Microbarbs on Barbless lakes.

bub81 · May 28, 2012

Is using microbarbed hooks when targeting carp on a lake which specifies barbless hooks only, bad?

Just had a look at an older thread on barbed (full) vs barbless, and the consensus was that barbed hooks do less serious damage to large fish, than barbless! However, they also agreed that smaller fish suffer much more with barbed hooks.

So how about Microbarbs? Are they the perfect compromise for carp? And is using microbarbs on a barbless water, breaking the rules?

My fishing shop owner practically told me to use micros on barbless venues.

I've lost big carp when bullying on barbless hooks and a light-ish rod, and with the pressure it comes off with, it cant be good for them.

dangermouse · May 28, 2012

Barbless means barbless, your tackle shop owner is talking s***.

steph mckenzie · May 29, 2012

Barbless means Barbless ... it doesn't mean nearly Barbless or perhaps a micro Barb or a smidgen Barb or a teeny weeny wee Barb.

IT MEANS NO BARB .... i think i got my Barbless Point (Pun Intended) across ok

agamemnon · May 29, 2012

the first time i fished a local lake with barbless rule i folded my barb over on the hook due to me not owning a single barbless hook. the bailif came round and demanded i remove my bait from the water then he tried to catch the exbarb in his wooly jumper. i got a long talking to about how my membership would be removed if i didnt have barbless hooks in future.
best follow the rules if you want to fish the water

waggy · May 29, 2012

As I discovered to my cost the other day, Bub81, micro-barbs are very effective BARBED hooks. Half asleep after a cuppa and a buttie, sweltering in the heat and nodding, I should have really shipped the rod and had a refreshing kip. But, you know how it is when you're pulling one rudd after the other out - I kept telling myself 'Just one more'.
Then I lodged a size 14 micro-barb in the back of my hand and I didn't need a kip anymore. Jesus, the bloody things don't half fight back. Eventually I wrestled the thing out with the piking forceps without too much blood loss.
They would certainly not pass for barbless.

Fred Bonney · May 29, 2012

"Bullying" fish with a barbless hook may well loose you fish.
If you are going after big fish or likely to hook big fish, use the right tackle for the job. With a barbless hook you must keep in contact with the fish, but don't try to bully there is no need.

Bullying with any hook, let alone a barbless will more likely lead to a hook pull and may also be tearing the mouth!

bub81 · May 29, 2012

Thanks chaps, I am well and truly educated!

Fred, I have to bully when I am fishing inches from certain features. There are loads in my local lake, including lillies and very thick branches-many underwater. People also bully fish when they make a run for such features. Its very common. I fish for medium to large fish, perhaps you are talking more match fishing?

Ray Roberts · May 30, 2012

bub81 said:
Thanks chaps, I am well and truly educated!

Fred, I have to bully when I am fishing inches from certain features. There are loads in my local lake, including lillies and very thick branches-many underwater. People also bully fish when they make a run for such features. Its very common. I fish for medium to large fish, perhaps you are talking more match fishing?

I don't think that he is talking about match fishing.

You shouldn't really get any more hook pulls with barb-less hooks, in fact as they are more likely to penetrate deeper than barbed hooks. The problem usually lies in the tension in the line relaxing. Having said that my personal preference, given the choice, is with barbed or micro barbed hooks.

bub81 · May 30, 2012

Hi Ray,

I haven't been getting hooks pulled, at all. I was just losing the fish when putting the brakes on next to snags.

However, having sacked my barbel rod (shock absorbtion was exhausted in those fights) for a new, forgiving esp carp rod and switched to carp hooks (with microbarbs) rather than large barbless match hooks, fights are much smoother and i haven't lost a fish.

I will get barbless carp hooks, now tho.

From now on I will only float fish with my Barbel rod on open water, where they can have a run or two. Next to snags its so much nicer playing them on a carp rod despite the extra weight.

Malc

Microbarbs on Barbless lakes.

bub81

Well-known member

dangermouse

Well-known member

steph mckenzie

Well-known member

agamemnon

Well-known member

waggy

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Fred Bonney

Banned

bub81

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Ray Roberts

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bub81

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