Put in your 2 SCENTS worth

[Rocketman]

My question has to do with "Scents". I have been told that artificial scents are good to use. Some even say to spray WD40 on the lure. and sprinkle a little gas on it. Once I heard that if you catch a northern you might as well change everything on your line because the northern scent will chase off the walleye. Anyone care to comment?
Brian Price

[Toolman]

The answers are Maybe (I have heard people that do use WD-40 on baits), I wouldn't recommend it (I think that gasoline would be too foreign of a scent), and Maybe,(pike do have a distinct odor that other fish can probably recognize) but I have caught walleye on jigs and cranks after having caught a pike, sometimes on the next cast!
Tim

[Walleye Express]

Rocketman.
I wrote an article on the subject a few years back. It mainly dealt with Dr.Juice and Dr. Gregory Bambenec's history, the inventor of this product. But first, let me say one thing about WD-40. It's agains't the law to use it on the Great Lakes and connecting rivers. Coast Guard and State Oil Spill regulations prohibit it's use. Honest. Ask the guy who got ticketed on the Saginaw ice fishing last year right next to me. Now, the jest of the Dr. Juice theory was that Pheromones and Caremones stimulate the fishes scent bulbs in it's brain and triggers it to bite/feed. These pheromones are put off by bait fish and triggered by their fear reaction. The good Doctor had somehow devised a way to extract these fear juices and bottle it. I used the Juice for years, and have to say on many occasion it seemed to make a difference. The only down side to the juice was it made everything in your tackle box sticky. And seemed to eventually remove crank bait paint. I know use B.A.N.G.. Every plug I put out on my charter boat in the summer is Banged before going overboard. This aerosol spray does not leave a residue or strip paint. It's my own personal feelings that there is nothing that will make a fish bite when it's not in the mood. But, when they are in a neutral mood, that scent insentive just may push that feeding button. Conversly, there are days when a plug dipped in gas will not keep the biters off. Capt: Dan. www.walleye-express.com

[Fish_on]

There's been a lot of discussion over the years on this site about fish scents that are commonly used like WD-40, saliva and preparation H. Berkley did a study a few years ago on fish's reactions to certain foreign scents like sunscreen, insect repellent, gasoline, etc. I do remember that gas was a strong repellent. And many of the substances they evaluated were repellents. Saliva was an attractant.

[KANNON]

I was at BPS a couple weeks ago and listened to Keith Kaviches }spelling} what he said is that Berkly has done test in rivers where salmon spawn what they did is put two pipes in the river so the fish had to go up one of them to get over an obstruction. one pipe they put something in the water in the front that had a amino acid that is secreted from Bear paws and male human hand other pipe nothing. If I remember corectly he said that close to 90% of the fish would always go up the pipe without the amino acid in it, he also said that since women do not have this acid is why your wife or daughter always seems to catch more or bigger fish next to you. So I think scents make sense to cover up smells that do not attract fish. My 2 cents worth.

[SUPERTROLLER]

I think scents are more a cover scent than an attractor scent. Anything that covers up the Human smell from your handling of the baits has got to make it more palatable to a fish. As long as they're not repulsed from your offering you have a chance they will strike it. Anise, vanilla, Dr. Juice, etc. all have worked for someone at one time or another.

[Tracy]

WD-40, wow! Oil Pollution is a pretty serious matter on the Great Lakes and elsewhere. The law states that an oil spill is any spill that produces a "sheen on the water". WD-40 certainly would create a sheen on the water. The law also states that the person/persons responsible for the spill are also responsible for its clean-up. The fine for spilling oil is $5000. Failure to report the spill to the Coast Guard could result in fines up to $10,000. I would not suggest that any one take that risk for a few fish.

I have fished Lake Erie for over 25 years, been on numerous trips to other states and Canada and have never used attractants of any kind. Never had to! Never even felt the need for them.

Tracy

[Lund AnglerMJ]

Smell for a fish is as important as anything.But I've not really relyied on it. I know there are time's it may help,but I don't get discouraged not catching any.My old-man used to spit on all his lure's and also said they used Anice oil on bait's in the south,where he lived.He claimed it worked-not a science-type answer,but I'd try it,if all else failed;or move the boat.

[Lunk]

I second the vote on BANG that stuff is kats meo! I use Shad for walleye... craw for bass.

[Jerry]

I have intensively tested a few scents over the years. Folowing are my on the water results.

Two years ago I used Manhaden Oil from the coast. I used it on Ontario with cut bait-fishing for Kings. Two boats, side by side, the oil was outfished 55 to 3. So the oil did deter.

In the 70's I tried WD-40. Yes it was not known to be illegal at the time-or was not considered. At times, it was the diference between success and failure.

Also in the 70's I was fishing for catfish at a spillway. The carp on the surface would not let a piece of bait get to the bottom. I recently read about saliva. For the next two hours I spit on my bait and caught all catfish. My two friends next to me caught all carp.

I was told to try Cod Liver Oil recently. This came off of a posting. After the Manhaden, I am very skeptical unless I here more.

Scent is important to fish from a biological point. Human odor deters fish-fact! Piece of worm on lures kills odors. Clensliness is important to your baits. You fill in the blanks?

JR

[skr]

Dang Dan, A couple weeks here and have 90 + posts. Keep it up! Capt. Dan got me going on the virtuses of BANG. I use it jigging, backtrolling, etc. It shines for perch fishing when they are picky.My buddy took his wife out perch on lake Mi last summer. We pulled right up to them and fished within talking distance. We smoked 'em bad that day and my buddy struggled, the only difference was that we used BANG in our boat. I use craw for perch fishing, shad for trolling. pete b

[no question]

the WD-40 works awesome. spray your great lakes plugs every time.

[CHUCK]

We have used WD 40 in the past & worked well. Made our own scent, anise flavor ( from food store) and cooking oil. Worked well. Have used preparation H also, last year, we caught fish didn't seem to hurt.
Today I would use the brand we have in the boat, Dr. Juice or fish formula with sparkles.
I know they don't hurt so I will always use them.
I know at the charter boat meeting last spring the speaker who was talking about trolling said that he found several pros used preparation H so of course we had to try it.
I feel that it 'masked" our scent more than anything
For a $5 bill it seems small price to pay after all the other investments.

[ufda]

If I'm not mistaken, WD-40 is made from fish oil. And, s sheen on the water could be left by using dead anchovies, or cut bait from smelt or shad!