Fish attractant, scent cover up, or snake oil

[RDB]

I was rearranging some gear after a trip and noticed I had an open slot next to the pliers.  The pliers were telling me that they were lonely and wanted a neighbor so I decided to buy a couple of attractants (yes my gear talks to me...yesterday my drop shot rod said it wanted a sister).

 

I have never used attractants other than those built in to baits and am curious of others experiences.  Do you feel they are more to cover human scent and/or increase hold times and/or actually attract fish?  Or, do you think it’s just snake oil meant to catch fishermen?  Have you seen a difference in hold times/catch rates?  Do certain attractants (like gels) impede skirt movement on things like jigs?  Just curious...it’s a month to month lease so I can find another tenant.

[Dens228]

I use JJ's.  Not always but more often than not.  Does it help, no idea.  A bottle is a couple of bucks and lasts me all summer if I don't spill it so why not. 

 

[lo n slo]

i’ve used a scent for many years, Fish Formula Crawfish, Yum F2 Garlic, and now Megastrike Original and Garlic. i also prefer Spike It Chartreuse/Garlic dipping dye. love me some Berkley Power Worms too. i’m primarily a texas rig guy. but i can’t prove that it works. my belief is that the bass may hild on to it a little longer. it’s a confidence thing i suppose.

[huZZah]

My 10 year old swears by it. He hoses all his baits down now because he did it to his beetle spinner at a public park lake and caught a small bass when everyone else (me included) got skunked. 
 

But I never bother with it so ?‍♂️

[RDB]

4 minutes ago, lo n slo said:

i’ve used a scent for many years, Fish Formula Crawfish, Yum F2 Garlic, and now Megastrike Original and Garlic. i also prefer Spike It Chartreuse/Garlic dipping dye. love me some Berkley Power Worms too. i’m primarily a texas rig guy. but i can’t prove that it works. my belief is that the bass may hild on to it a little longer. it’s a confidence thing i suppose.

I forgot about spike-it...I do use that in both the pens and jars.  With Megastrike, do you use it on jigs?  I know it’s pretty greasy/gummy.  Does it interfere with skirt movement? 

[lo n slo]

15 minutes ago, RDB said:

I forgot about spike-it...I do use that in both the pens and jars.  With Megastrike, do you use it on jigs?  I know it’s pretty greasy/gummy.  Does it interfere with skirt movement? 

if it does, i haven’t noticed it. i use only a very small amount and work it in thoroughly. it stays on the plastic longer imo. also, i don’t have to deal with the overspray mess anymore either like i had with the pump spray stuff like Yum F2. it stows easily as well.

 

edit: i do have to wipe my thumb and fore finger down afterwards because it will slick up you reel handles and rod if you’re not careful.

[huZZah]

I have crawfish spike it that I will spray in the “used” plastics bag and leave them to kinda rejuice in winter when I don’t get much action. 
 

Fishing that is...?

[ajschn06]

I saw enough positive comments on Megastrike that I bought a tube to try this year.... I’m not sure if it will help, but I’m pretty confident it won’t have a negative effect....  I’ll try pretty much anything that might give me an edge as long as I don’t have to change the way I like to fish (I’m not gonna start throwing drop shots or Senkos or anything like that)..

[Skunkmaster-k]

15 minutes ago, ajschn06 said:

I’ll try pretty much anything that might give me an edge as long as I don’t have to change the way I like to fish (I’m not gonna start throwing drop shots or Senkos or anything like that)..

Well done sir. Well done. 

[DitchPanda]

I have used the Bang spray but haven't noticed it helping much if at all. JJs magic on the other hand has made a big difference on a few occasions. Although I'd say I think the flash of color makes more difference than the smell.

[Luke Barnes]

I have JJs and Spike It that I bought for cor purposes. I bought a can of Bang spray in craw/shad scent. My belief is if you get a bite it will taste more real and they will hold on longer. I dont see it drawing them in or them smelling it and deciding to bite. But I very well could be wrong. 

[WRB]

According to Dr Keith Jones Berkely’s leading fish expert scents some help bass hold onto soft plastics longer and has several studies to prove it.

However....Jones says bass can’t detect odors in gels.

Masking human odors, like gasoline and oil can hurt.

Gel type attractants can stick some jig skirt material together.

I have been using scents forever, starting with pure 100% anise oil and fresh garlic added to pork rind jars and plastic worms with good success. Dr Jones claims both are marginal at best as bass attractant scents.

What is important I believe it helps bass to hold the lure in it’s mouth a little longer then without the scent.

Tom

 

 

[FishTank]

I like Bang, Megastrike and Smelly Jelly.   Do they help? I like to think so but I don't use them all the time.  They seem to help more when the bite is slow.  Maybe (and I mean maybe),  it makes the bites harder and easier to detect during those tough days. 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

5 hours ago, RDB said:

I was rearranging some gear after a trip and noticed I had an open slot next to the pliers.  The pliers were telling me that they were lonely and wanted a neighbor so I decided to buy a couple of attractants (yes my gear talks to me...yesterday my drop shot rod said it wanted a sister).

 

I have never used attractants other than those built in to baits and am curious of others experiences.  Do you feel they are more to cover human scent and/or increase hold times and/or actually attract fish?  Or, do you think it’s just snake oil meant to catch fishermen?  Have you seen a difference in hold times/catch rates?  Do certain attractants (like gels) impede skirt movement on things like jigs?  Just curious...it’s a month to month lease so I can find another tenant.

I think it can make a difference.  Adding scent if nothing else gives me a little more confidence in some situations.  I think the fish may hold onto the bait a little longer and that can be the difference between getting skunked or just having a rough day.  

