Marketing or Catching?

[Sharp9]

After reading numerous posts about salt in soft plastics I started wondering what are the true benefits. Most of the big national soft plastic vendors proudly market their baits as "salted" or "heavily salted" or some other variation. They have been adding salt to the plastic or salting the finished baits for years and I always assumed that the salt caused the fish to hang on longer. Based upon several comments here, many seem to believe that salt is only useful to add weight to the bait and should be avoided if possible by adding "sugar" flakes or other items to accomplish this. When I first used a Senko I was amazed that a fish would swallow the bait without hesitation and swim away with it proudly, I attributed this to the heavy salt content. The wiggle or drop speed may have attracted them to the bait initially but once it's in their mouth what makes them hold on? In my experience I've never found an unsalted soft plastic that the fish "eat". So, did I buy into the marketing hype of salted plastic, or do the fish like it better?

[camrynekai]

Proof is in the pudding......Salted baits (the ones with salt in them) without question will have any species of fish hold onto longer. I have access to tanks with many different types of fresh water fish in them...using Gelatin mixed with salt we made several worms craws then made the same baits without any salt. We then tossed equal amounts of baits in at once and low and behold the last ones standing were some of the unsalted ones. While the fish did consume a majority of the unsalted ones, we noticed that if the fish hit the salted bait it was never to be seen again and the unsalted baits that were consumed, were only eaten when there was a feeding fight between two fish. This tank of fish was purposely starved for 10 days to do this test so when we added the baits it was a violent feeding frenzy and the fall rate was not a factor....they blasted them as soon as they hit the water.

[softworm]

Sharp9 I've been pouring baits for several years, and I rarely use salt in anything that I fish with. I don't have any problems with fish holding on to my baits. I think this salt deal catches more fisherman than fish. Baits poured with salt in them (due to the weight of salt) lay flat on the bottom of the lake, baits without salt will float i.e. claws on craws, or the tails of worms. Try some without salt I think you'll be suprised.

[GB GONE]

Now you have done it !!!!!! This is a great discussion point that ends up being based on personal experience and the confidence you need to have in your baits you are fishing!!!

I routinely fish UNSALTED senkos on a c-rig and catch fish all day long...

All my other baits is fish are completely salt free and catch fish....

To me, it all goes back to a wise statement I heard when talking to Davy Hite..."It is really NOT the bait that catches the fish, it is the ANGLER on the other end of the line." The right angler can catch a fish with just about any bait where the beginner may not be able to catch anything with the latest "super bait" out there...

I know many will just add "salt to taste" as it is a primary taste in blood however I have never been able to run a trial where the salted vs unsalted bait have rose above the other.

I'm sure there will be many that swear by salt and many that say it is necessary...but then the discussion comes right back to your original question....To catch fish OR fishermen....

PS Kim is right about the bouyancy of the baits...My unsalted baits will literally float up off the bottom where salted baits sink. I think that gives that bait a much bigger chance of being eaten in the first place..

Jim

[D.J.]

I use salt just in stickbaits(for the weight). I do believe however, that the reason bass hang onto the bait so long is the salty taste. I use various scents in my other plastics, which have the same effect, with out sinking.

[GEE GEE BAITS]

I have been pouring baits for many years and must say that salt changes the appearance of the baits leaving them with an etched look. It is especially crucial to not use salt in baits when fishing clear water lakes here in west. The only thing that I do is "cook" anise in my plastic, and beleive me the bass hold on a long time. All my customers prefer no salt.

[UtahAngler]

Another thing salt does is cloud the bait so its solid and not see through. I dont know how many fish or crawdads are see through but I know where I live they sure arnt. I do way better even in clear water will drab salted baits that are cloudy and not flashy dull greys, greens and browns. Bait is supposed to blend into the surroundings naturally. I think too many guys get into making flashy plastics to hook fisherman rather than fish. And from a busines standpoint thats smart. Something like a spinnerbait is a whole other deal the flash is a reaction getter rather than a close inspection of a lure. I learned a valuable lesson on lure size in a recent tournament. I knew the fish were eating this years hatch of minnows and I knew the minnows were around 1 to 2 inches long. The water where I live is very clear. I was throwing a 4 inch senko and hardly had a bite, I switched to a 3 inch and caught more fish, but once I switched to a one inch tube I caught 20 fish from the same spot I was fishing the other baits. I knew the fish were there because they are always in that area this time of year. The problem was this year the hatch was late compared to other years due to heavy run off that went into the summer. They knew what size their food was and keyed on that size. It goes back to fisherman catch fish making the right decisions.

[camrynekai]

The key word "eat" was asked in the original question. As far as a baits action its a no brainer when it comes to salt. Some baits need to be buoyant, some need to sink and some need to be neutral. Salt is a wonderful additive for changing the action, buoyancy and appearance of a bait. Now back to the original question ...does salt make Bass actually eat the bait....I have seen it with my own eyes and all I can say is i now have at least a pinch in all that is poured:)