Treble hook vs. barbless

S

S199810

New Member
Hi guys, I always thought treble hook was illegal for saltwater salmon fishing until today I went with my colleague on his boat and saw he took out treble hook. My question is, if the treble hook is legal, why we have to use barbless hook. My understanding for barbless hook is that it wont cause damage to the fish when it's undersize and you have to release it. If a treble hook is used, can't it cause damage to the fish' mouth when you have to release it?

Below is what i just found on DFO'S website

Only barbless hooks may be used for all salmon and sea-run trout fishing.
  • Treble barbless hooks are acceptable in most areas; except in tidal areas of coastal rivers and in areas where special management measures are in place. Check the regulations for the area you are fishing before you go
  • Partially crimped barbs are not allowed; the barb must be crimped flat against the shaft
 
QUOTE......Most bait and drift jig anglers incorporate the use of treble hooks into their personal rigging system......UNQUOTE

Not sure that comment would hold up under scrutiny. I have fished the salt chuck with bait for over fourty years and have NEVER used a treble hook and don't know anyone who does.

It's true that where I fish they're illegal in the salt chuck (unless on a jig) which partly explains why. When I fish up north, where they're legal, I don't use them because I see zero reason to use them and that being said, it leaves me scratching my head wondering why people would even think of using them when fishing bait.

Jigs: I fished jigs quite a bit this summer. I had my girlfriend on board and putting a jig rod in someone's hand who doesn't fish much is a guaranteed way to get a fish on the line quick. I put a single 3/0 barbless Gamakatsu on the jig for her----she never lost what she hooked and it made it real easy for me to turn the fish loose when she got it to the surface.

Trebles in the salt? I just don't get it. And in this day and age where there is so much scrutiny on our fisheries and regulatory pressures and RCA's that we can expect to expand in the future, it's a mystery to me why they're even allowed in a tackle box
 
S199810 said:
If a treble hook is used, can't it cause damage to the fish' mouth when you have to release it?
Click to expand...
I'd say anybody that can think clearly would agree with this.
Trebles are basically illegal in SW everywhere on the west coast except most areas in BC. I would say that since they are illegal in certain SE areas of BC that DFO must feel they are more lethal.
Undersize Salmon have a higher release mortality rate than larger fish irregardless of hook used. In most of WA it is illegal to bring a Salmon being released over the boat gunnel; they are best released in the water. With a treble, releasing takes more time, and time out go water seems to be a large factor affecting release mortality.

I firmly believe I get better action on lures & bait with single hooks.
 
ericl said:
I'd say anybody that can think clearly would agree with this.
Trebles are basically illegal in SW everywhere on the west coast except most areas in BC. I would say that since they are illegal in certain SE areas of BC that DFO must feel they are more lethal.
Undersize Salmon have a higher release mortality rate than larger fish irregardless of hook used. In most of WA it is illegal to bring a Salmon being released over the boat gunnel; they are best released in the water. With a treble, releasing takes more time, and time out go water seems to be a large factor affecting release mortality.

I firmly believe I get better action on lures & bait with single hooks.
Click to expand...

Nope not me.
 
Last edited:
Fish with barbless trebles on bait and jigs all the time. No problem harmlessly releasing fish. Trebles mostly stick in the front part of mouth so easy to reach with plyers. And they don't penetrate as deep as larger singles so I would argue that trebles are much easier on small fish where singles often come out of eye or nose etc. They should ban singles larger than a certain size if they want to prevent harm to undersized fish.
 
If that were true why does the manufacturer sell rigged teasers with treble hooks?
I don't have any great difficulty and it doesn't take more than a second to tip the hook out 99% of the time on the side of the boat.

I've seen guys with trebles, guys with singles and guys with 2 singles (one stinger) and also some crazy overkill with two trebles (one stinger) and I think the only rule is to respect the resource you're after and do your best to release safely those fish you won't be keeping.
 
On jigging/casting lures, trebles can be quite devastating on smaller fish. They are great for those that have difficulty playing fish.
 
I agree. A small treble is seldom an issue. The big hooks thru the eye aren’t so good. Having said that I run a stinger about a half inch behind my anchovies tail and generally this is the hook that does the job.
chris73 said:
Fish with barbless trebles on bait and jigs all the time. No problem harmlessly releasing fish. Trebles mostly stick in the front part of mouth so easy to reach with plyers. And they don't penetrate as deep as larger singles so I would argue that trebles are much easier on small fish where singles often come out of eye or nose etc. They should ban singles larger than a certain size if they want to prevent harm to undersized fish.
Click to expand...
 
Excerpted from the abstract of a study that reviewed the results of 53 catch and release studies (A review of catch-and-release angling mortality with implications for no-take reserves - Aaron Bartholomew & James A. Bohnsack):

“Mean mortality varied greatly by species and within species, anatomical hooking location was the most important mortality factor. Other significant mortality factors were: use of natural bait, removing hooks from deeply hooked fish, use of J-hooks (vs. circle hooks), deeper depth of capture, warm water temperatures, and extended playing and handling times. Barbed hooks had marginally higher mortality than barbless hooks. Based on numbers of estimates, no statistically significant overall effects were found for fish size, hook size, venting to deflate fish caught at depth, or use of treble vs. single hooks.”

So, no statistical difference between treble vs single. J-hooks significantly worse than circle hooks and barbed hooks marginally worse than barbless.

Cheers!

Ukee
 
UkeeDreamin said:
Excerpted from the abstract of a study that reviewed the results of 53 catch and release studies (A review of catch-and-release angling mortality with implications for no-take reserves - Aaron Bartholomew & James A. Bohnsack):

“Mean mortality varied greatly by species and within species, anatomical hooking location was the most important mortality factor. Other significant mortality factors were: use of natural bait, removing hooks from deeply hooked fish, use of J-hooks (vs. circle hooks), deeper depth of capture, warm water temperatures, and extended playing and handling times. Barbed hooks had marginally higher mortality than barbless hooks. Based on numbers of estimates, no statistically significant overall effects were found for fish size, hook size, venting to deflate fish caught at depth, or use of treble vs. single hooks.”

So, no statistical difference between treble vs single. J-hooks significantly worse than circle hooks and barbed hooks marginally worse than barbless.

Cheers!

Ukee
Click to expand...

Yes! Science on the forum! Thanks Ukee!!!
 
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