Spray on Attractant/Scent?

[.dsaavedra.]

bought some of this scent/attractant: http://pharmacalway.com/brands/baitmate/baitmate.html in the bass formula. it smells like it will work. how well do spray on scents and attractats work? i know i put this stuff on lures and stuff but could i put it on crankbaits and stuff like that???? and would it be bad to spray a little in the water where i fish because it is an attractant after all.

[jdw174]

I've never been a fan of baitmate, but to each their own  I think there are times when scent can help.  Other times it doesn't seem to make a difference.  I'd be careful about what I spray on crankbaits.  Use an old one to test before trying it on your good lures.  

[.dsaavedra.]

why do you say that about cranks...can it rust the hooks or someting? or destroy the finish on them?

[Guest avid]

Modern soft plastics are loaded with salt and scent.  Adding scent in my opinion is useless.

on any bait that is moveing the bass is alerted to the lure by vibration and sight, so it is equally useless.

The only valid reason for using a scent is on a swimbait.  It makes the bait more slippery, keeps the plastic fresh longer, and makes it slippery so the big bait will slide down to the hook easier thereby facilitating the hookset.

If your hands have a lingering odor of gasoline or bug spray, I guess scent may help thee too, but as for increasing strikes, I don't believe they work.

[.dsaavedra.]

actualy ALOT of soft plastics dont have any scent. like just about the only kind i can think of that do have scent are powerbait. zoom doesnt ahve scent, storm doesnt, culprit doesnt...and so on. yeah it says on the bottle that it has some kind of oil in it i think its like anise oil that gets rid of other scents that repel fish.

[JuniorFisherJJ08]

I only use a scent to cover up my scent i might put on it.  I also love plastics that are heavily salted, because if the bass gets a taste it seems to strike again.  Unlike non salted baits.

my 2cents.

[Raul]

Never have spinkled my cranks or spinnerbaits with scent and they catch fish, most of my soft plastic baits are unscented, heck, most of them don 't even have salt in them either and they catch fish ...... if you think that spraying scent is going to help you into catching more fish I 'll be the first one to tell you to spray as much as you can on your baits.

[.dsaavedra.]

well ill just have to try it and find out now wont i?

[Zonked]

I bought scent because I smoke, but I not convinced it makes a difference...so now basically the only time I really use it is after repairing a slightly damaged ika with a lighter, to cover the nasty smell of butane and melted plastic. For me its really become a last resort for times when you just can't seem to buy a bite.

[Red]

i have never used it, but today i bought some YUM crawfish scent...i will let you know later if i think it makes a difference

[skillet]

 I don't think it really "attracts". If anything it might cover offensive odors or make the fish hold onto it just a little longer. Since I don't think it "attracts", I can't see a reason to use it on a fast moving bait like a spinner or a crank. Like Raul said, if you think it works for you, it probably does. Anything that gives you a little more confidence...

                                              As Ever,

                                               skillet

[Gorgebassman]

I dont use scents at all at least the spray on kind if the plastics im using have salt or scent that works for me. As far as crankbaits and spinnerbaits I think that fish hit those out of a reaction to the bait rather than the scent.

[WhiteMike1018]

Modern soft plastics are loaded with salt and scent.  Adding scent in my opinion is useless.

on any bait that is moveing the bass is alerted to the lure by vibration and sight, so it is equally useless.

The only valid reason for using a scent is on a swimbait.  It makes the bait more slippery, keeps the plastic fresh longer, and makes it slippery so the big bait will slide down to the hook easier thereby facilitating the hookset.

If your hands have a lingering odor of gasoline or bug spray, I guess scent may help thee too, but as for increasing strikes, I don't believe they work.

Avid you do make a great point.

But to say adding scent is useless, you could be short changing yourself.

When im adding scent im not necessarily looking for the "scent" but its really the taste that gets em, especially on soft plastics.

For example Yammamoto has a lot of salt injected into the plastic body. For a fish to get any salt on the taste bud receptors hes really going to have to chomp on that thing.

Next time your holding a senko, try it...the salt doesn't come out very easy at all.

I agree that scent on hard baits can be quite obsessive but on a soft quiet presentation where an observation, rather than a reaction comes into play scent can be the reason the bass strikes or refuses.

Just what Ive learned from bass biology books and what ive experienced.. -WM

[Stringjam]

Some of my most productive plastics have no scent or salt at all.   I still have bunches of the original Bobby Garland hula grubs and they flat out catch bass for me....Bobby would not impregnate his lures with salt because he believed it stiffened and hampered the action of the plastic - - I would tend to agree, because when his grubs hit the water, they're a thing of beauty.  I've pulled numerous bass all the way to the boat with these baits without even setting the hook.    

I'm sure using scent isn't going to hurt anything, but I've used a ton of it over the years and abandoned it completely at times - and I've yet to see any appreciable difference in my catch rate.  My partners always use it, and they've yet to stomp me because of the scent use.  

I'll keep an open mind, though - - as anything that appeals to the senses of a bass is probably going to put a few more in the boat on certain occasions - - - I'm just way more confident that putting more effort into the visual presentation of a bait is going to make the difference for me  

 

[jdw174]

why do you say that about cranks...can it rust the hooks or someting? or destroy the finish on them?

Destroy the finish.

[Catt]

I use attractants for two purposes first as a lubricant because I fish in grass a lot and the attractant helps my plastic baits slide through easier.  I use Fish Formula II or Baitmate (clear) with a ½ oz of pure anise oil added; this is to mast any odor my plastic may have pick up.

[moloch16]

I recently bought some CB's Hawg Sauce (http://www.cbshawgsauce.com/).  Tried it out last night and it definitely gave my Senko an odor that I could still smell when I got home.  I think scents may help the fish hold on longer.  If it looks right (all wiggly and such), feels right (soft plastic), and tastes right (scents) then it's a winning combo.

Haven't use scents in ages but since the Hawg Sauce is made right down the road from me I thought I'd give it a whirl.

[bassbob08]

I dont use scents because most soft plastics allready have it buit inand im realy not a beleaver in them.

[Matt Fly]

If you believe they help, thats a confidence builder.     Half the battle is believing.     The other half is catching.

Matt

[bassbob08]

thats true

[Del from philly]

iv never used them at all.....never

but i bought some Garlic bass attractant(cheap stuff made by eagle claw) just to take a shot...still havnt used it yet.....smells horrible

iv always heard that it does not help attract at all....but it only masks human scents...

iv heard to use it as a handlotion, rather than pouring it on your lure....is the best way to go

also, id say putting it into the water is a straight up wwaste of money....dont you guys aggree....

[snapperd1]

I like the megastrike stays on long and the fish seem to hold on to it alot longer.

TD

[.dsaavedra.]

I recently bought some CB's Hawg Sauce (http://www.cbshawgsauce.com/). Tried it out last night and it definitely gave my Senko an odor that I could still smell when I got home. I think scents may help the fish hold on longer. If it looks right (all wiggly and such), feels right (soft plastic), and tastes right (scents) then it's a winning combo.

Haven't use scents in ages but since the Hawg Sauce is made right down the road from me I thought I'd give it a whirl.

my thoughts exactly! matt fly, thats what i think too!

[SuthernProg]

I don't think they "attract" bass in that sense, but I do use it to make them hold on just that second longer for me to know they're there and get a hookset on them. I only use it on plastics.

Prog

[Guest ncbass24]

How about using it on jigs? Wouldnt that give you a few extra seconds to feel the bite and set the hook?