Yeesh!

The one thing such stories have in common: they would be barely interesting
(and a whole lot less traumatic) if barbless hooks had been used.

I'm surprised drift boat pilots wouldn't insist on clients fishing sans barbs.
If you're on my boat or in one of my canoes, you're fishing barbless, or
you're on the beach...

/daytripper (got barbed once, didn't like it. it won't happen again)