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Scents fishing tips

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9
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Scents that attract and repel

I went fishing one night and my friend and I used the same worms, hooks and bobbers but I was snagging fish left and right when he was barely getting bites. We started to wonder if my scent had anything to do with it. The tables had turned a few weeks later when he had been catching all the fish and I did not, so I did some research. Just like how we pinch our noses for bad smells, the same odor threshold can be said for all species of gamefish. Everything our hands come into contact with such as sun lotion, bug spray, cigarettes and our own human scent can cause fish to turn up their nose and refuse to bite. As the weather gets hotter and the bugs come out, I definitely load up on the bug spray. Even if you think your hands are clean, L-Serine (a tasteless, odorless chemical found in the skin oils of humans) will always be present on every worm, jig, or crankbait you come into contact with. Applying fish scent to your lure will not only attract the fish, but will mask or eliminate these undesirable smells. Fish can spit out a lure or bait very quickly. If the bait they are trying to ingest feels unnatural, or has a negative taste or odor, the chances of you setting the hook are very low. Applying scent will make your bait feel and taste alive, convincing the fish to hold on to the bait for a much longer time, ultimately allowing you to feel the fish first, then set the hook. Of course using scents for attractants vary depending on the type of fish. For example, when dealing with pike or muskie, scent is only useful when they have already made visual contact and are just about to strike. Scents come in a variety of packaging, but I have read more good reviews about spray bottles and will probably buy a few to try out. I wouldn’t want anything that you have to rub in since you’re trying to avoid touching it with your hands. If anyone has any recommendations or input on scents (good or bad), I’d be interested in knowing!

Topics: Scents, attractants, smells
10
Vote

Scents - or lack thereof

Ask 10 anglers how they feel about scents (spray, liquid and grease), and you'll get 10 different answers. I have a few, and I use them from time-to-time, and to be honest I haven't notice a difference if I use them or not. I think the more important thing is to MASK scents that could cause problems.

Human odor, cigarettes, oils, virtually anything not natural has been shown to be a repellant to fish, especially bass and trout. Make sure to keep your hands clean and free of offensive scents, and I think you'll benefit more than spending $100 on different scents.

I use unscented wipes, Berkley's Odor Shark, and after catching a bass I just rinse off my hands in the lake water. Instead of grabbing the lure to remove hooks, I use pliers to take out the hooks, in order to try keeping my hands off the lures.

Topics: Scents, smells, odor