Scents for bass

[Nitrofreak]

Catt,

I am no scientist but there was a study done on the basses receptors at a lab in OSU in 1989.

If I remember correctly the fish were put in different tanks and all kinds of attractants were tested while the fish were at one end of the tank the attractants were introduced in the far end from remote controlled room so no interaction would sacrifice the experiment and the one scent that bass were most attracted to was crayfish.

I will see if I can find the article on line and refer it to you guys, This particular study I read about was in a magazine

[Catt]

Now if everyone would fish only 1000 gallon tanks 

[Nitrofreak]

L O L !!

If you think about it I guess how else would we be able to determine what a bass is attracted to as far as scents go.

Me personally compairing the female species to fish I could be interested looks alone but its an added bonus if she smells good too!

[RoLo]

When I used to trap muskrats, and deer hunt with the bow-&-arrow

I often used animal musks and coverup scents but with marginal success.

When bass fishing however, I never use scent of any kind, nor do I intend to.

When the Lindner Brothers were still doing their 'magic act' for Lindy Tackle (Northwoods)

the use of bass scent was espoused. However, after launching the "In-Fisherman" magazine

the staff members agreed that the use of bass scent produced no measurable benefit.

Roger

[Nitrofreak]

Rolo,

I think this is getting to be interesting, There seems to be a general consciences on not to use scents and to rely on your honed skills as a fisherman.

But what about those who do use these products?

Like myself for example, I think it does one of two things.

If you are fishing waters that the fish are sparce it will aleart the fish to know that there may be pray nearby and it may entice the fish to go look for it.

Second I think in my personal opinion in shallower waters it tends to make the fish hold on to it longer, Either way it is still your skill that makes the presentation appealing enough to make the fish want to choose your bait.

any other opinions?

And do you by chance know to what extent the Lindner Bros. used for "bass scent" was it only one or an array of scents?

Technology has come a long way since then.

[Catt]

I use it for two purposes first as a lubricant because I fish in grass a lot and it 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.

Just like with lure color I've seen times when scent made absolutely no difference at all and I've seen times when scent make all the difference in the world.

[intheweeds]

I have never tried scents, but I have been getting skunked a lot lately so I will try anything that might help. When you use scents how often do you have to reapply it to the bait? i.e. every few cast, every hour or once every outing? I am going to try some mega strike and I will report back if it ends my slump.

[Nitrofreak]

Catt,

Thats interesting,  Were you not catching fish at all when it made all the difference in the world?

And what body's of water were you on when it worked and when it did'nt work?

Intheweeds,

I usually soak them for a few hours before a fishing trip,But if you take it with you then usually about every dozen casts and in moderation after the first application, Since you have never used it before make sure you keep it in a cool enviroment,  Like in the shade, Some of those scents can get nasty in the direct sunlight.

Thats the way I use them but ask around or I am sure you will pick up more advice here. Good luck and be safe.

[Catt]

Just to name a few!

Louisiana: Toledo Bend, Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge, Calcasieu River, Henderson Lake , Vernon Lake, Toro Creek, Cocodrie Lake, Miller's Lake

Texas: Sam Rayburn, B.A. Steinhagen, Caddo Lake, Lake Conroe, Houston County Lake, Lake Livingston

Florida: Henderson Lake, Tsala Apopka Lake, Withlacoochee River

This was no isolated incident and the only change I made was spraying my plastic or jig-n-craw with scent.

It has made enough of a difference to me that I keep a bottle handy at all times

[Nitrofreak]

Got ya.

Thanks

[cufishin]

This may be a bit off-topic but when I lived in Seattle and did a considerable amount of salmon fishing there were some guys who swore by an unusual fish attractant, WD-40. As I understand it WD-40 has 2 major ingredients, fish oil and kerosene along with some other top-secret stuff, I'm sure.

The fish oil is easy enough to believe since herring is one of the old standbys of salmon fishing. But I always wondered why the kerosene didn't just nullify any benefit the fish oil might bring. As was mentioned before, maybe the fish can't smell it or what I thought for some time was that it dispersed in the water much quicker than the oil thereby leaving only the fish oil on the bait after a short time. I don't know, but it's something that I've wondered about ever since I found out people used it.

