Do barbs help you keep more fish on, or are they just there so they *look* like better hooks?

I ask because I'm thinking of removing / flattening mine to make things a little bit safer for the fish and for myself.

The barbs are there to keep the fish hooked, once you hook yourself you'll see how effective they are!

You can purchase barbless hooks. There are C&R lakes in Canada that require the use of barbless

they help the hook to not slip out once hooked.  There is no eason you can't fish with a barbless hook but you will lose some fish while you learn to fish with them as it is different.  I don't bother mashing down the barbs with bass but i do whenever i am trout fishing.  The big thing to remember is you have to keep good presure on the fish, no slack at all or the hook will pop out much easier without a barb.

Thanks, guys. I'll try removing them from a few hooks to start and see if I lose many fish.

I have not experienced much more loss of fish with barbs pinched down.  Releasing fish is so much easier especially when you pinch down treble hooks.  Proper line tension is more important to fishing than the barbs on the hooks.

I have not experienced much more loss of fish with barbs pinched down.  Releasing fish is so much easier especially when you pinch down treble hooks.  Proper line tension is more important to fishing than the barbs on the hooks.

 

That's what I'm hoping. If I have to lose a few to save a few, then that's alright.

With mashed down barbs you get quicker penetration they say - I've never noticed any difference with them mashed one way or the other.

Probably 90% of my hooks are barbless. The only ones I keep the barb on these days are the drop shot hooks. I guess if you really need to land every fish you catch, barbs are a good idea. Fishing means a lot more to me than just that. Rarely do I loose fish with barbless hooks. And I don't really care if I do occasionally loose one or two. Even the trebles on my crankbaits have the barbs crushed down.

I flatten my barbs on flies while trout fishing and havent lost many. but I seem to keep better pressure when realing in with my fly rod. I havent tried it with bass fishing, would be interesting to know if you get some thrown hooks with the head shaking..

Push a hook through your finger, then before you try to remove it, ask yourself the same question.