How Many People... 2025
Mccallister25 reply :
Just curious as to how many people crush their treble hooks on baits that use them?
I tried it on a spook last year and had OK success. I hate to think about getting stuck with you. For anyone who does this, what is your landing rate?
fishballer06 reply :
Are you talking about the barb?
Choporoz reply :
Seems a lot of people have suffered the fate of sinking a barb in themselves at least once. I know of nobody who has done it twice. Since I got my ER visit out of the way in 2013, I don't worry about it too much any more.
Mccallister25 reply :
On 3/13/2015 at 2:46 AM, fishballer06 said:Are you talking about the barb?
Yea, sorry. I meant to add that. I was at work trying to quickly post at the time.
OntarioFishingGuy reply :
All my fishing is done with barbless hooks. Its better for you and the fish.
plumworm reply :
Been to the ER 3 times, probably will be going back. Does that answer your question? LOL
Darren. reply :
I've only crushed barbs a few times.
Fortunately, I haven't yet been stuck past
the barb on treble hooks, maybe because
I don't fish lures as often as soft plastics.
bigbill reply :
I can operate on myself most of the time. I carry pliers and cutting pliers in most of my tackle boxes. One short pit stop and the hook is out. Not that often but I'm ready for when it happens.
bigturtle reply :
I crush barbs on everything.
having a barb increases the surface area of the hook that must be driven through the fish. less area = less force to get the proper hookset.
on topwaters, barbless trebles helps even more because chances are, the bass would "slap" your bait, and not properly engulf it like a jig or crankbait. more chances of the bass hooking itself with barbless hooks.
Crestliner2008 reply :
Another vote here for crushing down the barbs on ALL hooks - except for my drop shot hooks. Barbless trebles catch just as many fish as barbed hooks. And it's safer for the fish and you.
fishballer06 reply :
I'm surprised to see so many guys remove the barb. Myself, and no one that I know of personally, does this.
mmkeel reply :
The only time I do it is on certain trout rivers where you have to use barbless hooks.
Preytorien reply :
i don't do it, but really only because i don't know of a great way to do it. I have pliers, but it seems to take a lot of work just to crush it down. But i've also never been stuck 
Mccallister25 reply :
Sounds to me, I'm not alone in crushing the barbs, or at least experimenting with it. Seems you guys are still successful landing fish. I'll probably be doing this more often.
RSM789 reply :
If a barb is stopping me from making a good hookset, I need to turn in my man-card.
For catching average sized fish, I could understand crushing barbs. I don't do it, but wouldn't be concerned if I was forced to. However, when I am fortunate enough to hook into a much larger than average fish, I want as many advantages as possible. Crazy things happen with big fish that don't happen with average sized fish, especially close to the boat. A barbed hook is just a small insurance policy for keeping Big Mama buttoned on.
As far as being better for the fish, that only applies only if you are a newbie & don't know how to quickly remove a barbed hook.
If hooking yourself more than the one time (where you learn your lesson) is an issue, then you need to just admit that you are pigheaded. 35 years ago, I fired a snagged crankbait out of a bush into my arm past the barb. That taught me not to do things like that & I haven't since.
J Francho reply :
I had a fish throw a swimbait, burying two points of a large ST-41 in my shin. I still fish that bait. I'm pigheaded that way.
Choporoz reply :
On 3/13/2015 at 1:30 PM, bigturtle said:I crush barbs on everything.
having a barb increases the surface area of the hook that must be driven through the fish. less area = less force to get the proper hookset.
on topwaters, barbless trebles helps even more because chances are, the bass would "slap" your bait, and not properly engulf it like a jig or crankbait. more chances of the bass hooking itself with barbless hooks.
I had a high school teacher more than 30 years ago that made a huge impression on me regarding 'increased surface area', or ISA as he liked to call it. I still ponder and/or marvel at the concept probably a couple times a month. Millions of applications. However, I can't, for the life of me, buy your argument. Is it POSSIBLE that you might pierce the lib better barbless? I suppose. Does that come anywhere NEAR compensating for risk of losing that same fish without a barb?
Arguments about 'better for the fish' or better for our own puncture wounds are easy to swallow....but using barbless because you might get better hook-ups and that offsets the risk of fish throwing the hook? I'm not ready to buy what your selling, I'm afraid.
