Please realize I know nothing about fishing but my daughter wants to go
again. Since all the reds we caught were undersized and removing the
barbed hook seemed sorta traumatic for them, should I bend the barb
down? Will this greatly reduce the number she can actually land?

wrote in message
oups.com...
Please realize I know nothing about fishing but my daughter wants to go
again. Since all the reds we caught were undersized and removing the
barbed hook seemed sorta traumatic for them, should I bend the barb
down? Will this greatly reduce the number she can actually land?


It'll reduce ripping of the soft tissue, if near the lips. And obviously, if
it digs into harder places like a bony mouth, it'll be easier to remove. Any
measures you can take to get the fish back in the water faster will help -
it's the time out of the water, and rough handling that cause the most
problems. Next would be disturbance of the slime coat. Keep a large towel
ready. Get it nice & wet, and cradle the fish in it while dealing with
hooks. Try not to squeeze the fish too hard. Imagine a giant hand crushing
you between your hips and your rib cage, and you'll get the idea. You
wouldn't have much left, in terms of stomach, spleen, etc.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Please realize I know nothing about fishing but my daughter wants to go
again. Since all the reds we caught were undersized and removing the
barbed hook seemed sorta traumatic for them, should I bend the barb
down? Will this greatly reduce the number she can actually land?


Why not go with barbless hooks as your subject (of the thread) suggests?

http://capmel.com/catch_release.htm

On 5 Jan 2006 13:56:04 -0800, "
wrote:

should I bend the barb
down?

I know some very serious and experienced fisherman who do that.

Will this greatly reduce the number she can actually land?

It's hard to say in my opinion, but it will not lessen the excitement
and fun. What is fishing without a story about the one that got away?

"Wayne.B" wrote ...
wrote:

should I bend the barb
down?

I know some very serious and experienced fisherman who do that.

Will this greatly reduce the number she can actually land?

It's hard to say in my opinion, but it will not lessen the excitement
and fun. What is fishing without a story about the one that got away?

If you pay attention to not giving it slack the barbless hook won't hurt your
landed/hooked ratio much at all (if any). Keep a sharp hook and maintain a
little tension and you'll do fine.

-rick-

"-rick-" wrote in message
...

"Wayne.B" wrote ...
wrote:

should I bend the barb
down?

I know some very serious and experienced fisherman who do that.

Will this greatly reduce the number she can actually land?

It's hard to say in my opinion, but it will not lessen the excitement
and fun. What is fishing without a story about the one that got away?

If you pay attention to not giving it slack the barbless hook won't hurt
your landed/hooked ratio much at all (if any). Keep a sharp hook and
maintain a little tension and you'll do fine.

-rick-



Now wait just a minute! I thought fishing was all about reducing tension.

"Bryan" wrote ...


Now wait just a minute! I thought fishing was all about reducing tension.

Good point!

I file the barbs off certain lures (spoons with only one set of hooks)
.... release is easy ... just let the line go slack. And a fish that
jumps, like a Muskie, is a real challenge. Typically a shake or two of
the head and it's gone. The real challenge though is to snap a picture
when alone in the boat.

"The real challenge though is to snap a picture when alone in the boat"....
one of the guys on the TX Kayak fishing group made up a mono-pod to fit into
his rod holder. He sets the camera for "delay"...and holds up the fish for
pix. Just FYI...
--
RichG manager, Carolina Skiff Owners Group on MSN
http://groups.msn.com/CarolinaSkiffOwners
..

wrote in message
oups.com...
I file the barbs off certain lures (spoons with only one set of hooks)
... release is easy ... just let the line go slack. And a fish that
jumps, like a Muskie, is a real challenge. Typically a shake or two of
the head and it's gone. The real challenge though is to snap a picture
when alone in the boat.