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Nope never do I crush the barb on an eel hook, that would be the time a 40 hits! I never hook a bass deeper than the start of the throat and never have a problem getting the hook out for a fast release, in the rare occasion I have hooked them deeper I just cut the line and let them go, the hook rusts out in a few days. With one hook, I want every advantage I can get, crushing the barb would be counter productive.Often times a bass in the teens or 20s will be lip hookes and during the fight a hole will develop, sometimes that barb is the only thing that keeps them on! When I do use plugs, I crush the barbs on the trebles but, I always leave one hook intact on each treble it is still easy to release fish but there is some security.
As far as the eel staying alive? I get a good 45mins to an hour out of my eels hooked this way, they live longer than hooking them thru the brain and out the eye socket.
Oh ya, thats the way I rig for live eels....
One thing I have noticed when hooking bass, often times the hook "moves" you may have the hook in the mouth when you set up but during the fight the hook comes out and catches again in the lips, I swear I can feel this when it happens, I want that barb!
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