BTW, I tried it but never really thought it made a difference either way.

Also, this was many years ago, I now know what a bad idea it is to put any petroleum product into a body of water.

[Catt]

cufishin, according to the WD-40 offical website their product does not & never has contained fish oil.

[Beastie Bass]

I have seen guys use WD-40 for catfish on the Ohio! IDK if it works. Cats have super-sensitive smell receptors so there must be SOMETHING in it they like. I have seen guys spray it on chicken livers :-? I too have read WD-40 has NEVER contained fish or shark oil.

[RoLo]

Rolo,

I think this is getting to be interesting, There seems to be a general consciences on not to use scents and to rely on your honed skills as a fisherman.

But what about those who do use these products?

When two anglers are fishing from the same boat, using the same lure and same scent,

they'll almost never catch the same number of fish (why so?)

Bass fishing entails a countless number of variables such as lure placement, retrieve technique,

lure depth, lure speed, angle-of-retrieve, ambient lighting and the list goes on.

Man is a simple beast who relates best to the few variables most obvious to man himself,

such as color' and 'scent'. Sadly, there's no way to identify the triggering properties

and eliminate the coincidental properties that just go along for the ride.

As a result, 'herd instinct' will thrive indefinitely.

Roger

[Big Bait Fishing]

cufishin, according to the WD-40 offical website their product does not & never has contained fish oil.

supposedly WD-40 is made or WAS made with anchovy oil !!

as far as "scents" go , i use Pro Cure super gel , more of a lubricant than anything , they are a staple in swimbaiting using Huddlestons and similar baits ......

[Catt]

WD-40® Myths, Legends & Fun Facts; as per their web site

What a Fish story!

Myth: WD-40 contains fish oil.

Fact:

Consumers have told us over the years that they have caught some of the biggest fish ever after protecting their fish hooks and lures with WD-40. We believe this legend came from folks assuming that the product must contain fish oil since it appears to attract fish. Sorry Charlie®, it just ain't so.

WD-40 Company has taken steps to respect and conserve the environment, and encourages its users to do the same. While WD-40 can be used to help protect fishing equipment from rust and corrosion, WD-40 Company does not recommend using WD-40 to attract fish.

[cufishin]

cufishin, according to the WD-40 offical website their product does not & never has contained fish oil.

A little research prompted by another poster lead me to some interesting info: WD-40 contains no fish oil and according to their website never did. This was something I heard years before internet access was part of my daily activity so getting the truth would have been more trouble.

The myth that it does contain fish oil is alive and well among a lot of folks still and there are still a lot of fishermen who swear by it. There are also a lot of folks who get pretty ticked off when they hear about people putting this into the water.

[Bobby Uhrig]

Short and sweet. Make something that has no "real" flavor like a wooden ,plastic or rubber bait taste real with the right combinations of foods-they retain it longer for better strike detection-PERIOD .THE END.

[Nitrofreak]

I never have used anything other than natural fish oils in the waters that I fish IF it did not specifically state it's intended use.

That is why I tried the shrimp soak.

Rolo, As I stated in that artical I still FIRMLY believe it is still the tallent of the fisherman or women that intices the fish to pick up their bait and run with it.

But I also believe that adding a scent on days when the fishing is slow could infact prompt that fish to strike your lure and have a productive day.

I can't wait to get on my favorite lake and try this again, This is some pretty cool stuff !!

[Glenn]

I heard long ago that WD-40 contains anise oil, which is a fish attractant.  I could be wrong, however.

That said, WD-40 contains a lot of other chemicals, including petroleum.  So using it on lure equates to polluting your local waters.  Even WD-40 says not to use it as an attractant.  SO DON'T DO IT!

Glenn

[RedhookRR]

so what about using the fish oil that they sell in the health section or soak them in a double espresso (strike king coffee).  C

ould see that going thru the starbucks on the way to the lake.  I 'll take a quad shot french vannilla latte and the fish will have a double espresso.