Bass Attractants

[LEWITH]

Do you guys use fish attractant sprays, gels, dipping dyes? Do you think they are worth the money to get them? What ones do you recommend?  Im trying to decide if I should start using attractants on my soft plastics or not even bother.

 

Thanks!

[Big Swimbait]

Sometimes they do make a difference. I use JJ's Magic in Chartreuse & Clear. I've been spanked too many times to not at least keep it in the box just in case. 

[eyedabassman]

JJ's Magic and Megastrike on plastic baits to slip through the weeds better. Or Smelly Jelly would be my 3'erd choice!

[CenCal fisher]

I'll use spike it for the color more so than the scent. I'm not sure of the effectiveness of scents that aren't water soluble. If the scent makes water bead up on your bait or leaves an oil slick on the surface, I would pass on it.

[eyedabassman]

JJ's Magic works into the plastic where others just mask the bait or just lay on the surface of the bait!

[RyneB]

megastrike and spike it dye. I use the dye when I want to put orange on the tips of my craw claws. And I use megastrike when I'm punching, helps it get through the mat. I'm not a religious user of any certain scent though. Sometimes when the bite seems dead, I'll throw on some megastrike just hoping to trigger a bite.

[BassThumb]

JJ's Magic is a real asset. It's the only commercially made scent I feel has any influence on bass. Be careful if you bring it in the boat because it expands when it gets warm. It will stain or melt your boat carpet like you wouldn't believe. It's best to use a glass eye-dropper and add some to bags of plastics. 

[nascar2428]

Megastrike on all plastics for me. Original and crawfish.

[jbw252]

Megastrike upon occasion, but I'm not crazy with it. 

[roadwarrior]

MegaStrike on ALL soft plastics.

 

[Crestliner2008]

Another vote here for MegaStrike.

[kbeeb374]

One more for megastrike.  Especially on anything finesse related. 

[MisplacedTexan99]

I use megastrike or smelly jelly mainly to mask any scents that might work against me. I don't know if it really works but it makes me feel better. I haven't used jjs magic but sounds like I need to give it a try

[WIGuide]

 I use spike-it dye and pens. That's more for a color change than scent. For that I use Kick'n Bass, it's a great product that stays on for a considerable amount of time. 

["hamma"]

I use real craw on jig and pigs, smelly jellies and fish formula's on other baits.

 I will say that I add scents on every lure I throw,. I have smelt scents, herring scents, shiner scents and so on. I will use what ever scent the prevailing baitfish in that body of water is, or,. whatever the lure I'm using imitates..

 

 Many years ago my bass fishing buddy and I tested the scent theory out for a full year, and found, a scented lure overwhelmingly out fished a non-scented lure.

[scaleface]

5 minutes ago, "hamma" said:

I use real craw  

  

Is this stuff still available ?  I dont know if Real Craw  elicits more bites but in my experience fish dont want to let go of baits when its applied .

[NYWayfarer]

I do want to try Megastrike after reading the reviews here.

 

I used to use some spray can garlic stuff like Bang on my soft plastics. The soft plastics I had back in the day that were not salt impregnated or come with some kind of attractant already. Those were the kind I sprayed, I never sprayed anything like a Senko.

 

 What I currently do is save my broken dreamshots, Ochos and Caffeine Swimming Shads in a ziplock baggie. To that baggie I add whatever brand other than Strike King baits I am going to use for the day. Now all my baits get that awesome coffee and salt scent that the Strike King baits have. 

 

Trust me you haven't Ned rigged till you Ned rig a Z-man finesse TRD with the Strike King coffee salt scent.

 

 

["hamma"]

17 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Is this stuff still available ?  I dont know if Real Craw  elicits more bites but in my experience fish dont want to let go of baits when its applied .

 

   Im not sure if they still make it, last bottle I found was 3 years ago, and it was the 1 and only there so I grabbed it even though I had plenty back then. Its become a difficult find as of late,..but works so well I wont fish a jig and pig without it. Of course if I cant find anymore, and run out, I will most likely switch to another brand like the liquid smelly jelly, or maybe even the new bio-scents. They are supposed to be made from actual forages, and Ive had success with their herring scent fishing the salty stripers up here. So, if the real craw runs dry, I may try them.

 

[TOXIC]

I'm more picky about my Crappie fishing.  I've seen it first hand, baits with a little Smelly Jelly in the right color and scent waaaaay outperform the same baits without it.  

 

[KDW96]

Are the scents and dyes compatable with elaztec material?

[Team9nine]

13 hours ago, LEWITH said:

Do you guys use fish attractant sprays, gels, dipping dyes? Do you think they are worth the money to get them? What ones do you recommend

 

No, No, and N/A 

[BaitMonkey1984]

I use scents on everything. The secret is to make them readily available. I keep one in the boat near the trolling motor. It takes a second to dip my plastics in JJ's magic. Dip and dye works well too, but JJ's in my experience outproduces. For hard baits I used the KVD chapstick scents. They hold on well to crank baits and seem to increase hookups. Anything to stack the odds in your favor is something worth doing. At least IMO. 

[Jaderose]

1 hour ago, KDW96 said:

Are the scents and dyes compatable with elaztec material?

 

 

Megastrike is fine on Elaztech.  The dyes?  NO!!

[eyedabassman]

12 hours ago, BassThumb said:

JJ's Magic is a real asset. It's the only commercially made scent I feel has any influence on bass. Be careful if you bring it in the boat because it expands when it gets warm. It will stain or melt your boat carpet like you wouldn't believe. It's best to use a glass eye-dropper and add some to bags of plastics. 

Keep it a cooler and out of the sun! Best sent that I have ever used. Put it on and it is on! I can smell that stuff on my bait for weeks in my garage! Don't smell it too much it will clear you sinus's out in a hurry!

[SFL BassHunter]

I use the KVD FishStick which is easy to apply. It comes in a lipbalm type tube and they have a few "flavors". I have used Shad and Craw. Both work.

 

I only use it in certain situations.

1) While Night Fishing

2) During the day when fish are short striking my soft plastics

 

What I do is apply the attractant to the hook and top part of the bait where the hook is when the fish are short striking or picking the bait up by the tail and swimming off with it. This has helped me catch fish in those situations.