The Best Way to De-Barb a Fishing Hook

If you’ve ever struggled with fishing with a barbed hook and want to learn how to de-barb the flies and lures you already have, you are in the right place.

Barbless hooks lessen the damage to a fish, pose less of a threat to the angler, and help to get the fish back in the water quicker.

In this post, I’ll share the benefits of fishing with barbless hooks and the steps to de-barb one.

Reasons to De-Barb a Fishing Hook

De-barbing a hook is good for both practical and ethical reasons for anglers.

Barbless hooks make it easier to release fish – less time and stress to get them off the hook. This is especially important for catch-and-release fishing because it means fish can recover quicker!

Ethically de-barbing is good for sustainable fishing as it minimizes harm to the ecosystem and reduces the risk of accidental injury to anglers and wildlife. Always check parks you will fish at because sometimes they only allow barbless hooks.

Steps for De-Barb a Fishing Hook

Alright, so now that you’re ready to de-barb your hook, what’s next? Before you head out to the water, grab the hooks you want to adjust to save on time. Follow these steps:

• Grab Your Tools: You’ll need a pair of pliers, preferably needle-nose, and your fishing hook. Safety glasses are a good idea in case the hook snaps.

• Flatten the Barb: Hold the hook securely with the pliers, and using the flat part of the pliers, squeeze the barb firmly until it’s all the way down.

• Check Smoothness: Run your hook gently along a piece of cloth. If the hook snags, use the pliers to press down on the barb some more until it doesn’t anymore.

Tenkara Fishing at a Texas State Park

Barbless Hooks for Fishing

Now that you know the reasoning behind fishing with barbless hooks and how to remove a barb, you can fish more ethically! As a reminder, always check to see if barbless hooks are needed at parks and streams you are fishing at to avoid being fined.

Thanks for reading, and happy fishing!