scents

[Mark]

Over the years I've read a lot about adding scents to lures. Are these legit or are they a marketing ploy? Can anyone relate their own experiences with these commercial scents? I'm headed to NW Ontario this June to fish for walleye, pike, and bass--I'm wondering if the scents are worth a try. Thanks.

[eyedoktr]

The only time I use scents for walleye is in cold water. I feel that is a definite advantage until the water warms. I have also used them while stream fishing for trout and am convinced that yes indeed, they do work.

[Wayne]

Lets put it this way it dosent stop them from biting.

[Backwater Eddy]

The definitely up your odds in water temperatures below 50 degrees, spring and fall.

The scents that seam to work best for me has been crawfish oil base scents', and the old reliable Dr. Juice walleye.

Last season I tried more crawfish oils scents with a great deal of success on both plastics and crank baits. Both walleye & Small mouth bass seam eager to slurp up jigs dosed with the oils.

I have noticed they also help during summer cold fronts when the bit is tough and the fish hang tight to cover, or when a in your face presintations is needed.

Backwater Eddy

[Aaron]

If your going to NW Ontario, don't bother, you won't need it.

[Goldpig]

Yes they do work. I also like the thought of covering up my scent. Fish dislike the phermones emitted from the oils of human hands. BANG brand craw oil is great.

[Mondo]

I suspect human scent plays a bigger role than we anticipate. Recently, the University of Berkeley, California performed a research study on the effect of fish behavior based on different types of scent.
The study consisted of two elongated tunnels whereby a scent product was introduced at the end of one of the tunnels. Depending upon the scent, the fish continued in their direction of travel, or reversed their course. For example, when a bear scent was placed at the end, the fish behavior retracted their movements and shifted to the other tunnel. Many other types of scent were introduced with many having no impact. But the interesting results were found when a HUMAN hand was placed in the water. The fish reversed their course to the other tunnel!

The conclusive results are obvious with one noticeable exception. The human scent vary between the sexes! Evidently, females do not emit a toxin that fish find irritating, or offensive. This is legit and no B.S.

Sorry for the longwinded response, but thought you might want to know about this reseach.

[GORD]

It's an intangiable. Would you have caught the fish anyway, even if you didn't use scent? Having said that, now I can say that I believe it works. If nothing else, it masks other smells such as the L sirene from your hands. L sirene has been proven to scare off fish. Walleye have learned from the time they hatched, that the smell of pike is bad news. After you catch a pike be sure to use lots of scent just to be safe. I've noticed that the guys in the boat that use scent usually catch more fish. When guys are talking about scent, I keep my ears open. Maybe they have the magic bullet.

[labouton]

I will have to add that in reference to a Walleye's fear of Pike, I have caught many, many Walleye on pieces of Pike. Maybe they hit out of revenge!

[Beerman]

We did a test of sorts on jigs tipped with minnows a few years back. We had a few beers in the boat....one tipped over and the jig and minnow got soaked. We threw this out and it got pounded. After that we started scenting the minnow with beer and we limited out in a short time on real nice fish. We were using Genny beer. This is a true story by the way. I have duplicated this many times over with other beers as well. Works best in spring and cold water.