Steve comes up with channel content the same way most of us comes up with dinner ideas 🤣 Bro makes a weekly content menu with sides... Great video Steve!
We have a lot of anglers in our Agency and this video was on a phone in the break room. With Agents from Arizona, Nevada, and California in the room we took a poll. All of us use some type of attractant on our soft baits- worms, frogs, and jig trailers to be precise. Most of us simply use a solo cup or similar, scoop up a little local water and spray some attractant into the cup. I was taught this as a kid when they first hit the market. We called it dippin & flippin and would troll the shore in one direction then come all the way back to where we started and run the same line with a different bait now that the whole shoreline had been peppered with attractant. Most of the big-fish stories came from the 2nd pass. Good luck and tight lines :)
Steve, you are exceptional in actually doing the work to learn more about bass and bass fishing techniques, instead of just throwing out opinions. And you do it in a humble manner, no harshness- we fish for fun, I don’t get the anger and sniping that is so common in videos and comments.
I been saying this for years. I find scents not as an attractant, but more of a bite stimulant. I been using the same scent going on 3 years and learned that the fish bite it much more aggressively and I get better hook ups by them inhaling the bait deeper.
That is why I am such a fan of YUM worms! They are cheaper than Yamas, hold up for more than one catch, and the bass won’t let it go after they pick it up. I’ve even caught bass that didn’t have the hook set at all just because they wouldn’t let go!
@@aneedmorehead9006 I wasn’t talking about “shimmy”. Yums have that oil on em that attracts fish and makes hang on! If I want shimmy, I’ll use Yamas, but when fishing this chocolate SETX muddy water, scent and movement is more important than a subtle shimmy. Yums slay in that category.
@@BassassinatorYeah, I have still caught a ton of fish on the weightless Yum dingers. I found a half dozen old scented bags of strike king shimmy sticks at the flea market and they worked really good too, the fish where swallowing them. Way better then their new unscented version that are made in Costa Rica instead of the US.
@@Steve-ev6vx I have an old bag of Zoom Speed Worms in Watermelon Green Flake. They are sooo greasy I can hardly put them on the hook! They get NAILED, though. I use them sparingly because I am sure I’ll never get another bag like this.
We used regular chicken liver vs Chicken liver sprayed with Bang Shrimp spray. The sprayed Chicken liver got all the bigger fish we caught that day....
I've read and heard that scent helps masks human odors. I rub PRO -CURE on soft plastics. Does it help? I have no idea. I met an old timer a few years back. He prepped his soft plastics by putting them in a ziplock sandwich bag, added a little olive oil, garlic cloves, and a few drops of hot sauce. He swore by it, I haven't tried it. Once again, great content, Steve.
If the pro-cure you are using is chlorine dioxide (CI02) please be careful. Prepping lures in a zip lock works great, most come pre-lubed now with some attractant 😊
For me scent seems to help bass not spit the lure as fast as it tastes like something other than plastic. However, I’m not religiously soaking my lures. When the bass are in a feeding mood they will hammer everything. I agree with not having sunscreen all over your hands then getting it all over your lures.
I listened to an interview with the retired Berkley scent scientist, he said their testing definitely proved that bass were repelled by sunscreen and insect repellent, it was one of the strongest reactions they found.
First, Steve, you do a great job on these videos. Regarding scent, it is my experience that fish hold the bait longer and often deeper with scent. I have been using Pro Cure, Bait Fuel and others for years. Not sure any one is better than the other but I believe it improves hookups. I also believe in Max Scent. I would love to see a test between Senkos, Dingers, and Berkeley Generals to see how long a fish will hold each before spitting it out...?...
@@SteveRogersOutdoors Dr. Juice works the best, IMHO. I've been using it since 1985. A lot of research went into it. I also like worm or nightcrawler imitation scent. And then, I've read, some guys use PAM cooking oil spray. Corn oil, I imagine.
I fish for smallmouth on the susquehanna in pa...use tubes with cotton stuffed in it with scent(crawfish) and it makes a big difference for me especially when the water is stained.
I really enjoy your content, and appreciate that you try to apply a scientific methodology to your tests. My opinion on this one: the two lures were too close together. Needs to be 2 cameras with one lure at each camera. Even if the lures are only on opposite sides of the dock, there should be enough space between them to see if more fish congregate around one vs the other.
Steve I’ve had a lot of success using bait fuel Either just putting a few of my favorite soft plastics in a zip loc and letting them soak overnight or Using the bait fuel injector I can say that any bait with a pocket of sorts like Berkley gilly or tube holds the bait fuel very well..
