Scents

[tntitans21399]

I got this idea the other day and I didn't know if anyone else has done anything like this.  I read an article the other day, can't remember what magazine, but the host/guide/angler said he would spray some scent into his bag of plastics so they would be scented.  My idea is similar but I was wondering if any has put any type of seasoning or scent in their trayswith plastics or crankbait to give them a scent?  I'm new and still learning and didn't know if a certain smell would actually drive the fish away instead of going for it, or would that be a good idea to try?  

Any advice would help.

[Guest Wiimote_Angler]

I'm not a big fan of scents, but I have tried out the Megastrike Fish Attractant.  When it comes to attracting the bass, I usually care about the look of the lure only.  I've never had any boost to my bass catching with megastrike, but I do like the pluses it provides, such as making my plastics more slippery to get through some sticky situations.  I think a better focus for these fish attractant companies IMO is to create a bait gel with multiple features besides smelling natural.

-keeping it slick

-possibly making fish hold on longer

-maybe some glitter to add more flash

[BassFishingMachine]

I currently use Megastrike for softbaits, and YUM Crawfish Scent Spray for my Jigs.

[jwo1124]

I think some people have the wrong idea surrounding scents. They look at them as attractant, like they are going to bring fish to your lure from distances. Sadly, thi sis not the case. Instead they are made to be a deal sealer. After the fish has been attracted to your lure via the action, sight sound, vibration, it will swim up to it in an attempt to eat it think it is prey. If a fish smells an offensive odor on your lure or it does not smell like natural prey, it may be inclined to resist attacking it. A scent will stop a fish from disregarding your presented lure due to a negative odor, or even seal the deal with neutal or wary fish that may be suspicious of the plastic baitfish susoending in front of it. Do not think that an attractant is like chum, more like a cologne for your lure. If you think of the lure as a guy and the bass as a woman for a moment. The man(lure) is sitting by the bar(lake, pond, etc.) putting off all the right cues(action vibration, sound) when the woman(bass) spots the man(lure) from across the bar(pond) Instinctually the woman is attracted my the man and feels the need to go over to him to introduce herself. Thi sis where the scent or cologne comes in. Let's say the woman is intrigued by the man from hi slooks and action but then once she gets within a few feet of him she smells this terrible odor, chance are she isn;t going to pursue this. But let's say the man is wearing his new Mega Strike cologne   the woman will have positive reinforcement to pursue what she is doing...the deal is sealed.

Chance are the woman is not going to be attracted solely by the scent or thi sman's cologne initially. One due to the distance she is from him, and two scent is not the main deciding factor. If it was a 300Lb. guy blading with a bear belly and a budwiser shirt that smells good...she's probablly going to call it quits before it even starts. Attraction is usually through visual cues at first along with the insticts that follow. Scent is the last deciding factor, but still a factor.

I hope I didn't confuse anyone by the use of the metaphor, but if you think about and got what I was saying, it makes a lot of sense.

[Big-O]

Do scents attract predator fish, YES! And bass included both small and largemouth. I design soft plastics and have recently finished extensively testing a new prey scent that actually had largemouth following the scent trail to the boat. I tried testing several times with one of my staff in heavily fished waters and it showed me enough to take it to the next level. I fished the front of the boat in all cases with the same color and bait as staff member on each occasion and he was using the scent and I wasn't. He  consistently tied or beat me in numbers and he had never even come close to doing this before. We were fishing Texas rigged craws on each outing and he would spray a small amount of the oil base scent on bait every 3rd or 4th cast. We then went to three different small lakes that have little or no fishing pressure. It was then that I saw the big effect. Identical situation as before but on these test we noticed that when we stopped to re tie etc. he would cast behind the boat in areas we had already covered and his strike percentage increased exponentially. The bass were actually following the scent trail that he had left.  Did I cast back there and get in on the frenzies, of course I did, who wouldn't and I caught them just like he did until we gave em all sore mouths. I have since started cooking the scent into my baits and it works great but spraying has the edge, which apparently leaves more of a scent trail on the bottom structure ie weeds, timber, rocks etc.  All of these test were done while fishing down bank structure and as most of us front enders do, I covered it closely.  This scent isn't available as of yet but will be sometime in the near future. It is my opinion that many scents on the market are equally as effective but I don't get paid to test other companies scents. All I know is for a fact, SCENTS WORK!  And not just water based scents

[roadwarrior]

I like the analogy jwo1124 put together because it illustrates my experience with using scent or attractants. Although I still have seven or eight bottles of various brands (some remnants, some nearly new), I only use MegaStrike.

MegaStrike is a user friendly gel that generally lasts for an entire outings and is as "successful" as I expect an attractant to be. This product's lubricationg capacity is especially well suited for swimbaits and soft plastics. If you are going to experiment with attractants, MegaStrike is the one I would recommend.

