Barbless obviously come out easier, the question is do they do more damage. I prefer to use barbed hooks wherever it is permitted. I find they penetrate less deeply and once in stay put. Ido however take care when unhooking fish and have never had a problem using either method.
For carp if the venue allows I prefer barbed if not then I have to use barbless. For predator fishing I much prefer barbed double or trebles, Barbed seem to stay put once hooked and providing you have the right gear, decent forceps and unhooking mat the fish are not damaged ,I also treat the fishes mouth with klinik.
I prefer to use barbed but the micro barbed patterns or as cakey said just a barbed pattern but with the barb crushed down. They seem to stay put & give you a better hook hold. I've always used a small set of forceps so unhooking has never been a problem. I've had more hook pulls on barbless hooks which surely can't be good for the fishes mouth.
There is an oft said theory that barbed hooks do less damage thanbarbless because the hook moves about less than a barbless hook and creates less of a hole especially when the fish is putting up a lot of resistance.
I personally favour barbed, preferably micro barbed if possible but am not worried when barbless hooks only is the rule. I can also see the necessity for a barbless rule on match fisheries where small carp are the target and speed of unhooking is the norm which can cause mouth damage at the hands of the inexperienced or couldn't care less brigade. Fisheries where fishing is unbailiffed and frequented by learners and kids is another instance where barbless hooks should be enforced.
I use the same method as Cakey and squash the barb down with forceps. If the point of the hook will pass through a piece of cloth without snagging then it ain't barbed.
i actually use micro barb hooks mike where allowed mike,and have lost good fish on barbless usually roach to hand on lightpole elastic.........beware bailiffs carrying a cloth to check for cheats .
I use barbless due to my clubs rules, but this is the damage that "Barbless" hooks can do to fish, the hook came out of this fish's mouth in the landing net and got caught in its eye filling it with blood. Consequently I was really annoyed with myself for having caused this injury to the fish./members/images/28868/Gallery/29-5-07_Carp_with_damaged_Eye.jpg
On my local water the rules are barbed hooks only above size 14.
I have absolutely no idea if a barbed hook really does move about less, and I would like to know if any scientific studies have been conducted.
However I do think I am qualified to say that a barbed hook can do far more damage to a fish when it is unhooked if the angler is inexperienced, or uncaring, or does not have suitable tools for the job (i.e. forceps).
Also I would have thought a fish would have muchmore difficulty getting rid of a barbed hook in the event of a break.
Barbless every time,not sure how a barbless hook goes deeper than a barbed one,i would have thought a barbed hook would cut the tissue of the fishes mouth more because of the barb.I would imagine the size or pattern of the hookwould be more to do with the damage to the fishes mouth and what angle the hook has taken hold and the pressure this has on the fishes mouth.Large hooks seem to give more leverage and i think this is were the damage comes from,where as smaller hooks embed them selfs better giving less leverage.
I use barbless for 90% of my coarse fishing, barbed hooks for sea fishing and barbed hooks for game fishing. The only time I use barbed hooks when coarse fishing is where they are required by fishery rules.