulation not related to human safety. Anyways, not trying to get into a definition argument here, just offerring a different point of view.

You can debarb a hook quickly and easily...can't put a barb on an unbarbed hook. If I was a hook manufacturer and could only choose one hook to put on to serve a large multinational market, it's going to be a barbed hook that I choose.

My guess is that if the manufacturers starting selling all lures with a barbless option, the price of both barbed and barbless is going to increase. For my money I'd rather buy a good set of pliers with a decent flat surface and pinch the barbs. It's very quick and simple to do...been checked numerous times and have never received a ticket, written, or verbal warning on the barb pinching.

I'd support buying barbless hooks and lures with barbless hooks only if the price doesn't increase and the selection doesn't decrease. Don't see either happening any time soon.

[Guitarplayingfish]

I would think if i had not been respectfull to the officer to start with, the outcome may have been different.


Depends on the officer...I am always respectful to people unless they give me reason not to be.. but even than, gotta respect law enforcement.

I had some idiot CO come up to me while fly-fishing last year and immediately start treating me like a criminal... I always pinch my barbs as best as I possibly can, and I am very environmentally concious. To have a CO do that is pure BS, I don't know if he was having a bad day or what but he gave me a ticket for having a barbed hook. I even double checked it after he told me the fly was barbed, and IT WAS NOT BARBED. I planned on fighting it but the court date was 1.5hrs from my home town and on a work day.. sigh.

Honestly, some of those CO's need to give a guy a break.. I ALWAYS obey the fishing regulations and make sure everyone I'm with is doing the same. I am always the first to say "Make sure your barbs are pinched" before we head down to a river or lake.

If debarbing a hook with pliers for 5 minutes to make sure it will pass inspection isn't good enough for some CO's, what is? I may as well start fishing with the fly body alone, no hooks.. :mad3:

They really should just start manufacturing more barbless hooks.. An Alberta company needs to get going on that.

[yada]

I think they are way too strick on the barless rule

First of all, i dont know anylure that comes with barbless hooks. So pretty much everyone has to pinch them down. And 99% of hooks for sale have barbs. Unless Alberta starts selling more barbless hooks, they shouldnt be so hard on people.

Pinching a hook is really hard espically if its small. And stonger (better) hooks are almost imposible to pinch down the barb all the way. I dont want to buy special equipment to pinch hooks or anything.

Some times i try to pinch a barb for 15 min, but its never perfect.

I think the fishing cops need to just look at the hook to see if the owner TRIED to pinch it down. If they didnt try, the barb will be sticking up 100%. If the owned tried, it will look pushed down..

I know people who take a fish out of the water for 3 min but they dont get a ticket. I know people who got tickets for un perfect de barbing...
What is going to kill the fish?? think about it

I think there is something messed up with the rules!!!

[Kingfisher]

I use my cordless dremel with a diamond tip. It makes short work of the barbs. I did 100 hooks yesterday in about 15 minutes.

http://mdm.boschwebservices.com/files/r22497v15.jpg
The Dremel 8000 10.8V Lithium-ion Cordless

http://mdm.boschwebservices.com/files/r19768v15.jpg
The Dremel 7144 Diamond Wheel Point

I tie a lot of flies an if I can find barbless hooks I buy them. I ordered in 100 hooks from The Fish'n Hole about 3 months ago. They quoted me $32 for the 100. I thought that was a bit steep. But ordered them anyway as it was a special hook that I couldn't find anywhere else. So I bit the bullet and ordered them in. When they arrived 5 weeks later they informed me that they were now $38 rather than the $32 I was first quoted. I was not happy. I understand they have to make money. But that pis sed me off.

Rob

[BeeGuy]

40cents a hook for small hooks is ridiculous

[Kingfisher]

Your right Beeguy that is nuts.

Hey guys the best thing about that battery dremel is that you can charge it up and bring it along in the boat. If you happen to have some lures or flies that you haven't debarbed you can debarb them right there in the boat before you tie them on.

Rob

[El Pescador]

Will that diamond tip work on an 18 gauge hook? Dressed or non-dressed?

