Whither to debarb or not for roach and perch

[Will Wilkinson]

Around 80% of my fishing is done with barbless hooks, the exceptions being mostly for specimen perch, barbel and carp and worm fishing for all species when I prefer small/micro barbed patterns. For perch this is for the same reasons as Steve, for barbel and carp it's to reduce hook movement (I've seen cases where a gash has been opened up by barbless hooks moving around but never with barbed) and when worming it's to stop the bait wriggling off the hook. Almost all of my barbed hooks are size 12 or larger as I don't see the same problems with small hooks.

 

Will

[Anderoo]

Why can one be 'better' than the other? Like everything there's a time and place for barbed, and a time and place for barbless. You need to match the specifics of your rig to the specifics of the conditions and your target species. That can change several times a session, let alone a season! It's a bit like saying which is better, braid or mono? Float or leger? Carp or pike? Nash or richworth?

 

Etc.!

 

I could go into detail of when I prefer to use either barbed or barbless, but it would take ages and I need to get some work done

[DavidWliilamson]

Thank for all the reply s on the subject i have got a lot of useful info from them

[Newt]

Hi David and welcome.

 

A few days ago, someone commented that we are 'full of it'. Hopefully they meant information. :D

 

What you have here is totally opposing views from some really good and long time anglers who have totally different views so which ever way you go, it should be fine.

 

I'd love to add the definitive 'final say' but unfortunately for me, I don't live in perch country. We have a very few but they are either all very small (1-3 oz I would guess) or else the big gals always stay hidden since I've never heard of a decent size one being caught.

[Anderoo]

Yesterday I discovered an excellent reason to use barbless hooks.

 

I popped out for a couple of hours' trotting at a local stream and was having great fun wandering around and fishing the shallow gravelly runs, catching a fair few fit, wild brownies (including a huge one!) - practice for Timsbury...!

 

At one spot I went to rebait and somehow the rod fell forwards and pulled the hook (a size 16 barbed drennan super specialist) right into the top of my left index finger, between the top knuckle and the nail. There's hardly any flesh there (have a look!) and it was stuck solid. If it had been barbless, I would have just pulled it out again.

 

My whole finger went instantly numb. I tried to pull it out, thinking it would come if I pulled hard enough, but it wouldn't budge at all. So I tried to pull it round and push the point back through the skin so I could crush the barb, but it wouldn't move there either. I was worried that it might snap at the bend and leave half a hook in me but I tried again and using all my strength just managed to force it through. (This was a size 16! And I could only just force it through.) After crushing the barb it slipped back out quite easily, and then (unfortunately) the feeling came back to my finger.

 

Ooooowwwwww!

 

27 years a fisherman and that's the first time I've properly hooked myself. It was not a pleasant experience

[Leon Roskilly]

Have to say that I can not accept Steve's logic. It simply doesn't add up! Why should a barbless hook penetrate further than a barbed one?

 

 

Instead of theorising, why not try a simple experiment?

 

Take a piece of chamois leather, and try pulling a hook tied to nylon through.

 

Try it with barbed, crushed-barb and barbless.

 

Admittedly I've only tried this with size 8 trebles, but the superior penetrating power of a barbless hook has convinced me to crush the barbs on all of my lures (and ensure that the points are always needle sharp, so that they will dig into my fingernail, rather than slide across).

 

The problem with perch (and eels) is that vital organs are high up towards their gullet, and when a hook penetrates deep, it is likely to have caused a fatal injury to their vital organs, even if the fish swims away strongly having been unhooked.

[Steve Burke]

Have to say that I can not accept Steve's logic. It simply doesn't add up! Why should a barbless hook penetrate further than a barbed one?

 

Peter, please re-read what I wrote for a possible explanation.

 

You'll see that, like you, I couldn't see why barbless hooks would penetrate more deeply either. In fact, we can discuss whether they do so or not ad infinitum.

 

However this isn't really relevant. As I wrote, what is important is that many experienced perch anglers including myself find that barbless hooks in larger sizes can kill perch.

 

That alone for me is enough not to use them.

 

Except for trying to improve hook design, I'm sure you'll agree the reason they do so is immaterial.

[big davy]

I am new to this site but having been fishing for many years and go with the flow of only part de barbing IE micro barb as this should stop the hook moving around but should be easy to remove. But it is up to you what you do T T F N

[Newt]

I am new to this site

 

But it is up to you what you do T T F N

And we are most glad to have you.

 

I will put in a slight niggle about it being up to you. It certainly is .. unless the lake owner has made a rule as Steve has for perch fishing on his lakes at Wingham.

[big davy]

Yes you are correct I will always the rules of the waters that I fish on But if you have an option it lets you use your own preferences

T T F N