Lure Scents

[Mitch f]

I'm sure this topic has been posted before, but I have been wondering this for years. I know most scents are good masking agents but do they really attract? Do they really make a fish hold on to the lure longer? Does salt help?

I read an article about the fact that most scents are suspended in oil which has a molecule too big to be taken in by the fish. Kind of like trying to jam a tennis ball in the end of a coke bottle. Do any of you have some feedback on which scents you use?

[Dutch]

The reason to use salt is to make the bait heavy so it will sink. I have seen times when I thought scent helped but most of the time I don't use it.

[Ham]

Scent works on some species of fish for sure, but maybe not all. Power bait is absolutely lethal on trout. I'm 95% certain that the Power Bait stuff also works on some panfish species and catfish. Scents and scent impregnated baits work on the inshore saltwater fish that I have fished for.

Bass, I'm not sure about. I'll use it rarely, but I haven't ever been SURE that thescentmade a difference.

[Al Agnew]

Maybe proof, or lack of it, is in the pudding...I've never once used a scent that the angler adds to the lure. I always thought it was totally stupid and pointless when you'd see a TV "pro" squirting scent on a crankbait or topwater lure, since there's no way the scent does anything for such a lure. In theory, I guess, it might work on something you fish very slowly, slowly enough to give the fish time to smell the lure as well as see it, hear it, and feel it. But even then, I'm not sure bass do much feeding by smell. I suppose it's possible too that scents mask human odors or gasoline or whatever, but I'm also not sure that bass are turned off by smells any more than they are turned on by smells. Anyway...having never used scents, I think I do alright catching bass anyway.

Trout--probably does a lot of good. Catfish--definitely. Members of the sunfish family--doubtful.

[WHARFRAT]

I've always thought that lure scents are manufactured to catch more fishermen than fish. But as an avid crappie fisherman, I have found that the crappie nibs do make a difference. During the spawn it's really a waste, cause they'll hit a bare hook if you present it right. But when the going is tough, especially late winter up the pre-spawn, I really think its a game changer. I'll usually use them post spawn also with better success than without. Also, during the fall, I have real good success with the sparkle type. I've never really had great success with any spray on type attractant.

[junkman]

When a kid I always herd stories of some states outlawing sweet anise extract from being used as a sent agent. I have no idea if the stories were true but it did get me to save a few dollars to be able to go to the drug store to get some. My personal evaluation, works under the right conditions. For the most part I seen no difference but i do distinctly remember one drizzling day going to a secret pond with some river worms. Thought I would try catching one of the few 2 pound blue gills that lurked beneath. But the fishing was dead, not even a bite. could have been that the wind was out of the east but I figured I would try putting some anise on my worm and see if it might help. First cast bam a 1 1/2 pound bass. again casted and bam. i lost count of all the bass I caught that day but is was non stop till the worms ran out. Some might argue that there is no scientific proof that it works, and I can't give you none as well, but I can say it did turn a miserable fishing trip into a great one for a 12 year old boy many years ago..

[MOsmallies]

I use an anise spray on just about every Bass soft plastic that doesn't already have scent (Chompers). It may do nothing, but it gives me more confidence and therefore I tend to make more/better casts and fish more thoroughly.

Al stated that he doesn't use it and look at the numbers and size of smallies he catches year in an year out. He has confidence in the scentless lures that he's throwing and I think that's one of the biggest factors.

[exiledguide]

I have used power baits since they were introduced and I got originaly got a package from a tackle rep to try and of course I didn't at that time think they were of any value so the package sat at the bottom of my UMCO box until that day long ago when I was just about skunked on the big Piney at horshoe bend and we were about to pack it in and paddle on down to Mineral Springs when I remembered thoae worms and nothing else was working so we tied them on and flat out wore out Smallmouth, Largemouth and Goggle eye on a pumpkin pepper 8" not very soft hook tail Power worm .Goobbye Mepps, Beetle Spin,and Mr Twister. Hello Power baits. I didn't have much luck with their Gulp but the Gulp Alive is as good of a bait that that and Chompers are about all I use anymore. I don't use scents on any hard baits any more or on spinner baits they never seemed to catch me any more fish but I do wash my hands with a scent removing soap before I touch a lure or my line. By the way we were going to the local drug store and buying oil of anise to put on fishing lures 60 years, ago not the food flavoring Anise you would get at the General sore and off course one of my Dads fishing buddies would spit Chewing Tabacco on his hook........

[Al Agnew]

I suspect MOsmallies has it right...confidence. And you get confidence by something happening such as Exiledguide's experience on the Big Piney. Who knows whether it was the scent, or something else about those worms, or simply that the fish suddenly got active. That's what I think often happens when you're not catching anything and all of a sudden you switch something and start catching fish like crazy...because I've seen it happen often enough when I DIDN'T switch anything. But whether it's that, or whether it really was the scent or something else that made those lures work when others didn't, there's nothing like catching a bunch of fish to give you confidence, and once you have confidence you simply fish better.

[Ham]

Trout--probably does a lot of good. Catfish--definitely. Members of the sunfish family--doubtful.

I can tell you with great confidence that scented lures and applied scents can make a night and day difference on some members of the panfish family. Bass and crappie I haven't seen it, but bluegill and others in that side of the familly will absolutely prefer a jig with a chunk of power grub over a jig without.

The first product of that type I used was Berkley Strike. This was decades ago, but you would get a bite immediately after applying the thick liquid to a jig and dropping the jig into cover. The effect quickly washed away, but over and over and over again I got immediate bites after application. The frequency of reapplication made it non viable for me. Soon after Power Bait for panfish came along, and it worked almost as well with infinitely better durability.