RSM789 reply :
On 3/14/2015 at 1:13 AM, J Francho said:I had a fish throw a swimbait, burying two points of a large ST-41 in my shin. I still fish that bait. I'm pigheaded that way.
Did the "points" go past the barb? If so, then how much pressure were you putting on a fish that close to the boat that the lure was able to generate enough speed when thrown to bury hooks past the barb?
It isn't pigheaded to still fish that bait. However, it is extremely pigheaded to keep trying to horse a green fish into the boat & basically creating a loaded missile situation ready to fire the moment a fish throws the lure. Repeating stupid behavior and refusing to change or admit it is stupid is the definition of being pigheaded. if that doesn't make sense to you, well then "oink, oink".
Bluebasser86 reply :
A heavy swimbait doesn't have to be moving very fast to bury a sharp hook into you. They're heavy enough to hit wither a lot of force, even at slow speeds.
One day I'll remember to crimp my barbs down.
J Francho reply :
I'm actually an anti crimper for bass. All the arguments for crimping are nonsense, to me. Though I encourage anyone competing against me in a tournament to crimp.
travis23 reply :
A hook point is piercing the lip either way. I really don't see how a barb is going to be harmful to a fish. Therefore I have only crushed the barbs on ponds where the owners have asked me to do so.
primetime reply :
I use barbless trebles and crush down barbs on a lot of treble hook lures since it really makes no difference in landing percentage if you keep tension on the fish the entire time but I only think to do it if fishing topwater treble hooks lures since they are easier to remove from a fish without hurting it and killing it.
Also, Barbless trebles on lipless cranks allow you to shake off grass easier and bait pops off quicker, also for wake baits if it fouls, the barb will hold any weeds that are stuck, barbless allows for easier hook sets without having to set as hard, plus you can get weeds off by ripping the bait instead of having to waste the cast....I never crush barbs on worm or jig hooks, but lures like a bomber long A with 3 treble hooks is overkill, I replace with thin wire sharp barbless hooks since they penetrate better and when I set and the lure flies back at me I can get it out easier...I have only hooked myself a few times in 30 years of fishing and 2x were when I was very young, actually maybe 5 times, I have had a few in my hand from blocking hooksets that missed, if barbless they come right out, With Barbs It is rough, especially more than one. Nothing like a Firetiger Floating Rapala Flat Rap hit your cheek, I fished when a guy had it in his face with all trebles and he fished the entire trip without complaining before going to the ER. This was a long time ago but he was a trooper because if it goes past the barb it hurts to get them out.
J Francho reply :
Keep it civil.
Sam reply :
Never.
Had surgery only once.
Not bad.
papajoe222 reply :
On 3/13/2015 at 2:52 AM, Choporoz said:Seems a lot of people have suffered the fate of sinking a barb in themselves at least once. I know of nobody who has done it twice. Since I got my ER visit out of the way in 2013, I don't worry about it too much any more.
Now you do. I'm up to eight times. One of which was a on a Jake still attached to a runt of a muskie with a heck of a lot of energy he was putting into shaking off the other hook.
I have used barbless hooks on single hook baits, but the only time I file off the barb on trebles is on my muskie baits. I haven't seen, or maybe I refuse to see, any major difference in how many fish I net.
bigturtle reply :
On 3/14/2015 at 1:44 AM, Choporoz said:I had a high school teacher more than 30 years ago that made a huge impression on me regarding 'increased surface area', or ISA as he liked to call it. I still ponder and/or marvel at the concept probably a couple times a month. Millions of applications. However, I can't, for the life of me, buy your argument. Is it POSSIBLE that you might pierce the lib better barbless? I suppose. Does that come anywhere NEAR compensating for risk of losing that same fish without a barb?
Arguments about 'better for the fish' or better for our own puncture wounds are easy to swallow....but using barbless because you might get better hook-ups and that offsets the risk of fish throwing the hook? I'm not ready to buy what your selling, I'm afraid.
You lose that many fish fishing barbless? thats due to your sub-par technique im afraid.
Bigchunk reply :
On the count of three. One... Two... YANK! " i thought you said on count of three!?" is the method round here lol
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