I suppose you could call this topic a request or a plea to encourage everyone to use barbless hook when fishing for GTs irrespective of whether you are using trebles, singles whatever! The reality is when fishing for GTs, you are going to lose your fair share of fish. They are an incredibly tough fish and you will lose your fair share - that is why we fish for them. I am sure like myself, you would want the fish that escapes to survive. After all, nearly all (if not all) of us on this site catch and release.
When a fish escapes when you are using barbless hooks, there is a reasonable probability that it will be able to get rid of the lure. It's not certain but at least it has a reasonable chance of doing so. GTs, like yellowtails, try to rub the annoyance off on the coral or rocky bottom. On the other hand, if you use barbs, you are significantly reducing the chances of the fish being able to get rid of the hook. I know people say hooks rust out but anyone want to guess how long it would take a heavy guage hook like a Jobu or ST-76 to rust out? I sincerely doubt that the fish would survive or at the least, you are significantly reducing the probability that it will survive.
We all have a responsibility to take care of the fishing stock. There is no doubt that not all the fish we release will survive but we at least should do what we can. It's the same issue with using heavy line. the faster you pull a fish in, the better the condition it is in when you release it and the greater the chance it will survive.
I don't even crush barbs any more. I saw that Malcolm Crane grinded his barbs off at Bugatti, realised what a great idea that was and have since invested in a dremel.
Finally, if I still haven't convinced some of you to do it for the sake of the fish, then do it for yourself. I have seen countless lures recovered after a fish is lost when it has managed to successfully throw the lure and it floats up to the surface. I've seen it over a dozen times this year already. At Shoalwater, the young deckie on the Odyssey, Liam McDonald, managed to recover the same stickbait three times after losing it because fish kept throwing it and it kept floating up. He lost it the fourth time!
