fishing- barb or no bard?

[ramonesfreak]

had a 10lb bass this morning break the line just as i was grabbing its lip. took off with a meps #3 in its upper lip. i really hate when this happens because it endangers herons that might eat the fish, the fish itself and other large fish that may eat it.

was thinking of pinching my barbs so that the fish may stand a better chance of shaking the lure off when they break free

any thoughts on this? whats the best way to do it....with pliers or a file?

i use ultralite stuff with a max of 4lb line but often get very large bass and pike so line breakage is inevitable

i also read fish have an enzyme that dissolves hooks but i find it very hard to believe, at least when it comes to the hook being left in the mouth

[vash]

wow..i blame that very old school MEPPS catalog on getting me hooked on fishing. as a young kid..i dreamed of a bass hitting my #3 black fury. i even remembered them offering $$ for squirrel tails..

for you que..i used to replace the treble hooks with a single inbarbed. doesnt help that much if you are using a hairy skirt.

4lb line is hardcore!! even modern 8's feel like old 4's..

[Danimal16]

Originally Posted by srandallf

had a 10lb bass this morning break the line just as i was grabbing its lip. took off with a meps #3 in its upper lip. i really hate when this happens because it endangers herons that might eat the fish, the fish itself and other large fish that may eat it.

was thinking of pinching my barbs so that the fish may stand a better chance of shaking the lure off when they break free

any thoughts on this? whats the best way to do it....with pliers or a file?

i use ultralite stuff with a max of 4lb line but often get very large bass and pike so line breakage is inevitable

i also read fish have an enzyme that dissolves hooks but i find it very hard to believe, at least when it comes to the hook being left in the mouth

Barb less is good, but be sure not to use stainless hooks. I am sure others here know far more about this than I, but I would imagine that the fish, in time will get that hook out, just as we do when we have a sliver. I am sure it is painful but what the heck, the fish is not diner. If only he/she knew that.

[GWN7]

We have been barbless here for over 15 years. Pinch them down with plyers. Sharpen the hooks before doing so. Keep your line taught and you won't loose the fish and if you do, it wasn't ment to happen.

[widgeon13]

Barbless, more sporting.

[nostatic]

with no bard, would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?

[ramonesfreak]

thanks guys

[Moses]

Barbless. And always with a fly rod.

"A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm."

-WS

[GWN7]

Love the "boat"

[Mike Andrew]

Barbless!!! Was in N. Manitoba week before last and had a Pike jump as I was landing him & buried 2 of the 3 front hooks on a Shad Rap in my hand. My buddy grabbed his pliers and just pulled them out. 2 small holes in the hand was it. Barbs would have made a big mess.
Also better for the fish since they are easier to relaese.

[ramonesfreak]

ouch! easiest to unhook pike by netting, leave in net in the water and reach behind gill plate to hold steady and use looong pliers the problem with catching pike is always the unhooking..but worth it. fresh water sharks!

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by nostatic

with no bard, would a rose by any other name smell as sweet?

Beat me to it...

[teenerted1]

been barbless since dad and i went salmon fishing in the 80's. the guide was the one who got us into it. if i'm tying my own or getting things together at home i will pinch the barb and file and sharpen before putting hook in the vice. if im on the water with store bought i will pinch always and sharpen if i can find my stone.

getting a fly out of your ear is much easier without a barb. you dont need to ask me how i know...i just do.

[ramonesfreak]

today i will remove the barbs from my hooks...a little too late though

:-)

fishing accident - dont look if sensitive

some of you said you sharpen first...not sure why. i assume thats not part of the procedure but just part of your routine. so, i plan to just pinch the barbs with some strong pliers

[Mike Andrew]

[Mike Andrew]

Should have added all from barbless hooks.

[Dueller]

Just out of curiosity (I'm obviously not an angler), when was monofilament introduced? Prior to that what was used for line?

[ramonesfreak]

from wikipedia

History

DuPont made public in 1938 that their company had invented nylon.[5] This new invention was the first synthetic fiber, fabrics that are commonly used in textiles today.[6] In 1939, DuPont began marketing nylon monofilament fishing lines; however, braided Dacron lines remained the most used and popular fishing line for the next two decades, as early monofilament line was very stiff or "wiry", and difficult to handle and cast. Its two saving graces - good knot strength and very low visibility to the fish - gave it a small but loyal following, and then in 1959 DuPont introduced Stren, a thinner and much softer monofilament line that could be used in a large range of reels, including newly introduced spinning and spin casting tackle. Stren's monofilament lines soon became a favorite with many fishermen because of its overall ease of use and it spawned a whole host of imitators.
New materials, e.g. Spectra or Dyneema, are finding growing usage as fishing lines. Polyvinylidene fluoride sold as fluorocarbon is very much like nylon monofilament, but has several advantages. Optical density is lower which makes the line less easily discernable. The surface is harder so it is more resistant to sharp fish teeth and wear. Furthermore PVDF doesn't take up water and it is resistant to UV-light. It is denser than nylon too which makes it sink faster and it will not float on the water surface.
Dyneema is also becoming very popular and it is much stronger but it is mostly used as a braided line. Because the elastic stretching is only a fraction of that of nylon monofilament the contact with fish or bait is more direct. It is often used for deep water fishing from boats because lower diameters are used which give less resistance to currents and the low stretch makes bites easily detectable

[berettafan]

barbless unless you're looking for dinner.

[id10t]

I'm a big UL fisher, mostly small ponds (natural and retention) around town. I smash my barbs mostly flat - there is still a bump, but it is a smooooooth ride over it.

As a suggestion, use the braided lines in 2lb diameter - gives you 8-10lb test weight but all the other characteristics of the thin stuff, plus more sensitivity.