Barbless hooks sound good in theory, but they arent very efficient on fish like perch that thrash around a lot when hooked. To have success you need to be fishing very shallow, and be prepared to snatch the fish out of the water as soon as it bites - which brings it own set of risks to the table, like flopping off in mid air and hitting the ground before you can get a handle on it.
Imo you're better off using a barbed hook that will securely hold the fish until you can land it safely. More often than not, damage to the fish occurs by careless removal of the hook. This can be minimized by using a little attention and finesse - and needle nosed pliers instead of your fingers!
As for not hooking the fish through the gill or eye, it's going to happen sometimes and there's nothing you can do about it. But in my experience it's best to not have a hook that is too big or too small. Very small hooks tend to be harder to remove without further damage. Too large a hook is more likely to penetrate an area that you dont want, due to the large radius.
As for unhooking in a bucket of water, it's more important to secure the fish well rather than worrying about it being out of the water. If the fish is big enough, hold it by the bottom lip and use pliers to gently work the hook out. If the fish is too small to hold by the mouth, make sure to wet your hand before holding the fishes body. This will minimize any slime coat damage. Being out of the water long enough to do that wont hurt the fish at all. It will be far less risk than having the fish loose in a bucket where it can thrash around.
Imo you're better off using a barbed hook that will securely hold the fish until you can land it safely. More often than not, damage to the fish occurs by careless removal of the hook. This can be minimized by using a little attention and finesse - and needle nosed pliers instead of your fingers!
As for not hooking the fish through the gill or eye, it's going to happen sometimes and there's nothing you can do about it. But in my experience it's best to not have a hook that is too big or too small. Very small hooks tend to be harder to remove without further damage. Too large a hook is more likely to penetrate an area that you dont want, due to the large radius.
As for unhooking in a bucket of water, it's more important to secure the fish well rather than worrying about it being out of the water. If the fish is big enough, hold it by the bottom lip and use pliers to gently work the hook out. If the fish is too small to hold by the mouth, make sure to wet your hand before holding the fishes body. This will minimize any slime coat damage. Being out of the water long enough to do that wont hurt the fish at all. It will be far less risk than having the fish loose in a bucket where it can thrash around.