Are Barbless Circle Hooks Effective?

The effectiveness of barbless circle hooks was a popular topic during the 2016 Tokunaga Ulua Challenge Fishing Tournament in Hawaii.

A leader in the effort to learn more about circle hooks is Kurt Kawamoto, a fisheries biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center.

Each time a fish caught with a barbless circle hook was weighed in, Kawamoto stepped forward to slap a special sticker on it, and hopefully to see a new record.

Kawamoto's work is part of a NOAA and Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Barbless Circle Hook Project.

The Tokunaga tournament has grown from 136 entrants in 2003 to 637 this year. It’s estimated more than 50% of the contestants catch their fish using barbless circle hooks.

In 2015, the winning ulua was caught with a barbless hook. This year, the winning omilu was caught by a woman fishing barbless.

Making a barbless hook is really simple. You use a pair of pliers to smash down the barb. Kawamoto explains, “Once you smash down the barbs on these hooks they become self-shedding, so that was the main idea behind it. It’s easy for a fish, or a seal or a turtle to get rid of the hook themselves.”

Researchers have witnessed a monk seal actually shed a barbless circle hook and anglers have relayed stories about sea turtles also easily expelling barbless hooks.

Although it’s easier for animals to rid themselves of the hooks, research, angler reports, and actual catches with barbless circle hooks have proved their efficacy when it comes to catching target fish.

During a shoreline research project, fishers used two poles; one with a barbed hook, the other with a barbless one. Kawamoto said, “We caught over 300 shoreline fish, of many different kinds. We looked at the catches, losses and misses and statistically we couldn’t tell the difference. Essentially you could catch just as many fish with a barbless circle hook.”

Angler Carlo Russo who fishes from the shoreline said "My experience with them has been 100% positive. I caught three papio’s, nice size papio’s on them, and didn’t lose any fish. Popped them right out; all perfectly caught in the corner of their mouths.

The outreach team from the Barbless Circle Hook Project regularly attends fishing tournaments around the state to provide information, encouragement, and free barbless circle hooks.

Kawamoto concluded, “Since starting the project I only use barbless hooks in my personal shoreline fishing and I’ve caught all the same species. I couldn’t in good conscience ask fisherman to try something that I don’t use or believe in myself. I have guys on every island who are only using barbless hooks and they’ve seen it doesn’t make a difference…and allows the big one that got away…to reproduce, to grow and possibly to be caught another day. This helps enhance the reputation of fishermen and women as practicing conservationists.”

source: Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

Saltwater Fishing Gift Ideas

This article offers resources to help consumers find gifts for saltwater fishermen and other nautical enthusiasts.

Saltwater fishing related gift ideas include a wide range of items such as t shirts, sweatshirts, hats, Christmas ornaments, coffee mugs, stickers, posters, prints, books, calendars, cards, and other gifts.

When shopping for saltwater fishing related gifts, it may be useful to find out a little information about the angler's interests.

Does the angler enjoy deep sea fishing or do they prefer to fish near shore?

Does the angler already have enough rods, reels, and tackle?

Does the recipient enjoy reading, collectibles, art, or other items?

If clothing is a potential gift idea, what sizes are needed?

Does the enthusiast enjoy reading? What about outdoor magazine subscriptions or books?

Exploring online stores can be can be a great way to choose a fishing related gift.

Extensive collections of saltwater fishing artwork and gifts can be found in the following online stores:

The Mid Atlantic Fishing online store showcases a wide range of outdoor-related gear including apparel, collectibles, stickers, calendars, books, tackle, kayaks, hunting equipment, seafood, and other products.

Related Information

Freshwater Fishing Gift Ideas

Striped Bass T Shirts

Gifts for Fishermen - Striped Bass T Shirts

When shopping for saltwater fishing gifts, one popular option is to choose an item that features the angler's favorite species of fish.

As the popularity of saltwater fishing has skyrocketed, so has the variety of fishing-related products in the marketplace.

There are shirts, hats, tackle, posters, and other gifts for fishermen, available in an array of styles.

Striped Bass Art (titled) by fish_fishing_seafood

One of North America's most attractive saltwater fish species, the striped bass is a popular gamefish for coastal anglers from New England to the Carolinas.

Striped bass have deep bodies with alternating stripes of brown and silver.

This fish-fishing-seafood seafood store has t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, stickers, coffee mugs, and other gifts featuring striped bass and other species of saltwater fish.