Do Scents Really Make Sense?

[66KingFisher]

I just picked up another bottle of the original "Fish Formula" Sportfish scent while at BPS....I swear by the stuff...used it for years....spray it on all my plastics while in the package and let them soak in it....the stuff seems to penetrate the plastic cause you can fish with them all day and you'll still see a film coming off the bait after being in the water all day....it has a pleasing smell to boot....I know I've caught far more fish using the stuff than not.

[C BASS]

berkley and crave smell alot alike are they made with the same stuff.by the way awsome thread

[sudoomfisher]

Also, I read in a magazine (which probably means you all read it too) that the chemicals in bug spray are a deterrent to all animals and not just bugs and will deter fish if you get it on your lures which is likely to happen if you put it on that day.

[Lancer6]

I pretty much stick to KickNBass in Garlic, 'Dad, and Shad so well as Berkley Power Bait solution. This explains why I scrub my rod grips often.
I'm open to new stuff (so soon as I use up the other, which may take a while.)
I AM interested in trying some of the new Trigger-X soft plastics soon to be offered by Rapala. They're impregnated with some sort of attractant that includes pheromones that are purported to really trigger a case of munchies in bass and other species.
Reb and I agree that we "Love the smell of Malopo (WaveWorm TikiStik Scent) in the morning." (Smells like victory!)

L6

[hookup]

KickNBass's great scent. Strong, but, IMHO, effective. For bass, I'm stickly a crawdad fan - mix it with a few other strong crawdad scents for my own concoction.

I've read allot about the pheromones and want to try that along with amino's in the future.

[Joel]

Scents is still a subjective topic. Some swear by it, some sweat at it. Both sides can produce more then enough data that really doesn't mean much one way or the other. With that being said, I do use scents, Megastrike to name my brand in certain situations and applications. I use it on soft plastics when fishing in weeds as it helps the bait slide through the weeds. (it's really great on Super Flukes for this application).

Does it help increase my catch ratio ? Yes and No. I've had some slow trips where scent seemed to help, and others where it didn't make much of a difference.

I've had friends use WD-40, yes that's right, WD-40 and catch fish. Who says that the humans scent always turns off fish? I handle my lures, lines, all time and never saw a difference before or after I used scent to mask my scent. We're not talking about the scent of blood here, just tube scent or human scents.

And for that matter, does coffee tubes really work?

As I said at the beginning of my post, scent is a subjective topic pure and simple.

[Fish2win]

Joel said "I've had friends use WD-40, yes that's right, WD-40 and catch fish. Who says that the humans scent always turns off fish? I handle my lures, lines, all time and never saw a difference before or after I used scent to mask my scent. We're not talking about the scent of blood here, just tube scent or human scents"

Joel all you say is true. scents seem to make more difference in cold water than warm. WD does work as a fishing scent. I know a couple of guys that spray thier entire box with it. The draw back to WD is that it pollutes and is not bio degreadeable. The amount you use may be no big deal but multiply that by a few million guys nationally.
You may be one of those lucky giys that has a very low L-serine content to thier skin oil. Bass are extemely offended by L-seine which is a substance that is naturally occuring in humans natural body oils. During the late 1980's there was a lot of research done about L-serine. One interesting fact that came out was that when tested they found that many of the most sucessful pro's have a very low amount of L-serine in thier skin oil. In other words it varies from time to time or person to person.
Scents come in differenty types. Some mask human scent. Others contain natural prey scent or pheramiones that stimulate certain behavior in bass.
They definately have there place in fishing. When i was young and Fish Formula had not been invented all the old time bassin guys used to wash thier hands with mud and gravel form the lakes bottom near the shore line. They always told me it was to mask human scent. I often spray scent in the palm of my hands before I start fishing and them rub it over my fingers. Then when I touch the line reel or lure etc it transferrs non human scent to the fishing tools I am using.
Fish2win

[RangerDad]

Good Read Guys
It is great to find a site that has anglers who can talk about fishing, instead of ... well you fill in the blanks
Now as to scents, I have been using CB's Hawg sauce for a few years now. I think it works pretty well. I don't have any scientific proof, but I do catch more with the scent than not.

[Joel]

FishtoWin, the guys that I know who used WD-40, did it as primarily an experiment rather then to try and find another type of scent. We, who fish the NYC reservoirs are extremely conscience of polluting those waters, and often do garbage pickup control in our boat sections.

As for how much L-serine my skin contains, I have no idea. But I fish with so many different guys during the season that I'm confident that nearly the entire range of the stuff has been exposed to the fish, and usually the catch ratio on the boat is pretty similar for each of us on any given day.

Some day the final answer just might come to light, but the findings are still out on this issue as of now. I have a good friend who is a master reservoir fisherman for more then 40 years who has this saying which sums up most things fairly well: Why? Because. Only the fish know for sure, and they're not talking.

[Fish2win]

Joel, after fishing with scent for over 20 years I believe in its ability to 1)make a fish hold the lure longer 2) Trigger a few strikes that otherwise may not occur 3) make the fish take the lure a little deeper.
Fish2win

[JB]

a can of WD 40 was a stable item in all boats when I first bass fished. For years the rainbow oil stain would be seen on the top water after the first cast.
I think some quit using it after the scents became impregnated in the plastics like Berkely did in the early 90's
I've seen tons of fish caught on lures sprayed with WD40.

[Bob Smith]

I have used a variety of scents over the years, I have settled down to one scent primarily, Chompers "G" Formula. I love that stuff. It is the least oily of all the scents I've used yet stays on the worm for a suitable number of casts. I like Kick-n-bass and like old Cosmos pretty good too (the guy that makes and sells the stuff). A couple of years ago, we almost had him talked into moving to Mt. Pleasant, Tx., after his wife passed away (he has a sister over there).
Frannkly, I couldn't say with absolutely, unequivocable certainy that scents work, but I seriously believe they do. What's more is that I believe they won't hurt anything, so why not use them?
As for the L-serine, and the bug spray (specifically the chemical DEET), I remember that era and it caused me to carry a bar of Ivory soap (unscented of course) with me when I go fishing. I wash my hands even after applying sun-screen. Why use Ivory soap? IT FLOATS! so you can't lose it!

[ronniek524]

I tested myself on a lake: Bite rate increased 5:1 (private lake)

Smelly Jelly!!!

[quenston]

Wow I found a site that contains fisherman and scientists this is great! I look forward to learning more from this site! OH and by the way great article!!!