Scents Turning Off Fish?

[pbizzle]

I haven't really ever used scents besides refreshing powerbait with the powerbait scent. We'll I have quite a few havoc baits with a fairly strong chemical scent and I also have a bottle of the powerbait scent. I just want to know if there's any way scent would turn off the fish before I hit the havoc' s and zoom' s up with the powerbait. I have always had pretty good luck with powerbait, but never used the scent on anything else.

[loodkop]

I like to use Megastrike and chartreuse JJ's magic. The Megastrike lubricates the bait and makes fish hold on longer and the JJ's ad contrast to the bait. I use the JJ's more for the dye than the scent but the scent doesn't hurt.

[pbizzle]

I use gamefish spike it on the tails of my super flukes. I only use spike it because I can't find jj's around here.

[nascar2428]

I definitely use scent on all unscented baits, so to answer your question, spray away young man.

[senko_77]

I use gamefish spike it on the tails of my super flukes. I only use spike it because I can't find jj's around here.

 

PBilzzle, I strongly suggest you order some JJ's Magic online from their website.  I have zero affiliation with this company but my god, I have gotten so many more bites than if I didn't have it on.  Spike-It leaves a real strong alcohol type scent and only coats the outside of the bait and doesn't permeate through it like JJ's does.  

 

As for scent effecting get more/less bites, I've never seen scent hurt a bite.  I've had times where I got bit on unscented baits as much as scented BUT 9 times out of 10, I get more on scent.  I'm a strong believer that the oils from your hands can cause you to get less bites when the fish are in a more negative feeding mood and scent is the cure for that.

[pbizzle]

Yeah, I just found it on TW so I'll get some. I used some that a guy in my bass club had. Way better than spike it.

[TWMstr]

The absolute best dye and scent for unscented plastics is JJ's MAGIC. The stuff is unbeatable. Just to prove it to myself I casted a senko into a hot spot unscented 5 times, nothing. Dipped it in JJ's, caught 3 bass from the same spot. I never fish a plastic bait without dipping it in JJ's. Hooked 4 life. That spike it product along with the power bait formula both rinse right off. JJ's stays put. 4ever. Just my $.02

 

Yeah, I just found it on TW so I'll get some. I used some that a guy in my bass club had. Way better than spike it.

[S Hovanec]

I used to use Mega strike to help insert 3/8 and 1/2oz heads in to 3" and 3.5" tubes. I noticed the fish didn't like them as well as the ones I didn't use the Mega strike with. I believe scent can be a turn-off sometimes.

[bigbill]

To Scent or not to Scent?????

 

When I got into this sport of bass fishing at  about 45years old being a trout only guy since I was a kid  at six yo. fishing my older brother growing up in NJ. Now at 45 I lived and ate plus read it all on bass fishing then  we went out and applied it. Everything we read and tried really works. I do wash my hands before going fishing using the big orange had cleaner to remove any foul orders from my hands.

 

Scents,

 

I purchased every brand of scents that Wal-Mart had. I wanted to test scents to see if anyone is better than the rest. I purchased every flavor in the Baitmate brand from the original bass scent ,  the crawfish scent, live crawler (worm) scent. Garlic and minnow scent etc.

 

The test,

 

I would load up my topwater lure and throw it out as far as I could into the channel off a low bridge with the current flowing away from me. Sometimes I would squirt the water below me once. I actually caught fish on most of my lures. I would use the salted plastics like senkos wacky rigged on weedless hooks at first with no scent. If I had a strike and a miss the weedless barb would come up open. This way I knew I had a bite. I would then scent the senko and toss it in the same place and be ready to set the hook. I would bet my life on the results using the scent this way i got hook ups all the time after misses that don't happen that often.

 

One night on this bridge this area is crowded with all fisherman and fisherwoman too. I was new there. I put on my crankbait shot some scent on it as a guy walked over to me and asked if that lure worked as Achilles up a 2 1/2 to 3lb bass before I could answer him. He then says I guess it does answering his own question. Then I shot the lure again with scent and he asked if that scent worked, again before I could answer him I landed another bass of the same size. Again he also said I guess that scent does work.

All the people there watched me land about 5 nice bass that night fishing in the channel using scents.

 

Downfall using scents,

 

As I fished more there I guess the water became more scented attracting more fish. Son after everyone who threw bass lures caught 1 or 2 bass at night. I stopped using so much scent figuring my test was complete. But every nite the guys who watched me catching bass showed up the next night with new fishing rods & reels, plus tackle boxes and lures plus they had scents too. They all caught bass too. Thank God they put them back.

 

Now I purchased all these scents to test them but never got past the baitmate brand at first. I did find some riverside craw scent on clearance once when I couldn't find the baitmate craw. It worked too along with the yum shad and crawfish scent too. All the  baitmate flavors worked too. I put the proper scent on the right bait.

 

So does scents really work? You bet it does. Just buy one and try it.

 

My son went out on a party boat fishing saltwater for blues. I gave him some BANG shrimp scent to use on his diamond jigs. The firstmate told him that stuff doesn't work as he pulled up a blue fish right away. This was a free test for me.

 

I just load up my topwater lure first cast to get the water scented. Then I put a tad on each lure.

 

I did change my evening fishing to early morning fishing to get away from people crashing the water with saltwater sized lead sinkers. Plus I found the bass are bigger in the early AM bite over the early evening bite. But in the early AM darkness is fun to work in plus we need to be very stealthy in the quietness too. We can spook fish from banging stuff on land. Fishing in darkness also makes me keep an order in my tackle box too. Its hard enough trying to find lures in the dark.

