Hi All,
On a recent rare trip to my local lake I had the pleasure of landing eight carp, but I also dropped four.
The rules are that barbless hooks are used and I think that the reason that I dropped so many was because I was not used to using them.
I normaly employ a soft play technique that requires changing the side strain regulary during play to keep the fish on a short run and under control.
This I was told by a regular does not work with barbles hooks.
This regular also said that I needed heavier tackle and needed to play them much harder.
Everything that he said to me made perfect sense while using barbless hooks, but it also solved another big question that bugged me every time that I landed a carp.
On every fish bar none the mouth of the fish had a healed gash on one side.
These fish had all been severely injured at some time due to this hard play technique that prevents the barbless hook from falling out.
I have always thought that barbless hooks were not a good thing, but not for this reason until now.
Has anyone else come to the same conclusions from a similar experience?.

............Liam

Liams, how on earth can you state with authority that the wounds were caused by the "playing" techniques described to you?
Did you see any actual fresh wounds on fish caaught by other anglers using the "hard play" methods....not according to your post you didn't, as you state that the wounds were healed.

It seems to me that you are the one "playing" with the fish, I have read of your so called skilful playing of fish on the BFW site.
Has it not occurred to you that the "regular switching" of your rod from side to side is what works your hooks loose and causes you to lose fish.


And no, I have not come to the same conclusions in over 55 years of catching carp from all sorts of waters, weedy or clear.

Having said my piece I will say that I do not condone heavy handed playing of any fish.

Den

keeping a tight line and bend in the rod with barbless and you shouldnt have any probs.

how do you know these fish wernt caught by people using barbed hooks and breaking the fishery rules

I don't think I agree with you, Liams. I can't see how a barbless hook is more likely to cause injury to a fish, although I know some carp fisheries don't like them. Whilst you can never give a carp any slack line, when playing it, I would question the bullying tactics that you describe. Carp anglers tend to use quite heavy tackle, in the hope of meeting a monster, so fish of moderate weight can be 'pumped hard' to get them in. It is, perhaps, the bringing of fish to the bank that are not 'played out' that is most likely to have caused the wounds you describe. I use barbless: I don't think I lose fish that I would have landed with a barbed hook. I'm grateful for the ease of unhooking: in fact, around half of my fish no longer have a hook in their mouths by the time they are lifted onto the unhooking mat.

Whilst I believe that barbless hooks CAN cause more damage I would have tototally agree with the old fellas initial comments about the continual changing direction of side strain.

The only thing barbed hooks have over barbless is the fact worms stay on them, im sorry im for barbless hooks, its got to be better for the fish havn't you ever hooked yourself with a barbed hook where its entered you further than the barb. The pain you experianced afterwards? well i done it with both and barbless wins my vote everytime

Hi Den,
I did not state, or try to state anything with "authority". Quite the opposite in fact.
I was simply making an observation of the state of the cut mouths on the carp. It does not take much more than simple logic to work out that these wounds were not caused by any hook, but by the the line.
The reason for my post was that it sort of clicked in my mind after my discussion with the local talent on the lake.
These wounds are there for some reason.
Reason being the operative word, as that was the point of the post.
Your rather condescending reply did not really answer this question and has sent this thread in a different direction.
Surly it is obvious that if your tackle, line and rod is heavy and you play fish hard the weakest point in the link becomes the carp’s mouth!.
If this logic is off, please explain where for me, without the condescending attitude.
I will listen with an open mind from anyone, irrespective of how many years of experience that they have.
I never by any means think that I always do everything right and am still willing to learn even at my age.
I was attempting to try to understand why these fish were being played so hard and thought that the barbless hooks may be one of the answers?.
If I thought that I was right in my assumptions, I would not have bothered to post at all.
If you say that this is not the reason, I will listen gratefully to what you think the more logical reason might be.
I personally do not tend to judge other peoples posts by their previous posts, on other sites, on other subjects.
As I never judge others, or think that I know them, when I have never met them.
I find that it tends to cloud the issue at hand and opens a door for personal hurt, that is not necessary in an adult debate.
With Respect Liam.

Its been discused a lot on here before but I have found (not think please note) that barbless hooks above size 1O tear more than barbed.Like a lot of things in angling this may be down to a lot of things most of which are down to each angler doing things different.

Rickster please air your views or even better still experiences re barbed versus barbless hooks as I am sure we would all be interested.But lets give the comparrisons between the pain caused by sticking a hook,barbed or unbarbed in our finger a miss eh? totaly different thing and just pure emotive crap that the antis would love Im sure.

Rickster,I have just re read my last post and it has come over sounding a bit aggressive and abrupt!.Whilst the opinion I give remains please dont take offence at the way it reads as I certainly didnt mean any!