Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Barbless or not?

I will be harvesting my browns and rainbows out of one of my ponds next month by hook and line. (it's tough but someone has to do it). They will be in full spawning colors and ready to sell to my market of primarily other taxidermists.

However I have smaller brook trout that will be caught and trasferred to another pond for another year of growth and I don't want to damage them.

Fishing will be by arificial single hooked lures and flies but I'm debating whether to crimp the barbs down on the hooks or not. The barbless option would be good for the brooks, but I'm afraid the arobatic rainbows that may run to 7 pounds will have a tendency to get off the line. From past experience once these fish get loose they get really tough to catch again.

What is the concensus? Should I go with barbless or not?

IMHO - Barbless for catch and release.
Barb for catch.

Cecil. Before harvesting, explore circle hooks, work great for live bait with catch & release. If you need a copy of an article contact me & I will forward. We've used them frequently. Very high percentage corner of the mouth hooking; depending on skill of angler.

Cecil,

I've never had a problem landing trout, bluegill or bass on barbless hooks. Releasing the fish is certainly much easier. Try pinching the barbs and if you notice that you are losing too many, use a barbed hook. Keep a tight line on the barbless hooks when fighting a fish.

Bill

Definitely would go barbless, as said just keep the line tight when fighting them. I would also suggest using a slightly larger hook then you normally would when angling for the fish to be released. This will help prevent them from getting the hook too deep in the mouth, or into the throat/gullet area.

Circle Hooks

Cecil,
The circle hook idea that Bill C. suggested is valid if you are fishing with bait, but I would advise against it if you are using “single hook flies and lures”.
The circle hook is normally used with bait and the fish hooks itself – just tighten up the line and the hook slides to the corner of the fish’s mouth.

I would suggest instead a 60 degree bend jig hook that acts somewhat like a circle hook, in so far as the bend of the hook acts like a lever and hooks usually in the corner of the mouth. I have had good success with flies tied hook point up, “clouser style", with low mortality rates, on striped bass, LM bass, and smallies.

I have no recent experience with cold-water species.

To crimp or not to crimp is a personal choice issue.
george

Dear barbless or no:

Great exchange. Broad in scope, international in flavor, deep in thought. Love it.

This won't resolve the barbless hook issue, but add to the murk. Five years ago, the Texas Parks and Wildlife conducted a delayed mortality study on bass caught with live bait or artificials. Procedure: Catch the fish, hold them in a mesh pen for 2-to-3 days.

To the surprise of many, especially the bass tournament crowd, largemouth caught on Carolina-rigged plastic worms died at a higher rate than those caught on live bait.

Core message: Challenge what you know to be "fact."

Mark McDonald
Editor

Cecil - After your fishing expedition next month, come back and tell us what worked best for your trout harvest and catch & release transfer. You might try several of the options. You started this trailer, educate us with the results. Thanks. BC