The Octopus-style barbless Trokar comes in sizes #1/0-6/0, and is good for mooching herring, trolling bait, and more. The Siwash-style barbless Trokar comes in sizes #1-7/0, which I personally tried on plugs and spinners for salmon and large trout in Alaska, and was more than impressed with the results. In fact, one day I hooked seven coho on the Siwash attached to a 4.5 Mag Lip, and landed every single fish.
The beefier point of the Trokar hooks, which act like a knife blade, means they take longer to degrade in saltwater, and sharpening is less frequently needed. While Eagle Claw has yet to develop a barbless treble hook in either the Eagle Claw or Trokar lines, Maruto creates a barbless treble in sizes for salmon, steelhead and trout anglers.
Maruto, of Japan, makes what’s called a semi-barbless hook, under the Grabber Hook title. Upon close inspection, the inside of each hook point features small serrations that increase holding strength once a fish is hooked, due to the angle of pressure. These hooks have been approved as barbless in multiple states, including Oregon and Washington, and are available in a range of sizes at www.anglersinnovations.com.
With growing restrictions on barbless hooks, and with more cognizant efforts to release fish in as healthy a state as possible, give these barbless hooks a try. Not only are they better for the fish being released due to less damage being inflicted, catch rates are greater than fish battled on hooks where barbs have simply been smashed down with pliers. In this day and age of technology, change can be a good thing, especially when it comes to specialized, barbless hooks.
Editor’s Note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s popular book, 300 Tips To More Salmon & Steelhead, send a check for $30.00 (free S&H) to Haugen Enterprises, P.O. Box 275, Walterville, OR 97489, or visit www.scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instragram, Twitter & Facebook