Scents

[Juice]

So what are some good bass scents and brands? And maybe some brands that arent that great to steer clear from. Im sure most of them are good though..

[andy j]

You know I used to be big on scents and I really don't use them much anymore, I do use the powerbait, built in scent that work well, I used to use the spray on scent before powerbait, but got sick of reapplying it all the time, I have heard that the YUM stuff is good but have never used it. I have seen some stuff that is thicker like grease that I would assume would stay on the bait longer, that might be a good option.

[sami0115]

i don't normally apply scents to my baits, but i do use the YUM brand of plastics. i think the fish just love the smell.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I'm a little hesitant to answer this question, I was going to leave it, however, I think I have some good information about scents and how to use them. Please do not look at this post like an advertisement for anybody.

Many of you know that I not only prostaff for FishingMinnesota.com and Iceleaders. But I also Rep/Prostaff for a few other companies as well.. One of them being MisterTwister Exude. Which is a plastic composit that is all about scent. When I prostaff for a company I try and learn as much as possible about the product and how it relates to fishing. This is what I have come up with.

Quite a few years back a company did a study on scent and how it related to fish. This study was mostly on what if anything did Bass not like. They had tank bass and put the scent on cotton balls or somethink like that, that wouldnt hurt the bass... and then timed how long a fish would hold that cotton ball with the given scent on it. They found that a bass will hit just about anything but will exhale or discharge some scents so fast that you would never be able to get a hook into them...These would include, Surfactants(which I find weird, because many of todays soaps are surfactants).. regular soap was not a big deal to the fish but surfactants were not good! The second was Deet, the stuff in bug spray... third was the stuff in sun screen(i forget what its real name was)...

Now believe it or not many of those cotton balls were still hit by the bass, just not held onto for a long time. This is because many of those things are not water soluable, they are oil based, as with many of the scents on todays market. For a Bass to be able to smell something it has to be water soluable. Many of the scents on todays market are oil based, and oil is not water soluable, hence does nothing to attract bass. Does it help the bass hold on long enough for you to set the hook... YES!!!! Bass can taste something that is not water soluable, which is why these bass hit these cottn balls, but then expelled them so quickly.. once in the mouth they could taste it and spit it out.. But there was no smell related!

Again, I didn't want this to sound like a comercial. jsut trying to put facts out there about scent.

A second semi related topic would be that of salt!... I would like people to do a little research on salt and what it does when it disolves in water.. Maybe to a google search on salt disolving.. and or Ionic Charge... its interesting stuff!!!

Deitz

[basser]

I am a huge believer in scent - if not only to keep the Bass holding on to the bait a little longer, but also to cover up any bad scent I may transfer to the bait.

That being said the two I use the most are Kick N Bass -crawfish , and Mega strike. Both of these stay on forever -and as Dietz said are water soluble. I have baits from last year that still smell like the KNB.

[sami0115]

Deitz

after reading your post i realize even more how important it is to clean my hands after applying sunscreen and bug spray. thank you

Andy

[Deitz Dittrich]

Sami-just remember not to use a soap with surfactant... I use lava! its plain soap, no surfactant!

[HawgTide]

Deitz, thanks for the info. I know one thing, those Exude baits stink like there's no tomorrow!

[Wayne Ek]

Deitz's I'm going to have to spank you, your giving away our secrets...just kidding!!! For you old timer's ( me being one ) lava comes in a pump bottle now, not the old hard bar... I'm a STRONG believer in scents, the Denny"s tournament on Okoboji re-enforced this belief. Pre-fishing was hard, very hard, no one I talked to had good fish going or any fish going. On tournament day we weighted a good bag while other teams struggled. The ticket was a scent and a ring fry, but if you used the fry without scent no bite, with sent, fish on. And then on the Gander Pro/Am, my AM put to fish in the boat, before I got my first one, he was using scent and I was not... did not take me long to start using scent... and his tubes. That young man was an excellent hook. So fun fishing I usually will not scent up, pre-fishing, usually not unless it gets ugly... but tournament day, always scent up.

[Juice]

Deitz-

Thats some pretty interesting info! I guess i could have worded that question alittle better. All i really want is just for the bass to hang onto the bait alittle longer. I think i may have to test out some pre-injected scents in baits Vs. spray on scents this summer and see what works better.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Juice- You worded it just fine.. I was just sharing information!... When you look for scents, keep it all to mind!

[P.DONA]

Great advise, everyone!! That makes me wash my hands, too.

I'm pretty sure the salt in plastics are mostly to add weight to the lure. I'm not sure if he helps fish hold on more, but, it may help.

I'll be trying the exude plastics this year, too.

[Cooter]

I like to drip just a little Old Mil. on all my bass baits. Actually I like Dr Juice but thats the only one I've tried. Will experiment more this summer.

[grab the net]

I second the Kick'nBass crawfish, and garlic. I have had it make a big difference at times when the bite was tough. When then waters cold I think it helps also.

The other one I use a lot is Bang, I like the spray can, it is easy to apply, good coverage and no leakage. I even use extra scent on plastic that has scent built into it.

[Ole the Guide]

Try this sometime! Bring along some black licorice and snack on it. While you're snacking and fishing, spit on your bait every so often! The licorice smell really gets them hopping! That's an old Norweigian trick told by an old Norweigian!

That's my tip of the day!

Regards,

Ole the Guide