Barbless is B.S.!!!

[Hooked07]

So far this year I have personally lost over 50% of fish due to barbless through the ice and I'm damn sick of it!!! This whole mortalilty issue is for the birds, I don't recall seeing dead fish floating everywhere when barbs were legal so what gives? Common scenario this winter; fish all day for Lakers and finally get a hit, bring'em up to the hole and bam he spits it out. Yes, my hooks are sharp and yes I think I will be going back to good 'ol barbs with my snippers in my pocket at the ready, damn, I just lost my hook sir?!

[DLP]

Originally Posted by Hooked07

Yes, my hooks are sharp and yes I think I will be going back to good 'ol barbs with my snippers in my pocket at the ready, damn, I just lost my hook sir?!

So...what you are saying is your going back to breaking the law. If this doesn't work for you I heard net's are working good for guy's

[Ken07AOVette]

It should only cost you $200 per fish I guess.

[TangoKilo]

Ill be honest with you Hooked,

I have not noticed any significant difference in the numbers of fish lost between barbed and barbless hooks.

The Key I find is to keep your line tight. Any slack and your fish is gone.

[buckstop]

Controlled fisheries that require catch and release slots and limits usually accompany barbless regulations. It only makes sense. Delayed mortality due to fish hooked deep on both bait and artificial lures is MUCH HIGHER with barbs. Stats prove it, you cant argue the facts.

Losing fish when using barbless hooks is an excellent indicator of the capabilities of the angler. Give em slack and you lose fish.

[whitetailhntr]

I like barbless hooks my self. Beats the heck outta fighting with barbed ones when trying to unhook fish.I lose very few fish as well.

Pretty sure posting your intent to break the law on a public board is not very smart...just sayin!

[CountryRoadz]

A couple of years ago my buddies kid was removing a barbless hook from a fish and it ended up embeded in his hand. Good thing it was barbless.

I remember the days when barbs were legal and how much of a pain in the A** it was to remove the hook. There was mpore bloodshed then.

I understand the frustration of losing a fish but I have to agree with the tight line phylosophy which I have found to be a little tougher on the tip up. I lose more fish on the tip up than my rod.

Good Luck

CR

[sdimedru]

Originally Posted by whitetailhntr

I like barbless hooks my self. Beats the heck outta fighting with barbed ones when trying to unhook fish.I lose very few fish as well.

x2, couldn't agree with you more

[lifesaflyin]

even if barbed hooks were legal in alberta i would probly still tie my flies on barbless hooks. I did not notice a difference between them.

soon as somebody looses a fish they always blame barbless but I witnessed a trout this year take my dry fly in the air and twist a barbless off the quicksnap on my tippet and took my last hook for the hatch. so who do I blame that on?

if you give them slack they are goin back. so keep a tight line.

[deanmc]

I agree with most. If you are careful and keep line tight you will not lose many more fish. I guess you do not realize that they sometimes carry underwater camera's? Cutting the line is not as tricky as you think. I think you should give up fishing not just barbless hooks. You seem to think it should be "catching".

[Walleyes]

Ooooh this is going to be a good one..

[burbotman14]

I am thankful for barbless hooks. If we didn't use barbless hooks some of the whitefish that I released that sucked the hooks deep would have been killed. Like it is said before keep the line tight and take it slow to get a big fish in and you will get most of them.

[mikelikefish]

use the mustad slow death hooks

[Ken07AOVette]

Just have a spring loaded gaff ready if you see them near the hole.

Or, use your handgun and shoot them thru the hole, even if you miss, the concussion will slow them down long enough to get them out by hand.

**disclaimer**
(this reply was meant as a joke, do not touch a fish in the hole with your bare hands if it is off the line)

[Walleyes]

When a fish takes one of my lure deep in the throat I just cut the line and let it go. Barbeless or not if you start ripping around in there there is going to be damage.

