Hello -
I recently went through my entire box and pinched down the barbs on all the trebles. I'm wondering if those of you who are barbless do you also pinch them down on single hooks like jigs and spinnerbaits?
thanks - erik

Yes, I pinch them all down.

Not enough.....I'm going to do many more this season.

Look at the width on a 7/0 hook at the barb, it's probably pushing 3/16 inch. I believe I've lost more fish due to the barb preventing a good hook penetration than I would have with a barbless.

Yes, some fault on my part for not burying the hookset, but on a long cast, side-to-side gliders and topwaters, there's enough room for error as it is.

I had a nice fish on WBL with FMer "lals" a.k.a. Tom Lally, slurp in a double 10 bucktail, not hammer it, had her on a good 30 seconds, she came fairly close and turned away. We literally watched the bait turn in her mouth and come unpinned. I still got one other that day, but had I boated two, while unofficially guiding and running his Ranger, I think he may have hired me as his full-time guide.......

You bet, pinched them all!!!

I pinch barbs on trebles, but leave them on single hooks

Hiya -

I don't pinch them down on jigs or spinnerbaits unless the barb is huge. As Cjac said, the barb on a big hook is really a lot to push through a fish's jaw. With single hook baits it's usually little trouble unhooking them - although I have had to cut hooks on both jigs and spinnerbaits before.

Cheers,
Rob Kimm

RK -
I recently got the EA season three DVD's and noticed how quickly it seemed that you unhooked the pike and muskies. Without spilling too many "cutting room floor" beans, was there much editing, or was the unhooking so quick because you and Pete fish barbless? It seems that in the past even with the right gear it takes me longer. I guess it is a bit tougher if you're alone though.

My five year old also noticed the Cobber ring in one of the close ups - asking, "Daddy why does that boy have your ring on?" LOL!!

Thanks - erik

Hiya -

Another Cobber eh? Cool. Funny that your 5 year old noticed it. Those rings do tend to stick out. I just found out yesterday that my mother is getting an Alumni Achievement Award from Concordia next fall. My grandfather (her dad) taught there, she went there, and so did I, so it's a pretty special deal for her...

Anyhow...

As far as the unhooking goes, there really isn't much that's cut. Some I suppose, mainly because a couple guys leaning over the side of the boat grunting and groaning doesn't really make for great television... But we do get them turned loose pretty fast, and barbless hooks help. I'm not sure if Pete is all barbless or not but I know he at least pinches the barbs down to make them smaller. One thing you'll notice also is if the fish is hard to unhook at all, out come the cutters.

I fish alone a lot, and that quite frankly is one of the main reasons I started going barbless in the first place. Makes it WAY easier to unhook fish solo. Plus a safety deal in case *I* get hooked. There are times when I barely have to touch the fish. I have a 'toothpick' type hook-out, and usually one good push with that is all it takes to unhook one.

Cheers,
Rob Kimm

It's been said many many times, but probably can't be said enough, the right tools AFTER the fish is caught are just as critical.

$100 roughly (5 lures?) on a Knipex cutters, Hook Pick, long nose pliers, jaw spreader, spare hooks in various sizes to replace the cut ones and a couple packs of Bucher and Wolverine split rings and we all can make it look like Pete and Rob do. Well, minus the mane of Mania hair and the Kimm Cobber ring that is.....

Do it right the first time purchasing and you're set.

Hey Rob,
Nice news about your mother's recognition! A very nice Mothers Day present delivered a little early.

It's all coming together now on where you got your "smarts". Good genes!

Does anyone partially pinch the barbs down? Particularly on hooks with huge barbs (like described above), I pinch them down about half way. That way they're a lot easier to remove, but still serve some function.

Rob -
Congrats on the honor for your mom. I'll watch for it in the Alumni news. the bad news for us is that if we want our kids to be Cobbers too we'll need to design the next hot lure and sell it to all the guys on this board!!
Thanks again for the barb info.
erik