Making Barbed Hooks Barbless

I have read lots of stories about pinching down the barbs on hooks and having them checked with everything from a cotton ball to a piece of cloth to see if they snag.  I have a bunch of barbed hooks that I have pinched the barbs tightly with needle nose pliers and wiggled the hook in the jaws of the pliers until they feel smooth.  This method seems pretty effective and I have even tested them with cotton.  Is there an easier way?  Am I really likely to have them checked with cotton by the DFW guys?  It seems to me that if you can run your finger along the shaft of the hook and not get stabbed or snagged by the barb, a fish is certainly not going to be snagged by it either.  Opinions?

I think if you could run your finger along it you're golden. Your finger tips are incredible sensitive. If push came to shove you could show your 'offending' hook to a judge if a DFG agent ticketed you.

I would think it would be obvious if you are following the law or not.

Interesting thread you've started...

-Murf

After hearing the cotton ball stories and such like it, I made up some sturgeon hooks by taking an 8/0 octopus and taking the entire barb off with a dremel. May be overkill but I've met both ends of the spectrum with DFG(W) guys and I'm not taking any chances. 

For smaller hooks good luck.

If push came to shove you could show your 'offending' hook to a judge if a DFG agent ticketed you.

Good luck proving THAT was the hook for which you were cited.
Why not stick it in the person who cited you and see how easily they get it out? 

Thanks Tote.  That's the perfect solution.

Martin

Good luck proving THAT was the hook for which you were cited

Easy because if you get cited the Warden takes the hook as evidence.  If he doesn't he has no case. I've heard of the cotton ball but never seen it and I have seen wardens check lots of times steelie fishing usually just do a visual sometimes just a finger rub. I've heard that female officers use a piece of nylons. I asked a warden and he just laughed.

I've used a drill or dremel to take the barb all the way off, and I also often use pliers to crimp and roll.  Sometimes it depends on the hooks - some you can't roll down to a smooth nub, so drill or dremel is required on those.  I prefer hooks that I can crimp and roll with my pliers, and I do that until I can push the sensitive skin of the tip of my finger against it and rub across the barb area without getting at all hung up.  I feel that's about what would be required to keep cotton or nylon from hanging up too - so that standard is the one to follow, IMO.

I've heard of the cotton ball but never seen it and I have seen wardens check lots of times steelie fishing usually just do a visual sometimes just a finger rub.

Get checked a couple times every season by a DFG guy on the upper Klamath where they like to stop drift boats and that's been my experience. Heard of the cotton ball thing but never experienced it. Couple of years ago I got checked by the DFG guy on the Calaveras, one of my flies was debarbed but the other one wasn't (missed one, usually smash them before I tie them). He just gave me a warning and wrote it on my license in case it happened again. This guy was cool, even told me where the best fishing was and he was right...

I use a dremel.  I use Owner K hooks for sturgeon fishing and they dont make them in a barbless version currently.  I didn't want to switch my sturgeon hooks to an Octopus so thats why I dremel them.  Don't fix (hook type) it if its not broken, know what I'm sayin?  I feel the dremel is the only way to go, catch a warden who feels like being a dick and he/she could ruin your day super quick with a pinched barb.  There are some lame ass laws that you can get screwed over on here in Kalifornistan.