[Commander B]

I agree barbless is the way to go, both in fish mortality and ease of release!!!!! I have experimented with replacing any where u would use a single J hook (ie buckshot spoon,drop shot rig, or even a baited snell) with a barbless circle hook and have had great sucess. With the large open c design there is no way they are gettin off. Just remember to reel to set the hook vs an agressive hook set.

[CountryRoadz]

I have the answer for your barbless hook concern. Strap on an underwater grenade to your leader with your bait about 6 inches up. When the fish bites KABOOM and he floats to the top of your hole.

I would suggest using cotton gloves to remove the fish so as not to cause any further harm.

It totally screws up the catch and release concept and you will likely be fined for exceeding your limit and keeping undersized fish but hey...your barbless concerns are cured.

Please be advised that this is not to be performed without the supervision of an adult and is intended for Hooked07 only.

CR

[Ken07AOVette]

Originally Posted by CountryRoadz

I have the answer for your barbless hook concern. Strap on an underwater grenade to your leader with your bait about 6 inches up. When the fish bites KABOOM and he floats to the top of your hole.

I would suggest using cotton gloves to remove the fish so as not to cause any further harm.

It totally screws up the catch and release concept and you will likely be fined for exceeding your limit and keeping undersized fish but hey...your barbless concerns are cured.

Please be advised that this is not to be performed without the supervision of an adult and is intended for Hooked07 only.

CR

"you may also have a slight ringing in your ears, but fortunately you will not be anywhere near them"

[Hooked07]

For all you guys that are offering me fishing advice, tight lines? No sh** really?! I'm gonna try that next time I'm out, hope it works.

[pikester]

Several years ago I got a barbed #6 streamer hook BURIED under my thumbnail I will save you the expletives that were used that day but still remember the pain, & I'm sure everyone within 10 miles heard me scream as I tore it out. I don't even care about the regs, I NEVER used a barbed hook again after that incident.

[deanmc]

Originally Posted by Hooked07

For all you guys that are offering me fishing advice, tight lines? No sh** really?! I'm gonna try that next time I'm out, hope it works.

Well it should with barbed hooks!

[Ken07AOVette]

plus, if you are going to used barbed hooks, no need t bother getting a fishing license, think of the money you will save

**disclaimer**

ah, you know.

[graham1]

The only thing that really ticks me off about barbless hooks is that kids have to use them as well. I'm fine with keeping a tight line but I figure if your young enough to fish without a liscence you should be able to use barbs. My kids lose interest pretty fast when they see fish after fish spit the hooks out just when they get them to the surface.

[addicted]

Originally Posted by Hooked07

For all you guys that are offering me fishing advice, tight lines? No sh** really?! I'm gonna try that next time I'm out, hope it works.

This is all part of FISHING other wise they would call it CATCHING you win some you loose 50% in your case tighten up your line and that should tighten up your stats

[Shmag]

My advice to you is to take your boy into shallow water and target walleye/pike, i am sure he would have much more fun. 60-80 ft is a long way up to bring a fish no matter what your expereince is. At 8 yrs old a fish is a fish, doesn't matter what the species is.

I have a 5yr old, that can handle a rod pretty good for his age. I tried taking him perch fishing and pretty much the same thing happened as you. 20ft of water and 10-15 ft up he would lose it. He was discouraged and not having much fun and cuts into my time by time i get him set up again. If he comes out with me now we just target walleye and he has a blast. If i am out solo i will try my luck at perch.

Just gotta adapt to the changes, good luck!!!

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by Hooked07

So far this year I have personally lost over 50% of fish due to barbless through the ice and I'm damn sick of it!!! This whole mortalilty issue is for the birds, I don't recall seeing dead fish floating everywhere when barbs were legal so what gives? Common scenario this winter; fish all day for Lakers and finally get a hit, bring'em up to the hole and bam he spits it out. Yes, my hooks are sharp and yes I think I will be going back to good 'ol barbs with my snippers in my pocket at the ready, damn, I just lost my hook sir?!

