Scents and bait sauces

[alsworms]

My son and I fished over the weekend and he tells me he's a huge fan of Pro Cure's Nightcrawler scent.  I use either crawfish or anise, but I'm wondering if we are fooling ourselves.  Do these things REALLY work??  Do you guys have a favorite?  Do you choose a bait that is pre-scented?? Who's a firm believer in scents and who leaves 'em without it? 

In the past, especially out here in the west, we were taught that the fish will hold on longer with a softer scented bait.  I believed it for most of my life, but doubt it these days.  Maybe I'm just old and cranky now. 

I believe we had a topic on this in the past, but I couldn't find it and I'm too lazy to dig deep. 

Would love to read some of your opinions.

Tight lines, friends!! 

[hpssports]

Scents are only really effective if they're water soluble. Unfortunately, most scents contain oils & plasticizers that are not water soluble. You'll get some scent particle release but not as well as a full water-soluble scent.

[basscatlildave]

I've always liked Berkley Power Baits. Since I started making my own I put scent in everything but swimbaits. It may be me but I think they hold on to it just a but longer if it smells and tastes good. 

[basskat]

I think it's more for the angler than the fish. Some guys swear by the Bait Fuel but it's water based. 

I do add scent to the baits I sell.

[alsworms]

1 hour ago, basskat said:

I think it's more for the angler than the fish. Some guys swear by the Bait Fuel but it's water based. 

I do add scent to the baits I sell.

Yeah when I made them, I had a drop down list of choices for scents.  Lately I've been wondering if that's better, bait IN rather than on.  I think my son and I are gonna do a few tests the next couple times out LOL. 

[Fern]

Has anyone ever tried crushing up dehydrated shrimp and mixing it into bait plastic before shooting? or even garlic salt? 

[alsworms]

3 hours ago, Fern said:

Has anyone ever tried crushing up dehydrated shrimp and mixing it into bait plastic before shooting? or even garlic salt? 

Did it with garlic salt back in the day, never tried the shrimp.  Garlic salt was decent but heavy. 

[Fern]

Just now, alsworms said:

Did it with garlic salt back in the day, never tried the shrimp.  Garlic salt was decent but heavy. 

Im gonna give it a shot. They sell dried shrimp at a local mexican market, im gonna pulverize it into a powder and give it a whirl. I wonder if the fish will like it. 

[Norwegian]

I am 100% sure scents/taste can make a difference. However I make my own. I am sorry I can not give a recipe as I may go commercial on this. It is however a combination of many different substances and I have worked with different smelly baits for years so I have access to a lot of weird stuff. 

This I have posted earlier, there is a sauce on the soft bait to the left and later in the video on the hard bait to the right:

 

Here there is two identical soft baits, sauce on the right. It seems like it works especially well for the more sceptical fishes. 

 

[Fishinrev]

No one doubts that fish use the sense of smell and taste in determining what is or isn't food. But I have never been sold on the marketing sales pitch that fish are "attracted" to a presentation that utilizes a particular scent.  After 40 years of angling for bass, my experience tells me that my catch ratios do not go up or down because I use (or do not use) manufactured scent on my baits.

What I DO believe is that there are human-made chemicals that will turn fish off - especially those often found on the anglers hands. (Gasoline, sunscreen, etc.) So in my mind, what organic scents sold in bottles (or gel form) may actually accomplish is "Masking" the human chemicals that are transferred to our bait through our handling of them. 

Having said that, I also understand that the key component for success as an angler is "Confidence".  Should someone use scent and it mentally provides them with additional confidence in their presentation, then just that cognitive advantage makes the smelly product valuable to that individual. 

So far the scientific studies and research have contradicting conclusions and have yet to satisfy the angling community with definitive means of settling this scent debate.  However, whether the scent actually works or doesn't, the thing that most of us can agree upon... is that it can't hurt. 

[Tiderunner]

On 8/17/2023 at 4:12 PM, Fishinrev said:

No one doubts that fish use the sense of smell and taste in determining what is or isn't food. But I have never been sold on the marketing sales pitch that fish are "attracted" to a presentation that utilizes a particular scent.  After 40 years of angling for bass, my experience tells me that my catch ratios do not go up or down because I use (or do not use) manufactured scent on my baits.

What I DO believe is that there are human-made chemicals that will turn fish off - especially those often found on the anglers hands. (Gasoline, sunscreen, etc.) So in my mind, what organic scents sold in bottles (or gel form) may actually accomplish is "Masking" the human chemicals that are transferred to our bait through our handling of them. 

Having said that, I also understand that the key component for success as an angler is "Confidence".  Should someone use scent and it mentally provides them with additional confidence in their presentation, then just that cognitive advantage makes the smelly product valuable to that individual. 

So far the scientific studies and research have contradicting conclusions and have yet to satisfy the angling community with definitive means of settling this scent debate.  However, whether the scent actually works or doesn't, the thing that most of us can agree upon... is that it can't hurt. 

