WD40 = attractant???

[Hoffer]

Just curious. I was outside in the garage tonight fooling around with the boat and getting some things ready for the season. I went through my tackle box and noticed a few of my lures had some rust spots on them. There was a bottle of WD40 nearby - so I sprayed some on a cloth and started to clean up the lures. It actually cleaned up some of the older lures real well and even put back some of the old shine. Then I remembered hearing something a long time ago anout WD40 possibly being a fish attractant??? Does anyone have any experience with this? Maybe just an old myth?? I also then thought that the "scent" might be a bad thing - and maybe I am doing the wrong thing for my lures by using the WD40 - so I stopped from cleaning any more of them - and went to post this question!! Thanks for any input.

[stick]

I was a skeptic, but proved it a number of years ago. My dad owned an auto-parts store, and his delivery guy was having cases ordered and deliverd when the buzz first hit (this was quite a few years ago now. He was shocked as to the reason that people were gong nuts with the product...fishing scent. So, we dragged a can with us on our next family trip. We were trolling raps on a family trip and were catching fish. Then the fish stopped biting for a while. So, what do you guess my dad did...that's right, he sprayed it on my mom's lure. Bam! She whacked one. When the lure was up he sprayed some more on it. She got the rap down again and popped another one. The rest of us were not catching anything. Then my dad put it on his, and he started catching them. So, with that example, I became a believer. It could have been a wicked coincidence, but there was too much evidence to be a coincidence in my opinion. Now that I'm writing this, I need to pull out the WD-40 more frequently.

[Neiko]

I believe one of the ingredients in it is Shark Oil. We have used it and it didn't hurt that is for sure.

[BDR]

I would guess that another ingredient is petroleum. I don't think it is good practice to be purposely adding it to the water. In fact I would assume it would be against the law.

[mplspug]

I hardly think the amount you spray on a lure is anywhere close to the amount of petroleum that gets into our lakes from boats.

[musky hunter]

Some years ago, I was actually on a guided trip on Lake Courdelaine in Idaho fishing for norther pike. The guide sprayed every lure with WD40. And we did catch fish. But the guide also took three pike, each about 12 lbs, and hung them above his slip for a day, presumably to attract more clients. Being on a rather posh business trip, none of us could take the fish and it was before the days of widespread CPR. The whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth. I've heard conflicting reports on exactly what's in the stuff and it may not be very harmful to the environment, but I've never continued the practice.

[CH47]

While their HSOforum officially lists their ingredients as secret, I did find an MSDS for it. Follow this link,

http://www.wd40.com/Brands/pdfs/msds-wd40_aerosol.us.pdf

It looks like WD40 is mostly a petroleum based product.

[dirtking]

Quote:

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he sprayed it on my mom's lure

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Funny - use poor mom's lure as the guinea pig

[JohnMickish]

Please don't use WD-40 on your lures. It is a petrolium based product that does not contain shark oil, fish guts or any other magic. Read the MSDS for it and you will see it is just oil and chemicals. You wouldn't dump a can of oil in the lake so why would you put it on your lures and then throw them in the lake? I'd even be willing to bet that technically you could be charged with polluting the lake with a hazardous compound and be billed for the cleanup.

[jig n' jerk]

Could be, but I would not personally want to make it an everyday practice to spray my lures. I do know if you spray it on leeches they will go nuts and start squirming 10X more than normal. It is a good way to get your leeches to swim around way more aggresively, but once again not good for the environment.

[katoguy]

Come on people. Don't park on the ice & don't use outboards, either. These are both a lot more harmful than someone believing in WD-40. Let's all go hug a tree.

If you use scents than use sense. Their are plenty of choices out there that are marketed for fishing.

[MuskyBug85]

dont hate me for this but i love wd 40 on leeches for 'eyes, my father has been using it for years and one day for fun we both used the same rig and he not only caught more fish then me but he also had better quality fish. you might have a tough time believing it but i will always have a can come tourny time. Jonah

[Bobby Bass]

I to have seen it work (wd-40) but I do love the comments that it should not be used because it is a pollutant. Of course I should not fish out of my boat after trailering it to the lake. All that spent exhaust gas and toxic fumes from my tail pipe that have settled on the hull of my boat to be washed off when I go in the lake. Sorry just one of those moods today. Negative negative thoughts by people. Don't use WD-40 jesh...