I can say one thing for sure, when Gulp first hit the market the difference in number and quality fish was signifigant when compared to standard plastics, especially with fluke.  Gulp even outperformed live bait which really surprised me. So there is definitely something to scent and or flavor.

For freshwater I think gel scents are the way to go.  It stays on much better then liquids or sprays and if stored and handled correctly wont make a mess.  MegaStrike and Gene Larew's Bug Juice are the 2 I use the most for LMB.  Neither of them are foul smelling which makes life easier.  I do use Pro Cure in saltwater, which is more of a naturally flavored scent and it works great on bucktails.  The cons to Procure is its smell, some flavors are worse then others.  The biggest drawback IMO is its somewhat perishable due to the natural ingredients so its best to keep it in a cool place.  All 3 of the scents I listed also come in good bottles that wont leak easily.

[Catt]

I use "worm juice" for two purposes first as a lubricant because I fish in grass a lot and the "worm juice" helps my plastic baits slide through easier.

 

I use Fish Formula II or Baitmate (clear) with a ½ oz of 100% pure anise oil added; this is to mast any odor my plastic may have pick up.

 

@WRB Dr Jones also stated anise oil repels bass!

[OkobojiEagle]

OP, I think you should fill the available space in your tackle bag with a tube  of antiseptic gel and some band-aids.  Those items will do you more good than fish attractant...

 

oe

[00bullitt]

I grew up fishing with Jack and Tony Patton. Jack Patton was the chemist who created Jack's Juice; Tony was his son and my ol mans best friend and my god father. Tony is still around and fishing pushing mid 70's.

Jack's research proved that attractants would cause fish to strike sooner and hold on longer. He also believed that it masked human scent and the plasticky chemical smell of many plastics. 

I remember him saying that WD40 taught him alot about formulating his aerosol version too. How they suspended their chemicals was the key.

Jack and Tony always used the Anise or Garlic. I still have a couple gallons and treat all my soft plastics and jigs with it.

Jack always talked about the specific amino acid chain that he used to deliver the scent...basically "his formula". One that he identified stimulated the best reaction from bass.

It gives me confidence.

 

I do think the Berkley scientists are at the top of their game too. Those guys test and measure everything and have invested millions in the science.

 

Their MaxScent stuff has triggered strikes from fish that I could see on livescope that were not touching other similar baits. I have only used the Flat Worm and General.

[Team9nine]

Snake oil... ?

[BrianMDTX]

I do not have a lot of experience with fish attractants. I do have a lot with scents for attracting deer. I understand there is a vast difference between mammals and fish, but I think one thing that holds true for deer is probably the same for bass. One day that scent may either attract bass or cause them to hold onto the bait longer, and the next day it may cause them to shy away or reject the bait quicker. 
 

As far as human scent is concerned, as **** sapiens is not a natural predator of bass (as concerns living in its environment), I’m not concerned about my natural human scent all that much. Unnatural odors such as gasoline, motor oil, etc. is a different story. 

[RDB]

1 hour ago, 00bullitt said:

I grew up fishing with Jack and Tony Patton. Jack Patton was the chemist who created Jack's Juice; Tony was his son and my ol mans best friend and my god father. Tony is still around and fishing pushing mid 70's.

Jack's research proved that attractants would cause fish to strike sooner and hold on longer. He also believed that it masked human scent and the plasticky chemical smell of many plastics. 

I remember him saying that WD40 taught him alot about formulating his aerosol version too. How they suspended their chemicals was the key.

Jack and Tony always used the Anise or Garlic. I still have a couple gallons and treat all my soft plastics and jigs with it.

Jack always talked about the specific amino acid chain that he used to deliver the scent...basically "his formula". One that he identified stimulated the best reaction from bass.

It gives me confidence.

 

I do think the Berkley scientists are at the top of their game too. Those guys test and measure everything and have invested millions in the science.

 

Their MaxScent stuff has triggered strikes from fish that I could see on livescope that were not touching other similar baits. I have only used the Flat Worm and General.

Cool story...a lot can be gleaned from the old timers who had to learn how to catch fish before fishing became such a big business.

[Sam]

RDB, it all boils down to confidence.

 

If you have confidence in any one specific type or brand of scent then use it.

 

I have confidence in both MegaStrike and JJ's Magic.

 

And like the guys who have have penned their responses above, I have no idea if it works but they could, and that is all we need to know: a little advantage in our favor against a small foe with a brain the size of a pea that can make us cry is why we use scent.

[A-Jay]

Mostly Megastrike for me . . . 

A-Jay

[TriStateBassin106]

I use spike it chartreuse for dipping and to cover scents bang formula but I'm on the verge of switching over to megastrike because I don't like spray cans. 

[Mike L]

I believe the taste coupled with the smell to a lesser degree, CAN cause a fish to hold on to it just a little longer that CAN allow the angler to set the hook before she spits, IF she wasn’t inclined to bite anyway. 
 

For a reaction bite it doesn’t matter, she’s gonna hit it regardless. 
 

(3 parts anise to 1 part baby oil)

 

 

 

 

Mike
 

 

 

 

 

[bulldog1935]

I remember this covered on another topic a few months ago.  

I'm a procure advocate, and got that way from a guide trip 40 years ago.  

The "attractant" factor that so many people disbelieve is worth disbelieving.  

The reason to use a bait scent is to hide the smell and taste of Us on the lure and slow down rejection.    

Also to mask the steel and lead - if you don't believe me, taste a piece of lead.  

 

It makes a huge difference with salt fish, also with salmon.  

My Alaska guide buddy wears gloves when he handles all salmon bait.