 

God bless, BigBill

 

 

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[Scott F]

I was catching fish one right after the other one time on Senkos. We were running low and tried the Gulp sinking minnow. We could see fish swim up to the bait, get close, them swim away. We switched back to the Senkos, and they attacked them again.  I've been skeptical of Gulp ever since although I see many reports of guys doing well with it.

[Marty]

Years ago I was having a problem with negative odor on my lures. I had never added scent, but I tried one and my results skyrocketed from day 1. But six weeks later there was an outing when this scent worked as a bass repellent. I can't prove that 100% (just as very little in fishing can be proved), but I'm as confident as I can possibly be. This overall experience did a great job of messing up my head.

 

Therefore, my answer based on my own experience is that certain scents can have a negative effect on occasion.

[Darren.]

I have Megastrike, use it mostly to lube worms for coming thru weeds better, and I've had it (I believe) help. I also have and use JJ's Magic, but not all the time.

 

Like Marty, Scott and the others, it can be a hit-or-miss thing. I seem to have most success sans-scent, but there are times when it seems scents help.

[RAMBLER]

I've always believed that when I handle my lures, I leave a scent from my hands.  This happens more when it is very warm (hot) and I am sweating.  I bought some Bang garlic.  I wash my hands with the gel like sterilizer and then spray the garlic on a hand and rub them together.  My catching has gotten much better.  Doing that, I believe, does two things, covers the scent of my hands and then every lure I handle gets some of the scent on it. 

[wnybassman]

What I can't figure out is putting scents on a bait to get rid of unnatural scents.  And these can include coffee, garlic, anise, etc.   All of which are just as unnatural as the scents you are trying to cover up.   lol

[bigbill]

I wash my tackle boxes and my lures once a season. This way there free from all the foul oders. Again I wash my hands all the time too.

 

My buddy has success with the gulp stuff all the time. It hasn't worked for me yet.  The bang scents worked ok. But the estimate is tops to me. I wish they still offered it in all the flavors.

 

Fishing the same places over and over I figure the fish learn our lures and scents. I switch to garlic scent and the bite seems to pick up. I guess they may get tired of the same bass scent all the time?

[bigbill]

What I can't figure out is putting scents on a bait to get rid of unnatural scents.  And these can include coffee, garlic, anise, etc.   All of which are just as unnatural as the scents you are trying to cover up.   lol

I figure the plastic lures are coated with the release agent from when they were manufactured in the plastic injection machine.

[mikeeasttn]

Definitely use the JJ Magic.  I know it will help you get more stikes.  I use it all the time on most of my lures.

 

On my medium and large swimbaits I use a very oily base scent so it will be lubricated and the fish that hit a swimbait will not be able to bite down and hold the bait so you can not get a good hookset.

[pbizzle]

Ok I think I see. Maybe I should just carry two spray on scents. Like I should have one that's natural like shad, and another that's unnatural like garlic. This way I could have the best of both worlds, and if one doesn't work I could try the other or no scent.

[bigbill]

The baitmate selection of scents did work. The bass, the garlic, the crawfish, live bait and the live worm & crawler when I tried them. I'm still stuck on the baitmate original bass scent today. When that doesn't work on my shad type lures the garlic scent is my go to. Maybe one scent won't work all the time. After all we don't eat ketchup at every meal. Maybe using one flavor scent everyday 24/7 will turn off the fish if they have been caught before. I dont have all the answers if I did it wouldn't be called fishing. But don't forget the garlic scent to. I do this;

I use shad, bass and live bait scents on my minnowbaits and topwater lures.

I use garlic as my go to scent.

I use crawfish scents on my crawfish crankbaits.

I use the worm/crawler scents on my plastics.

In most cases I match the scent to the lure I'm using.

[pbizzle]

Can JJ' s turn fish off. I have found that watermelon super flukes with chartreuse tails to be my go to panic bait, but I don't want the scent to make them not work.

[senko_77]

Can JJ' s turn fish off. I have found that watermelon super flukes with chartreuse tails to be my go to panic bait, but I don't want the scent to make them not work.

 

I have never seen or heard of a case when fish were turned off by adding scent to your bait.  I have seen numerous cases where it absolutely got me more bites.  You are really the only one who can answer that question.  Order some JJ's, wait until the bite is tough and you have to break out your watermelon fluke, and alternate casts with a scented/unscented bait.  Now do realize that with jerkbaits, scent doesn't play a huge role in my mind.  I think scent helps more when you are using slow, bottom bouncing baits where bass follow or "stalk" the bait and the scent helps leave a small stink trail behind it.  That is when I think it can help a following bass commit.

[pbizzle]

I have never seen or heard of a case when fish were turned off by adding scent to your bait.  I have seen numerous cases where it absolutely got me more bites.  You are really the only one who can answer that question.  Order some JJ's, wait until the bite is tough and you have to break out your watermelon fluke, and alternate casts with a scented/unscented bait.  Now do realize that with jerkbaits, scent doesn't play a huge role in my mind.  I think scent helps more when you are using slow, bottom bouncing baits where bass follow or "stalk" the bait and the scent helps leave a small stink trail behind it.  That is when I think it can help a following bass commit.

Yeah, I just wanted to make sure. Jerkbaits are the reaction strike, so scent probably wouldn't make a difference. The scents just work like a rattle and help the fish narrow down on your crawling worm.