Seeing as I already have a Dremel it would be worth looking into...

[scel]

I find a crush and a quick twist with good needlenose pliers will break the barb off and not damage the hook at all...

I'm a little more careful now, took a big stonefly in my left cheek from a miscast in high winds. The barb was gone, but still had the nub. Weird feeling yanking that out.

I do the exact same thing. Well, the pinch and twist to remove the barb, but I did not snag my cheek; I pierced the fleshy bit between my thumb and forefinger. The the crush and twist method, the diameter of the hook with the crushed barb is slightly fatter than the shank of the hook

[dvers749]

its a good thing we have barbless hooks here otherwise this would have turned out much much different. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOXTasi2Obw

[Kingfisher]

Will that diamond tip work on an 18 gauge hook? Dressed or non-dressed?

Seeing as I already have a Dremel it would be worth looking into...

Yes that diamond tip will work on an 18 gauge hook. I finally burnt one of the diamond tips out when I used it to grind off some nails in a basement reno project that I was working on.

Dvers that is one brutal video. I personally witnessed someone with a barbed wooly bugger in his cheek. When F&W came down the boat launch I told them to check the barb on the guys fly. They wrote the idiot a ticket right there on the spot before he went to Canmore to the hospital to get it removed.

Rob

[GummyMonster]

I use a pair of electricians pliers. They are the ones with the squared off end and the wire cutters built in. The clamping surface is very flat , and they have zero flex to them. Flattens the barbs easily, and you have the cutters too. Have been checked by co's a few times. The ones I have dealt with were all polite and were only concerned that a decent attempt was made to comply.
Ken

[El Pescador]

Speaking of woolly buggers, I had just finished tying one and the maribou was being really unruly so I decided to straighten it out with some saliva... Well, I guess that was not such a good idea as I put the fly a little too far into my mouth and caught my lower lip during withdrawal... At least I only went through the back of my lip and could easily remove it as it had only penetrated the first layer of skin.

I never do that any more... I use a glass of water instead.

[FlareKing]

Got checked today at Dickson Dam all was good.

[Lornce]

I use the same pinch and roll method. Tying professionally since the 60's I normally sit down with a box de-barbing the the whole thing. It is a real time saver when tying volume. I did try the grinding method but I do prefer the look of the hook on flies with the barb pinched down.

I can see the grinder being great on lures and spoons with large hooks but on small flies is more difficult to get a grinding tip in.

[bobalong]

That doesn't quite make sense. You're speaking about heavily regulated items that if compliances is met by the owner/user, they can still use them. The only way to use barbed hooks in Alberta is to make them barbless.

There are bathroom and kitchen sinks not allowed to be installed in Canada because they don't meet the CSA standard and they are not allowed to be sold here;

Lawn darts with elongated points are illegal to use and you can't bring them into the country or sell them;

There are tons of baby equipment that is porhibited and you can not sell it in Canada;

I mean if using barbed hooks is a big deal here in Alberta, why allow stores to sell them? Manufacturers create new lines all the time to meet legislation.

On the world wide scale Canada represents quite a small portion of fishing sales. Until the US goes barbless you will not likely see very many manufactures producing barbless lures, there are not even that many that produce just barbless hooks, and selection is pretty limited.

[chubbdarter]

We need to allow Lawn darts back in Canada

[Alberta_bassman]

people abused the barb rule u can thank all the retards that.. THEY recked it
..example ... 5 of dimonds brand new still barbed still legal years ago ... at the lake ... cast in out .. oh i got 1 .. its a pike ... oh i am a doosh bag .. this pike has big teeth i dont want to get my hand near it... grabs the hook with pliers .. shake the living sh*t out of the fish using it body weight to RIP not work the hook out of the fishes mouth... and then the fish just floats cause its dying ... why.. cause half its face is still on ur hook.... cause the survive rate is almost zero ..due to stupid people..... now NO BARBS ALLOWED ...

NOW I THANK U FOR MAKIN ME LOSE MY 20+ POUND PIKE ,,WHY CAUSE I HAVE NO BARBS TO HELP.....:angry3:

THATS THE TRUTH!!!!