Salt Or No Salt

[texacan84]

Hi everybody. It's me, George again with another question. I know it's been covered a few times on here about salt. The reason for the question is, I had a potential customer that I made some sample for, for him to try out and eventually gain a customer. One of the main questions was wheather I used salt in my baits or even packed them in salt and I said no, I use an oil attractant. Never heard from him again and thought that not using salt mybe the reason.

So the question is, what kind and how much salt do you all use in your plastic and for packaging? Do most people prefer salt in their baits? Never have used salt but it's been an ongoing thought. I don't know if it matters or not that I open pour my baits and use a microwave.

Thanks for any input you all can give me...George

[Anglinarcher]

First, Salt was and is mostly used to make the plastic heavier, i.e., sink.  Second, it does add some flavor, but I don't know about scent.

 

Taste a salted bait and it actually taste good.  Other fisherman have done the same.

 

So, how about the salt substitutes?  They are probably better at sinking the bait, but they "are not salt".

 

Personally I don't let salt make my mind up but I know a lot of fisherman that do when they fish.  Sometimes you need to sell what the buyer wants, so the answer probably should be, I do have a line of baits with salt in them?????

 

Now, what salt?  Do a search on the thread and you will find every option possible.  I use a coffee grinder and grind up non-iodine salt.  I add and mix quick and pour fast and ........ I am not that good at salt.  LOL

[MonteSS]

As said Heavy salt is used in stickbaits to make them sink.

 

I assume your customer is refering to salt for taste. In that case offer it as an option. Pickling salt from Walmart works very good and wont cloud the colors in small amounts. Add one tablespoon per 8 oz plastic.

[Bassinfool]

For my baits, I go no salt. For anyone else's, I let them make that decision and I will do whichever they prefer.

[JJK]

For some reason it seems salted baits sell better than no salted

[alsworms]

George....

 

It sounds like that potential customer may have been fine with just packaging them in salt, rather than adding salt to the mix?  If so, that's awfully easy to do.  I rolled ALL my baits in salt and found that to be much easier than working with oil.  I only used oil when selling to stores........mainly to show the colors more as salt tends to mask them.  Popcorn salt did the trick for me........

 

Obviously, I'm talking about baits that are not expected to sink.  Senkos and various trailers were really the only ones that I injected with salt, and I HATED doing it!  LOL

[MonteSS]

For some reason it seems salted baits sell better than no salted

 

Because companies added salt many years back and people swore it makes fish hold on. I think its BS. Companies add it as a filler because its less expensive than plastic and makes baits weaker so you buy more.

[texacan84]

I do want to thank everybody for their input. I have always had mixed feelings about adding salt to my baits. I do make a jerk bait that does suspend a lot longer than I like so I'm thinking salt is in order for that one. Yes I should have told the customer I have a line of salt baits but at the time I had a major brain fart and didn't even think about it but will advertise it from now on. Rolling the baits in salt Alsworms is something I'm going to consider with my baits once I get rolling again.

I have bought soft plastic baits with salt in the past and in my experience it didn't do any good, but then there are all kind of factors that could have contributed to it as well, after all, it is fishing. Once again thank you for everybody's help. I'm pretty lucky to have people that will help you when you need it and GREATLY APPRECIATE it.

Thanks again...George

[MonteSS]

Salt in the bag makes it much easier to put the baits in the bag too

[smallmouthaholic]

Ultra-fine salt does not make soft-plastics weaker- course granular salt does. A simple,comparison stretch test will prove that.

 

Topical salt in the bag is used to keep tube tails from sticking together.A small amount of scented worm oil( equally dispersed) keeps worms, lizards etc. from sticking and makes them much easier to package.

 

Salted baits will draw moisture in the bag.That said,internally,impregnated salted baits will draw topically applied,  scented worm oil into the bait.

Edited November 7, 2014 by smallmouthaholic

[mark poulson]

Salt as a flavor is different from salt as a weight.  A little salt goes a long way, if it's just for flavor.

Try adding it in small quantities, and then tasting them.  As soon as you can taste the salt, thats enough.  Fish have better taste buds than people, because their mouths are the only thing they can use to figure out what's food, and what's not.