Crushing Barbs
By now you've probably figured out that I'm an advocate of crushing the barbs on treble hooks. It's better for the fish in several ways including less damage during the hook removal process, and fishing barbless also drastically cuts down on the time it takes to get them back in the water. The benefits to the fisherman are getting back to fishing quicker (especially during a good bite) and also for the occasion when we have to do some hook removing from our own flesh!
I like to crush the barbs as soon as I get a new plug rather than the first time I take it out of the bag while fishing. I found that using a pair of 6" diagonal cutters, or dykes that have a flat spot ground in the back, are the best tool for the job. The leverage you get by using the back of the cutters is much more efficient than using the jaws of a pair of pliers. (Think of how a nutcracker works) Any tool with a flat spot behind the cutters or jaws will work in the same manner.
You will find that the pressure needed to completely flatten the barbs is much less than if you were using your surf pliers.
When doing several plugs at a time, you will find this technique much easier on your hands and you'll also notice that your barbs will be flatter.
