Does anyone else turn down the barbs on their hooks?

Not I

No...but I have thought about it...good question...

Na, brah. Ain't got time to crush barbs.

Do not use em! Never thought much about it.

While fishing the trophy zones for trout on the Guadalupe I use barb less hooks. Other than that I do not use them.

I always fish barbless...if a hook has a barb first thing I do is smash it.

So many reasons to fish barbless, so few (none) reasons to use a barb.

I'll give my number one reason why I bend down the barb while panfishing: It is soooo much easier unhooking the fish. Some may not believe this one...I've yet to lose a single fish up to a 13" redear. I'm not tring to get anyone on a bandwagon, we fish how we like and have fun.

Do it some fly fishing, because its easier to unhook ourselves or neighbors.

Lol that too.

Native trout in a stream I will go barbless. Catch and release is always barbless.

I not only believe it, I live it. Fishing barbless will make you a better angler. It requires better focus on playing the fish...not to mention removing the hook, saving the fish, safety for your friends and neighbors, and especially useful when fishing with kids. Start them out barbless and they will be far better anglers.

All of the venues I fished while stationed in England required Bar-bless hooks so, putting my bias against loosing fish aside, I must admit that I really could not tell the difference. However, after retirement and relocating back to Texas I got lazy and started using less than optimum (for the fish) methods of removing the hook. After reading this post and catching Rios most every day, I have returned to pinching the barb. Those Rio Grand Cicilid mouths are really hard to de hook. Thanks Lepomis for the topic and reminder.