I make my own craw scent, I took a buddy fishing and I out caught him 2 to 1. Next trip, I gave him the scent and he out fished me from the back of the boat 3 to 1 Imo- scent works
I've used different scents over the years and have had some success. But for many years I really didn't think that the sense was making any difference. But I came across a guy who's now one of my best friends who showed me a sent that he makes. And yes it makes a difference. I've been using it for 6 years now and I see how it makes a difference. They're less likely to spit the lure out and the bass hold it longer. The only downfall to this is it stinks bad but it works great. LOL
I have fished many years with many scents and have found that in high pressure lakes they usually make a difference. Some lure like the caffeine shad don't need extra because they already have them in it yet zoom style lures I always add something. Garlic spike, liquid Manheim, smelly jelly scent and bait fuel all seam to help them hold on longer increasing hook up hope this helps. I tend to use crawfish, shad, garlic or garlic crawfish scents in these brands for best results. I average catching about 30 largemouth bass per 6 hr trip. When using scent and about 15large mouth when not using it. Most of this is due to better hookup ratios not necessarily more bites
i fish steelhead in a ny river and found scent has made a difference mostly in stained water although i fished side by side with a friend exact same set ups i took 6 fish while he did 3 in the same stretch of water
Great video. A lot of soft baits are scented already, but I will add scent if the bite is slow or I'm getting a lot of short strikes where they aren't really taking it. I do think it matters in those scenarios, from my experience. I really like the new Bait Fuel, which I believe is water-based. I haven't gotten real scientific but it seems I almost always get more bites, and more quality strikes, with it than without it.
Great video Steve. I think your right about scent not really being an attractant. I think the combination of the lure along with a scent may play a part in having a bass strike or not. I have had times in my fishing career when scent played a big part in catching fish, and some days it didn't matter. It all depended on the conditions of the day I guess.
Something makes Berkley Gulp get a lot more bites in saltwater than other soft plastics. They come in a liquid that smells pretty strong and I believe it's the scent that gets the extra bites. I put ProCure or Dr Juice scents on other soft plastics and they absolutely get more bites than without the scent.
@@comfortablynumb9342 I went Speckled Trout fishing with a bud last week. He was throwing Gulp 3” Mullets and I was using Zoom Super Fluke Jr. We were using the same 1/8th oz jigheads. Every time I wouldn’t get a bite, I’d go spray my minnow with Shad spray. Next cast…. BOOM! He never hooked up on his Gulp and I out-fished him 5 to 1. I also caught my limit and he just had one keeper! I ain’t saying it was the scent, but he caught his keeper after trying my spray.
In a seminar, Jimmy Houston asked the audience how many put sent on their baits. He then said those of you who didn't raise your hands are liars. When you touch a bait you put your sent on it. Sent are more to mask our foreign sent than as an attractant. Thanks for all your great content.
I was firmly in the "no scent" camp until very recently. I'm sure you know that I've taken to soaking my plastics overnight or longer and was told by a chemist that osmosis is what is leading to the lure absorbing the scent. I think I might be finally sold on scents now, though. It only took me 45+ years, lol!
It took me a super long time too. Lol. It was really fun to work on and I will definitely be doing more timelapse tests. I totally agree with you the soaking them has got make a big difference.
maybe a good test is just put 2 lures with bass attractant and count how many fish come to investigate, and do the same thing for the ones without attractant. This way your able to quantify if the attractant can pull in passing fish.
absolutely get more bites if your hands smell more like the first fish you catch vs sunscreen/bugspray, sometimes its not what it smells like but what it doesn't smell like. thanks for the vids
i like to think because bass are pretty smart that the scent dont really attract them to bite it but rather tricks them into thinking thats actually food they want to eat when they go to stalk it and wait for their moment to strike rather them following it and smelling nothing and not taking it cause they might know better. bass do adapt. but best thing i do is use aromas to get them into a specific area which helps gets more strikes around there with any lure. just my experience with that.
I think the theory behind attractant is that fish might hold on to the bait longer before spitting it. I don't see the sense in adding any, as most every soft plastic under the sun comes pre loaded with it.
This will probably get lost but if you want to do a proper scientific experiment you need to separate the variables. That’s all I’m gonna say. Having them right next to each other..
I'm definitely a believer in scents, Berkeley Max scent baits & the bait fuel is my go to's. I actually inject my soft plastics with bait fuel, that way it leaks out slowly & carrys the scent longer. I just use one of my goat vaccine needles that's a large gauge. I take my time handling it on water so I don't stick myself! I think bait fuel even sells an injector now. Idk how much that is? I'll stick with what I've been using considering it's less than a buck
Hey Steve: I've become a believer. I drip Berkley Bass Attractant on all my soft plastics throughout my fishing trips. I generally see better results than some of my angling buddies who don't bother,
Yep, the hookup ratio and more aggressive and full on bite or swallow is much higher using scent imo. Without, many species are more likely to have minor bites or bumps or not really commit as much as a scented lure.
Great video. I use Xtra-small cocktail shrimp with Fire Cure to attract fish as well as Spawn Sacks clipped to my swivel and it works rather well as everything eats Shrimp and most lakes have some kind of Krill species in them. I'll even add Shrimp to baits, stuff pieces into Tube's etc...
It just depends on the species of fish. For bass, I imagine the scented baits would get a more violent reaction strike, but who knows, all I know is redfish and drum like scented soft plastics, and they work great in saltwater
All the JDM soft baits I buy come pre scented, fish will hold the bait even if they are not hooked and re bite the bait when pulled away. Most seem to have some variation of shrimp flavor.
