PIKE ON THE EDGE by Doug Pike – November/December 2021

THE NEXT BIG BASS LAKE? – November/December 2021
October 31, 2021
EDITOR’S NOTES by Chester Moore – November/December 2021
October 31, 2021

Hooking Up Can be a Real Pain

FOR DECADES NOW, I’ve encouraged fishermen to mash flat every barb on every hook on every lure they throw. A video that showed up in my facebook feed this past summer was not the first I’ve seen that fortifies my case, and it won’t be the last.

But it sure was a good one.

Envision a kayak fisherman working his way down a rock jetty and throwing a swimming plug—with two treble hooks—in hope of catching a speckled trout or redfish or Spanish mackerel or whatever.

The rod bends, and this young man’s “whatever” turns out to be a skipjack. It’s doing what skippies do, jumping and flopping and trying its best to break free. When the fish finally comes close, the guy grabs it by the bug-eyed head.

That’s where things take a turn for the worse.

Not just a one-hook-in-the-hand turn, either. This fish, to its credit, managed to bury hooks in both the fisherman’s hands. And he hurts—loudly and colorfully.

Quite fortunately for him, other fishermen on that little rock groin saw his situation and called emergency services to the location. When the EMTs arrived, they and the fisherman assessed the situation and came up with a plan that included cutting hook shanks and even pushing one hook the rest of the way through the guy’s hand so its shank also could be cut.

Probably at least an hour after he actually felt the strike of that ladyfish, he and the fish and the lure were separated.

So he’s lost an hour of fishing, he’s in considerable pain, and he probably should call it a day. Before that can happen, though, he’s still got to load his kayak. I’d like to think a couple of guys who saw what happened volunteered to help.

That night and for days more, that hand hurt.

Or—picture the same scenario with someone who had followed my advice holding that rod and working that lure. Then, it would have been a 10-minute mess at best.

First, I’d never have let a bare hand (or leg or any other important body part) get so close to a hooked skipjack. They’re like jackrabbits after a cup of espresso. Had I been in a kayak, that fish never would have crossed over the side and into the boat.

Instead, pliers would have been employed to wiggle that fish off—no matter how many hooks were keeping it from freedom.

For the record, I am in no way knocking the young man in the kayak, neither the lure he threw, nor how he handled that incident. I was his age once, many years ago, so odds are high that I’d have found myself in the same situation.

He’s a fisherman, and I’d guess from the video that he catches more fish than most. He just made a mistake, one he’s unlikely to make again.

Education can be painful sometimes. Ask anyone who fell headlong in love with the wrong person and got their heart broken—or got a hook in the hand.

Those lessons hurt, but they also stick. The next time a similar situation arises, the memory of that pain jumps up and waves its arms, doing all it can to keep you from making the same mistake twice.

I was fortunate enough (already thousands of fish into however many I’ve caught now) to bury my first hook into my hand on a private bass lake that mandated barbless hooks. As I grabbed the lip of a two-pound bass, it twisted and planted one of the rear hooks of a Pop-R into the meaty part of my thumb.

My grip on that fish tightened, and my mind raced. Push it through? Go to the dock and see whether anyone can convince me they’re good at that “yank the string” method?

No! No! —barbless hook!

I set down my rod and slid the hook straight back out the hole it made on the way in. Then I unhooked and released the fish, squeezed my thumb twice to get the poison out—I don’t really know why I do that, but I do—and got right back to fishing.

If you didn’t know, barbs on hooks actually were put there to keep live bait where it belongs, not to keep fish on the line. In some cases, but not many, barbs actually can cause anglers to lose hooked fish.

Once you make the switch, you’ll discover quickly how few fish manage to shake off a tight line. That goes for all fish, too, even the jumpers.

Barbless hooks also can save a trip to the ER with kids or seniors who definitely would need to be seen by a medical professional for removal of a barbed hook.

No barb—no trip to the emergency room. Just a quick extraction, a sigh of relief, and more fishing.

 

GOING BARBLESS

To flatten a hook’s barb, use strong pliers with relatively flat jaws. Squeeze tightly, rolling the barb slightly back and forth. Test the result by sliding a finger back along the shank or hold the hook up and visually inspect your work.

Note that some hooks, especially discount brands and smaller hooks in general, can be brittle. When you squeeze those pliers, wear protective glasses or at least close your eyes and turn away.

Don’t use any sort of power tool to grind away barbs. The friction heats the hook and weakens it.

Go barbless. You won’t regret it.

 

Email Doug Pike at ContactUs@fishgame.com

 

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