If you are not convinced that barbless hooks catch fish try a test. On one of those days where you are fast into the schoolies and you've caught enough fish to be ready to experimenting start alternating barbed and barbless hooks and note (or better yet,
write down) your results. An easy method is to rig two simillar rods with two flies, plugs, baits that are the same except for the barb. Just alternate rods after every fish. Be sure that one hook is not sharper than another.
This is a great way to learn about retrieve speeds, depths, colors, etc. Writing the stuff down helps me out, and it can make for some fun reading in March.
Good luck-
Peter Fallon