I crush em all! But I've lost more than my share. I hate what it does to them when I need to use the needlenose.

Crush them on smaller plugs/plactics for springtime school fish.

I go in phases. I crushed barbs for a few years, and then I hooked into something massive with a crushed barbed fly and five minutes into the fight -headshake bye-bye. I could have fought the fish better, but...Sayonara barbless.

Only when I'm targeting schoolies.

Crushed Mustads for years, they worked much better. VMCs dont have much of a barb and I get lazy about it, but expect I'll regret it some day.

I bend the barbs flat on all flies, and partially bend them on all of the larger hooks.

OOCH!!!

I agree with Mike - only one exception, when targeting schoolies in the spring I use barbless hooks. If i loose them it doesn't matter. Fishing without barbs make you concentrate on keeping the line tight and landing a fish quickly.

Hi All,

Up ‘till this year I haven’t given crushing the barb much thought. Never did crush. Now, after reading these posts, I’m going to start fishing barbless. At least when plugging for schoolies this spring in the river.

Al

i chrush the barbs on all my plugs,both trebles and siwash. i don't think i lose any fish because of it. i have seen PTmike land enough big fish for me to believe that it doesn't effect his landing rate. i know several other anglers who have landed more big fish than most and i mean 50 to 60 lbfish and they crush the barbs,thats enough for me to trust crushed barbs

Never Did it never will :wiggle:

not only do i crush all my barbs i cut off at least one of the hooks on each treble ,i just hate to mangle the fish when they take the hook in both upper and lower jaws

blue fish blitz's and dinks only....then not even always...

I always crush the barbs since a barbed hook led to a lot of agro when it went into my hand once out at Montauk. I think the suggestion to switch to a single hook on the back of plugs makes a lot of sense and will try that this year.

Tail hooks are all crushed. And like everyone else when targeting schoolies and blues they are gone.

crush'em on leadheads...
 

Always on leadheads...
Not on plugs.
Usually fish leadheads...

crushed barbs until june 15th. then its game on :humpty:

I crush all my treble hooks on plugs and use circle hooks on bait!!!
I have done this for over 15 years and yes I have lost some fish due to this, but in the long run I believe I have saved more smaller fish due to the fact that the barbs were crushed!!!
Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose!!!
That is Life!!! Deal with it!!!