Points well- taken as usual, Mike... but here are my answers:
1) Hook- penetration is no where near equal comparing full- barbed and barb- crushed trebles on plugs... The question here is: maybe you might lose one (potentially) "big" fish a year to slack forming w/ barbless plug- hooks... but how many hard- strikes that didn't hook-up did you have last year w/ full barbs? How many of those would have been hook- ups going no- barbs? If the answer is 2+, then you've come out ahead crushing your barbs.
2) Can I reel fast enough for the "dirty trick?" Yes, with my VS250... So far yes with my VS 300 w/ slower retrieve ratio. And who says slack at any point while barbless guarantees an unbuttoned fish?-- I think Mike you're envisioning that rare case when your Cow is stuck with one hook from a treble only, loosely... Face it most times Momma's got a whole head treble in her maw, and it ain't coming out so easily if so slack or no!
3) Yes, the back hook on a plug's the damage- one to the released Bass's health: that's why for me, NO Bass plug has a rear treble: rear bucktail Siwash single... or when possible, a hookless swinging bucktail on the rear! Doesn't eliminate 100% the gill damage issue... but way above the rear- treble approach.
Finally, 4) re.: Bluefish throwing barbless/ crushed- barb hooks: Nov. 28 + 29th last, S.S. L.I. surf: throwing mostly bass- plugs looking to cul a cow, I instead landed approx. 75 Blues in two days with my crushed- barb plugs & tins... I honestly don't recall dropping one once hooked! With sand beach & no structure, it was still easy to beat 14+ lb. blues on 20 lb. mono. Lots of jumping I assure-- too bad! I hope for long- distance releases, when unfortunate enough to hook- up a Blue!
