Using barb-less or crushing the barbs down goes a long way toward making unhooking a breeze as well. Also changing out treble hooks on lures and such for single hooks, and there are various types designed for it available now. I know people always want to say
"but the fish would get off..."
but that isn't true. Over countless carp, bass, trout, panfish, stripers, catfish etc. I still retain 90+% of the fish I hook..the few % I don't are almost always due to error on my part during the fight...not the hook. When I have a fish that is deep hooked without the barb it is almost always a few second, grab, slight push and turn of the wrist and it's back in the water.
Posted Mon Jul 18, 2011 9:51 pm