For a long time I never used scents on either my baits or commercial baits. I decided to try a certain one.No confidence in it at all. It was cricket scent which has a smell that should be outlawed by the EPA. My catch rates using this stuff went up drastically. On different waters, different states.  Different baits. I don't add the scents, I store my baits in them in a 50/50 blend of worm oil and scent.

I have not seen this catch rate change with other scents i use. Earthworm, and I just started using shad on my swimbaits. Although those are reaction baits,so we'll see about that one.

Although I only make bass baits,I fish saltwater a lot being on the coast and here they sell bunker oil (menhaden) by the gallon, and many guys use it. again maybe it helps mask human scent or the other many smells on our hands.

Maybe scenting our baits acts like "chum" in the water. Who knows?

Now I don't know if the fish viewed the bait differently once being able to smell it, or if as you say my "human" scents were covered, but whatever. It made a difference. Don't say I know the reason. It just did, right from the first time.

And as you say in your post. "It can't hurt"

[SpoonMinnow]

Catfish, carp and other bottom munchers are the only fish that take the time to sample the vittles - meaning: slowing mouthing the objects they decide worth the trouble to eat. I do just fine with no scent even after Coppertone might have gotten on the lure. All the lures I fish cover water - some faster some slower but none stationary to allow manmade molecules to diffuse into tiny nostrils or taste testing.

JMHO based on approx. 50 yrs. experience catching so many fish on unnatural objects)

Edited August 21, 2023 by SpoonMinnow

[Outlaw4]

lots of pro bass guys soaking baits in buckets of gulp juice. even if you dont see them. doesnt seem to chase any fish away. ive seen days im positive scent helped. some days it doesnt matter. but the days it doesnt matter im just going to be using a spinnerbait anyway lol

[Tiderunner]

If we take the idea that no scent or fragrance catches fish just as well as scented, does the same hold true for using salt vs. no salt?

Some baits I use salt, some I use glass sandblast beads, some I use a 50/50  mix. And for baits I want as clear as can be I use no salt.  Can I say which works best? Nope only from a weight perspective.

I fish a lot of deep waters usually after smallmouth suspended at around 40ft.Some of my homemade stickbaits weigh 2-grams more than Senkos, And I'll still use a small bullet weight to help the baits get down.

Does the salt make the fish hold on longer? I don't know. All I can go by is what works for me. Kind of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. All my baits, salted weighted with glass, or or no weight get bagged up in a marinade of scented worm oil and salted. No loss of flexibility, no loss of color even after one year.

Different baits work in different situations. Even a number of commercial baits I use that are lubed and salted.

16 hours ago, SpoonMinnow said:

JMHO based on approx. 50 yrs. experience catching so many fish on unnatural objects)

50 years is a starting point for me. In both sweetwater and salt. I even use artificials for catching squid. Porgies and seabass too. Senkos also work well for school stripers.  Never caught carp, but have caught enough of channel cats to know that the scents I'm using must really really stink.

We all have our own opinions on what works or doesn't make a difference. And there is a saying about opinions. But it doesn't apply here. None of us are wrong.

Keep catching 'em guys!

[Tiderunner]

16 hours ago, SpoonMinnow said:

I do just fine with no scent even after Coppertone might have gotten on the lure.

LOL I freak out after getting the Coppertone on my hands. Same with bug spray. I wash and scrub. Can't have the sunscreen! And I need the Off off!

 

I have in the past two years switched to spray on. Hands free.

[mark poulson]

"I have in the past two years switched to spray on. Hands free."

Me, too.

[Norwegian]

On 8/21/2023 at 10:56 AM, SpoonMinnow said:

Catfish, carp and other bottom munchers are the only fish that take the time to sample the vittles - meaning: slowing mouthing the objects they decide worth the trouble to eat.

I video a lot and find that on days when the fish are bit finicky most species check the bait. Never tested it on bass thou, but this video I made show a variety of fish taking bait carefully. I use a bait sauce (self made) on one lure and an identical lure without the sauce. They definitely prefer the sauced bait, at least when the bait move slow. They even bite or push the plain bait before going for the tastier option. When it's full speed they often just hammer it. Sauce on the left bait from the start and on the right bait from 02:24

 

 

Edited September 8, 2023 by Norwegian

[Outlaw4]

if you want to see something interesting on scent. google taku ito scent powder. guy is one of the best bass anglers in the world. the Japanese fishing community is a huge believer in scent where they deal with extreme angling pressure. 

[Hillbilly voodoo]

Scent definitely plays a role with a lot of species and not just bottom feeders 

Some species like northern pike are definitely more visual though. I wouldn’t even bother with sent here 

Outside of bottom feeders bass, walleye,  salmon and trout are 3 I have definitely seen scent make a difference. This is with slower presentation usually

[SpoonMinnow]

The only problem I see using scent is that it takes a while for it to diffuse into the water whether the lure is still or moving and even less when it is oil based. Attacking a lure and holding on longer are claims scent advocates insist are factual and maybe so for vertical presentations, but in my case I always cast and retrieve horizontally to cover water. My shapes and action designs are the only thing I have confidence in even at the slowest retrieve.