[bocabasser]

i too only use megastrike. not to attract fish, but to ensure they don't let my bait go once they have put it in their mouth. i only use megastrike on my soft plastics, especially when flipping. i know guys that use megastrike on ALL the baits they throw. if i were to recommend an attractant, megastrike for sure.

[tntitans21399]

I have been trying the Berkley's PowerBait Attractant (spray) for Bass and the one for Gamefish, that comes in brown and green like yum's scents.  And I also tried some kind of garlic with glitter type of jell scent, I can't remember who made it but it wasn't one of the main companies.  I usually even spray it on my hands so when I am changing a lure and touching the lure it keeps a fishy type smell and not mine.  I'll have to try megastrike.

[FD.]

I also only use megastrike.  I use it on all baits including worm weights and the first few feet of line.  Not only does is cover my non fish smelling hands scent, I don't tear as many soft plastics fishing the heavy cover I usually fish.  Plus it does not get all over the boat and does not smell that bad to me..

[Raul]

27 years ago when we moved from Mexico City to where we live now I had to change what I fished for.

Of course I knew the city we came every two weeks, my grandparents, my uncles and aunts in several degrees of relativeness lived here but actually I never fished here, none of them are fishermen and nobody had neither the time nor the will to take me fishing.  :-[

Ahhh, but when we moved I just turned 16 and my dad allowed me to used the car, in Mexico City I fished for trout but when I got here and asked where I could go fishing for trout everybody looked at me like if I came from a galaxy far far far far awayyyyyyyyy !  :-/

You see, in the vast majority of the lakes around the city ...... there ain 't no trout !  It 's too warm for trout to thrive, this is bucketmouth country ! I asked around what do people fish for and I was told that here people fished for "lobina" ( bass ), bagre ( channel cats ), carp, "mojarra tostona" ( bluegill ) and mojarra tilapia. Went fishing for the very first time and being a trout fisherman my t-box contained what was good for trout: in-line spinners, tiny jerkbaits, salmon eggs n 'stuff like that; so I tied a Mepps Aglia no2 to my line, made a cast and was immediately rewarded with a little green critter ( probably a pound ) that fought like mad, man was I surprised when I landed it that the little critter had a HUGE mouth, but that little critter got me hooked for good in what we call Bass fishin '.

I became so hooked that I needed to know more about that mean green little critter I hooked, so back then during the age of the dinosaurs when there were no Innernet the few outdoor magazines I could put my hands on were purchased, read, rearead over and over again, I needed information !

I learned about cranks, spinnerbaits, woims, jigs, then I went to practice what I 've read and slowly began to learn how to use them. Can 't remember where ( probably in Outdoor Life ) one of the person who writes the articles mentioned something about scents ....... man I just had to have a bottle of scent ! looked around in the city and found a place where they sold them, purchased a bottle, I was absolutely and positively shure I was going to anhilate them with the stuff sprayed on the few lures I had, sprayed the stuff and as usual I got skunked .... what the hell happened ?!?

I spent 1/3 of the bottle without better results, I swear I religiously sprayed my lures, being in the learning/testing process it was not uncommon for me getting skunked ( it appeared more like a rule and not an exception ). Finally the scent spray got stored and never again did I use any kind of scent in my baits, they came with scent ? ----> good, they came unscented ? ----> equally good.

When my wife and I moved ( again ) to our older house the bottle of spray appeared, it still had 2/3 of it 's content, I threw it away in the trash bin, I lived 20 years without it and I can live another 20 and not need it.

If you believe scent is going to help you catch more fish I 'm the first one to tell you: by all means ... use it !, just don 't put all your faith in it.  

[luckyinkentucky]

I have a lot of luck with the YUM Baitfish Scent.  SOmetimes I also dip the tail of my plastics in Spike-It Dip n' Glow.  Both are proven scents for me.  

[The Next KVD]

I spray B.A.N.G. on my hands and rub it in like i would sunblock before I pick up a fishing rod just before the fishing day begins.  I believe it conseals gas and other odors.  Plus, it allows my lures through weeds and brush easier.  Plus on those expensive plastic swimbaits, the extra lub helps in keeping the sandpaper teeth of bass from tearing and "sanding" away the color.

[Catt]

Please read the following I think it will help you understand scents

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1192120855

[Wayne P.]

Next KVD, don't worry about having gasoline smell on your hands. According to the "experts", the fish can not smell it.

[Big-O]

megastrike is oil base?

[Tokyo Tony]

I wouldn't spray scents into your bags of plastics - it will make the hook slide around a lot more when you rig them because you'll be lubricating the hook inside of the plastic as you push the hook through when the scent is already on.

[Avalonjohn44]

I don't use scents at all.  I have about a half dozen spray bottles, some jellies, and some dips, and the only tangible difference I have noticed is that my hands stink afterwards.  I am with Raul, if I buy something that has scent baked in, fine and good, but otherwise I'm leaving the lure alone.  

I am conscious however of various scents on my hand, and will many times scrub my hands in the river mud before handling lures.  I also stay away from bug sprays and gasoline, etc...