Barbless hooks in AB this year?

[James 1]

I was looking in the regs regarding barb less hooks this year and can't find anything. Are they required?

[Talking moose]

Not required.

[jeffrey929]

Not required and may never be required again

[James 1]

Thanks guys. Thought so but just had to double check

[CurtisV.]

Wasn't there something that said barbless for streams?

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by CurtisV.

Wasn't there something that said barbless for streams?

Nope, the word barbless does not appear anywhere in the regs.

[millsboy79]

Originally Posted by RavYak

Nope, the word barbless does not appear anywhere in the regs.

Well technically ... hahaha

I assume by the responses most people do not pinch their barbs?

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

Well technically ... hahaha

I assume by the responses most people do not pinch their barbs?

If I'm into the fish I'll go barbless.

[cron]

i will always stay barbless or pinched barbs

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

Well technically ... hahaha

I assume by the responses most people do not pinch their barbs?

Depends on the situation.

Barbed

Flies
Jigs
Single bait hooks
Spoons for trout
Crankbaits for trout

Barbless

Spoons for pike/walleye
Crankbaits for pike/walleye

A single barbed hook is still easy to remove and especially for trout having a barb will significantly improve your chances of landing the fish that is why I don't bother to pinch barbs on single hook lures.

On spoons/crankbaits and other treble/multi hook lures you need to go barbless for pike/walleye to make hook remove easier especially with pike who take the hooks deep so often. You won't lose that many fish by going barbless and it will significantly help hook removal and fish mortality.

On spoons and crankbaits for bigger trout you need barbs because the jumps and violent head shakes will throw the heavier lures too easily. It is hard enough landing these fish with barbs let alone trying to do so without. I don't like using barbed lures in this regard but I also really don't like losing big trout that I have to work so hard just to hook in the first place.

[catnthehat]

I started going barbless when my kids startd fishing 30 years ago for safety reasons , but soon realized that it made for easier hook sets and quicker releases .
I gate bringing big pile into the boat and it is a lot easier to release them at boat side with a barbless hook - for me, anyway.

On my crank baits I cut the bottom hook off the trebles and pinch the barbs on the other ones .
I get far less snags that way
Cat

[waterninja]

Personally, I have found that fish dont swallow a barbed hook any where near as deep as a barbless. Many more lip sets with a barbed hook which makes for an easier and less stressfull release.
Go barbless if you want, I will stick to barbed.

[wcbarker]

Barbless for me just easier to release fish

[millsboy79]

Originally Posted by waterninja

Personally, I have found that fish dont swallow a barbed hook any where near as deep as a barbless. Many more lip sets with a barbed hook which makes for an easier and less stressfull release.
Go barbless if you want, I will stick to barbed.

How is this possible?? Why would a barb decide how deep a fish takes a hook?

If you have the same hook barbed or barbless they would take it the same.

[millsboy79]

Growing up fishing in Nova Scotia they had specific waters that were bait ban and also barb banned so to make sure I didn't get in trouble by having something in my tackle box I started pinching all of my hooks and still do.

[waterninja]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

How is this possible?? Why would a barb decide how deep a fish takes a hook?

If you have the same hook barbed or barbless they would take it the same.

Well, hooks with barbs must set quicker then barbless. Whatever the reason, I have had more deep set hooks with barbless then barbed. Not trying to be argumentative about this. Go barbless if you like. I'm glad they got rid of that reg.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by waterninja

I'm glad they got rid of that reg.

Me too, simply because it was often misunderstood by the public and the authorities!
Better to have a choice
Cat

[Pikebreath]

Originally Posted by waterninja

Personally, I have found that fish dont swallow a barbed hook any where near as deep as a barbless. Many more lip sets with a barbed hook which makes for an easier and less stressfull release.
Go barbless if you want, I will stick to barbed.

Sorry, but I can't buy that a barbless hook will be swallowed deeper than the barbed version of the same size and style. Hook set timing along with hook design and size (smaller short shanked single hooks are easier to swallow) will influence hook placement in the mouth,,,, but the barb itself has no bearing on hooking depth.

Barbless will certainly penetrate deeper which can be a cause for concern on certain hook sizes and styles.

[Pudelpointer]

I always go barbless!!! It makes realeasing (myself) so much easier.

Until you sink a 3/0 hook THROUGH your finger joint, or have a buried past the bend into your cheek bone, it is hard to realize the benefits of having those barbs pinched flat, or better yet having hooks manufactured without them in the first place.

Having said that, I am fine with the law as it stands today.

[Skoaltender]

95% of the time I C&R so I'm barbless.

[blgoodbrand1]

Originally Posted by millsboy79

How is this possible?? Why would a barb decide how deep a fish takes a hook?

If you have the same hook barbed or barbless they would take it the same.

It's not....

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by waterninja

Whatever the reason,

Coincidence.

[waterninja]

Originally Posted by Pudelpointer

I always go barbless!!! It makes realeasing (myself) so much easier.

Until you sink a 3/0 hook THROUGH your finger joint, or have a buried past the bend into your cheek bone, it is hard to realize the benefits of having those barbs pinched flat, or better yet having hooks manufactured without them in the first place.

Having said that, I am fine with the law as it stands today.

Pulling a hook out of your own anatomy is definitly one logical reason why a person would want to go barbless. I know an accident can happen to anyone, but if you hook yourself on a regular bassis, then I suggest you stick to barbless.
They do sell factory barbless hooks at sports shops.

[CMichaud]

I pinch mine less the small flies.

Just find it easier to get out of the fish.

I mostly trout fish.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by waterninja

Pulling a hook out of your own anatomy is definitly one logical reason why a person would want to go barbless. I know an accident can happen to anyone, but if you hook yourself on a regular bassis, then I suggest you stick to barbless.
They do sell factory barbless hooks at sports shops.

Had a pike flip out of my grasp a few years back and in the process drove one of the trebles from a plug deep into one finger
Barbless was no problem getting it out .

There is a member here called Backbay who had a guy hook him with a back cast once - drove a Mepps right into his forearm DEEP!!
Doctor had to get that one out!
Cat

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

Me too, simply because it was often misunderstood by the public and the authorities!
Better to have a choice
Cat

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Sundancefisher]

Alberta went barbless because Ralph came back from a Manitoba fishing trip and caught tons. They were barbless and he attributed more fish due to barbless. That was a false assumption. F&W biologists knew there is little difference between barbed and barbless for mortality. Big difference between bait and baitless.

I like the choice. Lots of fish...go barbless then you catch even more by releasing faster. Long distance releases are not bothersome.

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

Alberta went barbless because Ralph came back from a Manitoba fishing trip and caught tons. They were barbless and he attributed more fish due to barbless. That was a false assumption. F&W biologists knew there is little difference between barbed and barbless for mortality. Big difference between bait and baitless.

I like the choice. Lots of fish...go barbless then you catch even more by releasing faster. Long distance releases are not bothersome.

And this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[FlyTheory]

I'd say debarbing should be required for lures with >2 trebles. Seems like overkill to have cranks with 3 trebles all barbed.

[Dirty samsquanch]

I don't use trebles at all any more and I pinch the barbs. I just find its easier to release fish without much fuss. In fact I rarely even take a fish out of the water to release them.