Dont pinch the barbs then.

[Fishfinder]

Originally Posted by Hooked07

So far this year I have personally lost over 50% of fish due to barbless through the ice and I'm damn sick of it!!! This whole mortalilty issue is for the birds, I don't recall seeing dead fish floating everywhere when barbs were legal so what gives? Common scenario this winter; fish all day for Lakers and finally get a hit, bring'em up to the hole and bam he spits it out. Yes, my hooks are sharp and yes I think I will be going back to good 'ol barbs with my snippers in my pocket at the ready, damn, I just lost my hook sir?!

U could try this: Hook urself through the tongue or deep inside ur throat with a barbless hook....yank out....let heal....then try the same with a barbed hook (make sure to get er all the way through and deep)...yank out....let heal....then tell us the results...if u can still talk?
This is an open n shut case for me. Barbed hooks do damage. The reason u don't see fish floating from this is bcuz they become defenseless in the water and simply become prey to bigger fish thus makin them an easy meal. Another reason u don't see fish floating from this is bcuz barbless is a darn good law, and i like to think, and have seen, most people follow it. Don't join the darkside young Skywalker, remain barbless, for fish sakes

[Crusty]

I've been float fishing (someone said you lose more fish this way) for chinooks for 16 years with b/less hooks. 2/0 - 5/0. Try getting those to the boat. Trout and salmon break water, tail dance, twist and turn like crazy. Set your drag properly and keep the line as tight as possible and hang on. What a blast! I do think it's bs that a barbed hook won't penetrate like a b/less. Cmon, there's a lot of pressure put on there. I would say because of the way the fight we probably lose 1/3 because of barbless. I don't really care though for me it's the challenge not how many are in the boat. Enough of the whining and some of the ignorant suggestions, have fun man, that's the ticket!

[DarkAisling]

Personally, I haven't lost many fish due to barbless hooks. Perch are the only species I've lost so far, and that was because I wasn't quick enough. Even my loss rate with those was only around 25%.

I sure appreciate the ease with which they're released when fishing barbless.

While I can appreciate what you're saying about your young man's troubles (I have two boys of my own: a teen and a toddler) , I think BBJ has made some really good suggestions for you with regards to gear changes that you can implement. I've just picked up a couple of baitcast reels for our ice fishing equipment. After seeing them in use on the ice, I think they're the perfect tool for the application.

I had some other things to say, and while I might not have used the exact words that BBJ did . . . read the last paragraph of his post again. He makes some good, and valid, points.

It can be tempting to take the easy way out and break the rules, but working through the rough patch will impart a valuable lesson (and hopefully a great sense of accomplishment for your young man). Some children are more resilient and driven than others, but heaping loads of praise on him ("You got a laker all the way to the hole! Good for you!") instead of focusing on the negative ("Shucks, lost another one") might help a bit.

You might like to try quick-strike rigs for your little guy. Also, a fish TV might be a fun tool for him to use (if you're not already using one) and deflect his attention away from a lost fish and onto something else.

[fishstix]

Originally Posted by Hooked07

So far this year I have personally lost over 50% of fish due to barbless through the ice and I'm damn sick of it!!! This whole mortalilty issue is for the birds, I don't recall seeing dead fish floating everywhere when barbs were legal so what gives? Common scenario this winter; fish all day for Lakers and finally get a hit, bring'em up to the hole and bam he spits it out. Yes, my hooks are sharp and yes I think I will be going back to good 'ol barbs with my snippers in my pocket at the ready, damn, I just lost my hook sir?!

Hi hooked 07
If your line ends up "broken " just as the c.o. shows up you'll get a failure to produce ticket, and when the officer looks at your line and realizes that it has been cut he may go all bad cop on you. Either way you'll be getting a ticket.
One big thing to remember when you're out fishing is that you dont always net the fish you have on. Often times the fish gets off.
Cast again.

Happy fishing!!
Fishstix!!