Barbless hooks for river chub

[CJROSCOW]

Ill be starting my first river campaign come open season and I was wondering if barbless hooks are suitable for decent chub? From a stillwater background so barbed hooks are alien to me. Have loads of suitable barbless patterns. Am i really going to lose many without a barb? Prefer not to use them if possible.

 

[redkev]

I always use barbless for all species on the river including Chub.
Keep a tight line and there's no reason you should loose any (bar snags of course).

 

[Zerkalo]

I mainly use Animal Barbless hooks and don't really lose Chub but in smaller sizes I use Whisker Barbed B520s when I expect things like Dace which can spin off the hook.

 

[Reuben]

I haven’t used barbed hooks in donkeys years for any species & can’t say it’s led to any loss of fish tbh. Bumped a few Dace off when trotting but that’s probably just my rubbish technique.

 

[tipitinmick]

C’mon where’s Ukzero1 when you need him ? Has the church unplugged hi WiFi ?

 

[CJROSCOW]

Cheers guys.

 

[ukzero1]

C’mon where’s Ukzero1 when you need him ? Has the church unplugged hi WiFi ?

B911X-strong if the Chub are a bit on the chunky side, (or even if not).

 

[Dave Spence]

I tried barbless about 40 years ago, lost two fish in 2 casts and vowed I would never use them again. However, when I moved to Lincs in 2002 and started fishing my local commercial I had to follow the rules and use barbless. 20 years on and I would never use barbed hooks again. Easier unhooking, less holes in jumpers and no hook lengths hanging in keepnets. Fish lost due to the hook slipping is so close to zero as to be negligible.

 

[Arch]

Drennan Sliverfish Maggot.
Kamasan B920.


Or if you are of a certain vintage, a Mustad 90340.

 

[tincatim]

I always use barbless on the river, although I’d say whisker barbed are better for roach and dace, I seem to have a lot drop off on the retrieve but as I’m not match fishing that doesn’t matter too much. For chub I tend to use B911 X or the Kamasan Animals, I’ve never had a chub slip the hook yet.

 

[ukzero1]

For chub I tend to use B911 X or the Kamasan Animals, I’ve never had a chub slip the hook yet.

Now THAT'S an angler. B911's and Animals.

 

[tipitinmick]

Drennan Sliverfish Maggot.
Kamasan B920.


Or if you are of a certain vintage, a Mustad 90340.

90340 it is then. . Forged in heaven by angels those things.

 

[Arch]

Some for sale on Ebay. 24's though.

 

[PearTree]

Kamasan B510

 

[Dave Spence]

Redditch crystal bend to 3x gut

 

[CJROSCOW]

Thanks guys put my mind at rest. Got a load of barbless drennan superspecialists and kammy animals from sz 6 down to 14 which will be great.

 

[Sam Vimes]

Barbless aren't usually an issue on slower lowland rivers. However, those fishing the higher, faster and shallower reaches of rivers might not be so keen to go barbless. Trout, grayling and, to a lesser extent, dace in rapid water can be more than a little difficult a prospect on barbless hooks. Anyone that can guarantee to keep a tight line to a trout or grayling that's going ballistic is a lot luckier than I'll ever be.

Ultimately, the choice is yours. Give barbless a whirl. If you have no issues, all well and good. If you do lose a few too many, and your conscience allows, try a barbed hook. However, bear in mind that chub are absolute masters at transferring any type of hook to underwater vegetation. It happens often enough even with barbed hooks.

 

[Simon R]

I wouldn't entertain using a barbless hook for chub - on the Ure or Swale anyway

However, bear in mind that chub are absolute masters at transferring any type of hook to underwater vegetation. It happens often enough even with barbed hooks.

Very true - I've found snags I didn't even know were present after chub have left me attached to them.

Drennan Carbon Chub hooks were only sold in a barbed form for a reason

Simon

 

[Zerkalo]

A good thing about Chub if you do decide to use barbed hooks, their mouths are not that vulnerable to damage.

 

[Robwooly]

I'm currently catching plenty of chub on the canal using barbless, losing them(for that reason) just doesn't happen, rarely does a fish 'come off' I also fish plenty of fast rivers too, if a fish does come off it's nothing to do with having a barb or no barb it's the balance of your set up, line,rod,shotting etc maybe a bent maggot over the hook point, things like that. I've got 100% confidence in barbless. Could probably count the number of lost chub on one hand over a season, the ones that just come off that is, it's almost inexplicable it's so rare, those that get in snags is another matter mind.