Barbless hooks anyone?

I've been guiding people to the tropics for 10 years now. Hunting large GTs, Dogtooth Tunas, Cuberas, Yellowfin Tunas and alike is not a kids' game: you need tackle, strenght, stamina and a good deal of technique.

There are few rules you have to follow. Fishing must be a pleasure. doesn't have to be dangerous or put anybody at risk. We do it for fun, and we have to play safe. Among the various thing we can do to improve the safety I rule as a very possible number 1 to squeeze the barb of the hooks or fish with barbless ones.

Three or four fishermen casting from one relatively small boat all day long are potentially dangerous for each other. Even though they are the most skilled guys, the best casters and the most careful people, they still are human beings, and eventually make mistakes. In addiction to them, there's other people working on the boat. Usually at least one skipper and one mate, and they take care o us, all day, to make our sport more enjoyable.

This is what happened to one of the mate in our latest trip to the Maldives. One 5/0 treble hook deeply embedded in his hand, because a fish pulled the lure too close to the boat. Hurts bad. The point nailed it into the bone and he had to be surgically attended in the local hospital. Bad stuff.

Next time, if you don't care for your own or your buddies safety do it at least for the people who work in the boat. They do the best to make you catch fish and work hard to make your holiday the best. Do it for whoever you want. Just do it!