Why so much salt in soft plastic bags?

[Cgolf]

Why do some companies put so much salt in the bag with soft plastics that just washes off on the first or second cast.

One of my favorite brands recently did a pic of an unpigmented bait, one with all the salt, very milky looking, and the salt less bait was of course clear. The baits in the bag have zero salt on them, which is nice when handling them. 

So is it just a marketing gimmick to get us consumers to think their baits are loaded with salt, or does it actually have a purpose?

[Jonathan Evans]

Just now, cgolf said:

Why do some companies put so much salt in the bag with soft plastics that just washes off on the first or second cast.

One of my favorite brands recently did a pic of an unpigmented bait, one with all the salt, very milky looking, and the salt less bait was of course clear. The baits in the bag have zero salt on them, which is nice when handling them. 

So is it just a marketing gimmick to get us consumers to think their baits are loaded with salt, or does it actually have a purpose?

I could be wrong but here it goes. When a bass grabs a plastic he can spit it out faster then you can even see without slow motion. I think the salt is for getting the bass to hold on to the lure for a bit more so you can have a better chance to hook him. i could be wrong but that's my take.

[Fish4bigfish]

I think the op is talking about salt all over the outside of the bait. Salt in the plastic effects the sink rate as well as the time a bass will hold on to the bait. I have no idea why some companies like jakal cross tails have so much salt all over the outside of the bait.

[S. Sass]

I haven't noticed as much of that recently. I have some old soft plastics and they are like that salt falling out everywhere when you get one. But one cast and clean they are. Now that doesn't mean the salt isn't in the plastic and helping some. But I'm not sure a bucket of salt poured on them makes things noticeably better. 

[Scott F]

If a company puts 2 bags of plastics next to each other, one loaded with salt and one without, the one loaded with salt will outsell the one without. It has nothing to do with the baits ability to catch fish.

[Avalonjohn44]

I've read that it may be to keep baits from sticking together.

[Cgolf]

1 hour ago, Scott F said:

If a company puts 2 bags of plastics next to each other, one loaded with salt and one without, the one loaded with salt will outsell the one without. It has nothing to do with the baits ability to catch fish.

This was kind of my thought too, it is just a pain though when boxing baits. I had some old yum wooly hogs and generic ring worms where they looked round because there was so much salt that it completely filled the ribs on the bait. Quick rinsed them in the sink and they are now drying before I box them. 

 

[CenCal fisher]

1 hour ago, Avalonjohn44 said:

I've read that it may be to keep baits from sticking together.

this was my thought too

[BiteFiend]

1 hour ago, Avalonjohn44 said:

I've read that it may be to keep baits from sticking together.

That's what I have heard too, which makes some sense. I have also noticed that those baits typically aren't as oily as other brands that don't salt the outside, which supports this idea. 

[S. Sass]

What bait company is still doing this? I haven't seen any in a while that had just a snot load of salt in the package. 

[fishballer06]

Tubes are notorious for this. I believe it's for absorbing moisture and keeping them from sticking together. 

[WRB]

Before soft plastic worms were molded with salt in the plastic like a Senko the salt was being added after the soft plastic was being hand poured and still hot on the flat belly surface. When the hand poured worms were packaged light oil was added to the bags, some of the salt being washed off by the oil. As salted worms became more popular, salt was added to injection molded plastic packages as a selling feature. It's generally accepted that salt taste like a amino acid similar to blood to bass and acts like an attractant.

Salt added to packages is questionable and washes off quickly, salt molded into or onto the plastic as grains or brine last longer in water. 

Tom

[greentrout]

Scents and Attractants: Do They Work?

Scents and Attractants: Do They Work? Do scents give you an advantage, thus putting a few more fish in the live well? Read this article to find out.

 

By Carlton "Doc" Holliday

In response to a positive smell, bass generally will hold onto a worm emanating a positive scent for a longer time. This gives you an advantage of being able to get a good hook set and catching the fish. Three scents that appear to be positive scents are salt, anise, and garlic. Anise and garlic may be masking scents rather than attracting scents.

Read more Bass Resource >

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/scents-and-attractants.html

 

 

 

 

[hoosierbass07]

I've wondered the same thing - all that salt on a worm, won't it all wash off on the first cast?  What a waste.  I can't say soft plastics I've used with and without salt have caught more fish.  I don't really pay attention to salt except the fact that it is messy. 

[Gundog]

Biggest problem I have with all that salt is when I'm fishing and change a lure like a tube, senko or other soft plastics and I change to a different type of lure like a spinner bait I just put the lure, jig head and all, in with similar lures. That leads to rusted hooks. Usually its not a problem but with more salt it really rusts them up quick. I know most would say just put it some place else or remove the jig head before putting it back but when I'm on the water I like to not waste time and occasionally I remove a lure and 10 minutes later tie it back on.

[primetime]

• Sometimes it is an error at the factory and the company gives them the Ok to just bag them...I have seen this happen with several brands, bag full of salt, worms covered in salt, and yes it washes off, but I am sure they are salt infused as well, and because the texture and color came out well, they probably bagged them and then sold them on sale....
• I have only seen this happen when a company has a bogo sale etc...I have purchased seconds like this and I have noticed that the one's that sit out in the heat, or get hot in storage, will turn translucent, extra soft, heavy, and become some of my personal favorites. I had a box of watermelon or green pumpkin candy worms that were covered in salt to the point that a bag of 10 worms would weigh almost 10 ounces. The worms turned Translucent and although not durable, they had a new "Shine" and because they were well made, they held their shape, even though they became almost 14g for a 5" Dinger. Normal Dinger weighs about .10 and even though they tore easily, they seemed to catch fish better than "Perfect worms". 

 

I would take a few and let them sit in your tackle bag on a hot day and then take them out after a few hours. The added salt gives them this shiny flash color, I have taken one of my favorite Rage Colors-Falcon Red and dumped extra salt in the bags, and they look awesome, just have not used them yet. They become delicate but I am Ok with Delicate if they produce bites. If you have ever felt a Lunker City Spanky Worm which sags, that is what you get if too much salt sits in the bag and heated, if stored in a cool area it just adds added scent imo....I would not hesitate to buy them or use them. 

[IndianaFinesse]

Because it's a cheap filler that people will buy.

[RyneB]

It's so the baits don't stick together, and helps them look good longer

[burrows]

Because it taste good, don't you add salt to your food? Them senkos are the worst for those fish with high blood pressure.

[rangerjockey]

The first time I saw salt in plastics was as a kid when Gene Larew owned the shadrack inn on Table Rock. He must have been making them there at his house.. They had salt everywhere in the bags.

 He believed that the salt made the fish hold onto the bait longer and eventually came up with a way to inject the salt into the bait

. Other people must have thought it worked too because they copied it and it ended up in a lawsuit as I recall.

 I don't think Mr. Larew lived to see the outcome of the suit ,but I drive past his old place every time I go get in my boat and can't help but think of the history made in that place.. Wish I had some of those old plastics.

[flyingmonkie]

It's for your beer!  Now, if only someone would put limes in their bag...

[Torn Thumb]

Don't fruit your beer!

[fishwizzard]

If lime in beer is wrong, I never want to be right.

My only issue with salty lures is that the urge to lick my fingers after handling them is almost overwhelming at times.