Anyone making a barbless bait holder hook?

I am interested to know if there is a hook manufacturer making BARBLESS baitholder hooks for trout.

I do not like to keep fish I have caught and prefer to release (this isn't a bait vs. artificial discussion) and barbed hooks can be problematic to remove by causing permanent damage to the fish.

When using crawlers, hooks can be swallowed deep.
I do, of course, pinch the barb down, but a barbless hook would be a better solution.

BTW, unlike other hooks, baitholder hooks have small barbs on the shank to help hold bait to the hook.
A TRUE barbless baitholder hook would be a nice thing to have...
Does such a hook even a exist?

Hmm, the barbs on bait hooks (baitholder hooks are the long ones with the 90 degree bend by the eye, I thought? maybe I'm getting it backward) are for securing the bait rather than holding on to fish though.

I may be mistaken but I think that "bait" and "baitholder" are different hook types entirely (I don't think I've seen the baitholder type with shaft barbs as people mostly texas rig a plastic worm with them from what I've seen) are just to help secure the bait, not secure the fish. I don't think that they'd be considered the same type of hook without the little shaft barbs. Perhaps try an Octopus hook instead of the ones you're referring to? They don't have barbs on the shaft and have a similar shape.

I personally have never had a problem just taking a small pair of needlenose and clamping the barb on a couple hooks when I want to go barbless - if you pinch right behind the split, the entire barb will just break off or bend down flat, and it doesn't mar the point's edge.

In my experience treble hooks lead to less gut-hooked trout as well.

I have taken a dremel tool to the barbs and knocked them off, the hooks do tend to rust in the now barb-less area (in salt water), but might be worth it if you already have hooks?

Best,

Sorry, I should have shown a pic of what I call a "baitholder" hook (barbs on the shank):

Those hooks pictured are called Snell hooks, designed specifically to hold bait on the hook shank. There are plenty of hooks available w/o the barbed shank feature. If you don't want your bait to slide down to the bend of the hook, then snells are used. To buy snelled hooks only to remove the barbs kinda defeats the purpose.

I am an advocate of barbless hooks as well. In this case pinching the barb near the hook point makes sense as a hook set as usually stops at the bend and not up the shank.

If a hook it taken so deep it can't be removed, simply cut the leader, release the fish and in time the hook will rust away.

I think so far everyone is missing the point. Dude (or lady) is looking for something with shank barbs and no barb at the hook tip. I have never seen any. This is all I can speak to on the subject. Hopefully I helped get some answers, unless I am the confused one. peaceful days

WAIT.... HOLD THE PHONE.... Editor wont save my edits so I am replying again. It looks like mustad and eagle claw, along with a few other brands make this hook. Google it, I got 10 places to order from doing that. It looks like what I think it is you're after!

Big3d said:

I think so far everyone is missing the point. Dude (or lady) is looking for something with shank barbs and no barb at the hook tip.

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You are exactly right.

Here is a picture of Eagle Claw's Baitholder hook:

The Fix is simple, pinch the barb.

SS you have a point there... pun intended lol.

There is a level of hook mortality when pinching. I have a old Price Jr fly vise that I use to crimp barbs. Even with slow even pressure some tips do break off. From my experience, it seem to be my old mustads the fail most often.

FishFinger said:

SS you have a point there... pun intended lol.

There is a level of hook mortality when pinching. I have a old Price Jr fly vise that I use to crimp barbs. Even with slow even pressure some tips do break off. From my experience, it seem to be my old mustads the fail most often.

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I agree. I pinch barbs on hooks down to size 22 in my fly vise with no problem. For hooks big enough to bait fish I have generally just used needle nosed pliers. There is the occasional casualty but even factoring that in I think you will be ahead of the game in terms of cost. Usually there is quite a premium on barbless hooks.

Best check with Raincatcher I think she hates to have a barb on her hook, or is that a hook on her Barb

FishFinger said:

There is a level of hook mortality when pinching. From my experience, it seem to be my old mustads the fail most often.

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It happens with pliers too, even with the strongest hooks.

I ordered the Eagle Claw 181 Barbless Baitholder Hook in sizes 10 & 8.
Will report back on my experiences.

Ahem...anyone pinches this Barb and they're getting pinched back! :flex: :lol: :harhar:

Heck, you might even try a small dollop of epoxy or something similar, in and behind the barb gap to make a smooth bubble covering it. It would likely chip off after a while but you'd be less likely to damage your hooks as well. Glad you found what you were looking for though.

I do a lot of computer work so I have tons of tiny needlenose pliers laying around, and tend to not even think of them as coming in larger sizes nowdays..

coyo7e said:

Heck, you might even try a small dollop of epoxy or something similar, in and behind the barb gap to make a smooth bubble covering it. It would likely chip off after a while but you'd be less likely to damage your hooks as well.

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That's a clever approach.:thumb:

FishFinger said:

The Fix is simple, pinch the barb.

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Genius.

you could always tie a bait loop, just to stir the pot.