[JohnMickish]

I believe DDT works for keeping the bugs out of my yard, does that make it ok to use then? I know that statement is a little extreme but why in the world would a person knowingly put a petroleum based product in the water? If it works or not is irrelivent, it's still not right and every one of you knows it.

It says right on the can "CONTAINS PETROLEUM DISTILLATES. Harmful or fatal if swallowed. If swallowed do not induce vomiting. Call physician immediatly." They have you NOT throw it up because it's caustic, like bleach and acid. Yea, lets put this stuff in the water, or ever better, lets put it on a lure and catch a fish with it and then eat the fish.

In case you are wondering I'm pretty far from being a tree hugger I just don't see the need in purposly putting a poison (however small) into the water.

[nofishfisherman]

Just becuase a boat pollutes a small amount and we use them anyways doesn't make it alright to add other pollutants as well. Even though your boat my put a little oil or gas into the water no one would think its alright to pour a gallon of gas in the water or a quart of oil. A lake can dillute that much gas or oil so whats the harm?

I'm not saying you shouldn't use it WD40, and I'm not judging anyone that uses it but it is a valid argument that its probably not good for the water and whats not good for the water is not good for the fish and whats not good for the fish is not good for the fisherman.

All pollutants add up over time and that can't be disputed.

[katoguy]

This may be the dumbest thread since the similar ice fishing thread. Your 2-cycle boat is way worse than a few sprays by someone trying to lubricate or break rust on a leech. Don't thumb your nose at someone using WD40 (whether it works or not) if you are running an outboard or parking on the ice if your truck drips a little oil. (i.e. not polluting starts with each individual - we should worry about what we do before pointing at others lest we be known as hypocrites)

[Quickstrike]

Does anyone know the legality on this issue? When I was a kid shorefishing for rainbows up the gunfint trail a guy was using WD-40, but everytime he used it he would go put it back in his truck. I asked him what the deal was and he told me that the DNR had busted his using it a few years back and he received a citation! So after that he kept it in his truck to make it less obvious.

[ChuckN]

This thread was meant to be if WD 40 is a fish attractant. My $.02, I have fished next to guys that use it, but I don't, and I haven't noticed them catch more fish than I have.

I'm with katoguy. Like it or not, anyone who operates a motorboat on a lake of any kind is guilty of polluting. Have you ever ran any outboard (2 stroke, 4 stroke, etc) in a garbage can filled with water? Try it if you think a couple drops of WD 40 kills a lake. Unfortunately there is a lot of petroleum scum after only a few minutes of idling an outboard.

[TommyJ33]

Preperation H works better anyway!

[mtreno]

its whale oil imported from china. thats why its a big secret and why its not listed on your HSOforum. more "PC" just not to tell anyone they are using whale oil.

[Hoffer]

Hey guys - thanks for the input - but I never meant this to be a thread on pollution. I wasnt planning on spraying it on my lures - when i was fishing. I just wanted to know if it might actually be a bad thing to have used it on some lures for cleaning them up. I did wipe them off with a clean paper towel - but there is the residual stuff that stays on - I bet that also is enough to certainly give off a scent. With that said, if someone were to use some on a lure I really wonder what the impact would be?? I have seen boats idling at the dock that have alot of the "rainbow" trail of gasoline coming from the back of the boat - I would bet this is more petroleum than one would get from spraying a half a can of WD40 in the water. I am all for reducing in any way we can the amount of pollution we put into our lakes - but I seriously wonder what a small shot of WD40 does. For that matter, I bet if you just put some on a cloth in the boat and wiped a little around the lure it would be plenty to give of a little scent. I would think if done this way - a whole can would last years and years....

[2x4]

I believe that the formula of WD40 has changed from about 10 years ago. It used to have fish oil included in their formula. I believe that they have discontinued the fish oil in their formula. If you find some old cans they may work. Whether or not the DNR will like or dislike WD40 on the lures... I have one in my boat at all times but not for attracting fish.

[fishinchicks]

WD 40 drives my husband wild when I put a little behind each ear... Works better than any perfume I've ever owned.

[Hoffer]

Do you have a sister??

[fishinchicks]

Sorry, the only one that knows the WD 40 secret is married. The single one hasn't figured it out yet.