They feed on 4 main senses, vibration detected by the lateral line, visual, smell, amd taste. They may detect a desirable scent that leads them to the bait but if it tastes bad they will quickly spit it out. These attractants can also mask unwanted odors on your hands
⭐Thanks Steve for letting me know exactly what scent does, it at least gives exrta holding power. I very much look forward to another video about scent ! I always thought I had an edge with scent on slow moving lures. Also what scent is the best would make another great video !
Catching carp mostly here in SA(South Africa). Started with plain floaties(pop corn) about 3 months ago and have landed much more than my fishing mates using scent floaties. Next outing might be different?
Steve, LowBrow Fishing has a good video on scent. He uses it faithfully and catches some nice fish. I'm in the process of trying his way. Will let you know how it works. Stay Safe & God Bless!!! 🤠👍
3 of us were throwing soft plastic lures on the beach. A friend had squid scent on a prawn soft plastic while we were using prawn and paddle tails without scent. Our friend caught 2 Barramundi with the scent and we caught noticing. So does it work? Possibly?
Not sure if I’m right, but I use attractants such as Bait Fuel not with the thought that will it will attract fish but rather that if a fish actually bites my lure, it will hold on longer and actually commit to the bite.
I wonder if that also has something to do with the taste of the attractant vs the lure too? I’m a beginner fisherman and I’m finding out quick I know nothing about this stuff at all 😭😭
I havent had scent on my lures for last 3 outings and each trip gotten worse and worse… may just be in my head but i just caught em good with chartreuse dye garlic scent. Especially if water color got more stained. And i didnt lose many either they held on.
Steve, as always, well organized and thoughtfully prepared and presented. Here’s what I wonder: Plastic baits whether plastisol or Elaztek must already have some inherent scent, albeit that of the material itself. So, does the added scent do more to create a scent or hide the inherent scent of the bait material? Also, when applying the scent, if you’re so inclined, it might be more efficient to put the scent solution in a small container with the top open. When you reel in and it’s time to reapply just dip your bait into the container and make your next cast.
Try making the jig have a greater distance between the two baits, scent isn't like visuals and animals can only tell the area it's from not the exact location. I would say there should be at least 3-5 yards of distance between the two testing jigs. For control, you can switch them back and forth. Doing 15 minute tests then switching locations.
Seem to remember Berkley saying 1 type of scent for attracting/dispersing, and another type for holding on after the bite...might be a means for another test?? Keep up the great content.
I personally never been a big fan of bait scent I guess if a fish is following a scented lure it could help trigger a strike. I think scent could possibly help in muddy waters and places where multiple casts are being made but I never used it. I know if it leaks in your tackle box it will smell for ever lol. I have considered using the chartreuse dip dye for the tails on soft plastics.
I was flipping a maxscent general stick bait wacky rig the other day and was getting no bites. I went back down the same banks with the same lure type and color from another brand with no scent and got 12 bites. Was it timing or lack of scent on lure, or something else? Difficult to say. Another day I was drop shot fishing and couldn’t buy a bite. I started applying a scent and started getting bit. Wish there was a solid answer.
I remember when Berkley Power Worms first came out(yah I'm old). I started using them and they were an instant game changer for me and my buddies. We all switched. Their 7" worms didn't look like anything special but they just worked better than other worms. I always had either a black, black w/blue tail, red shad, or solid purple Power Worm on ready to go. They made me a believer in scent making a difference. The funny thing is I have never applied scent to other baits...even today. Now days a lot of soft plastics brands apply scent in the bag from the factory...some have a WAY stronger scent compared to Berkley but I still think Berkley got "the stink" right the first time decades ago.
The thing that shocked me is that you didn't even get a nibble on the tubes. Makes me wonder if when we think we are "deadsticking" or "soaking" a finesse technique to get bites, we really still are getting the bass to come over to investigate the water spash and the lure sinking down vs the actual bait just sitting there.
Steve if you could try testing different scents on fish that are particularly finicky and difficult to catch to see if any scents make a difference in convincing them to bite, that could be extremely useful information!
What about scents that might DETER a strike Steve? My buddy swears that putting on sun screen leaves a scent on your hands that end up on the lure that fish will NOT bite. I happen to think that’s hogwash.
This is what I Believe is going on. When we tie up our Riggs some of us may use our saliva to lubricant the line and also just Lotions Soaps Aftershave we use I believe even the Sunscreen & Bug Repellent effect the Lure as well as the line. Adding sent for me is like a Hunter I’m masking all the smells I may added by touching & rigging. So I’ll run the sent on the lure as well as up the line about a foot. To hide my Smells. Maybe I’m crazy 🤪
There was a scent that seemed to work really good on small mouth in the river. The company changed the ingredients and the seemed effective reaction changed for the worse. Interestingly, the scent did not seem to improve at all in lakes.
2 different types of scent... one for taste and one for attraction. oil based is most definitely for the taste. makes them hold on longer and although water based could do the same it washes off the bait quicker. think about it like chumming... oil can also attract but it doesnt do as well as water based because water and oil dont mix well. water based doesnt stick long in water it disperses... certain fish are more prone to scent such as catfish vs not as big of a factor in bass. but can never hurt. good for covering up that human hand scent...
I feel like I’d use scent in colder months when I’m doing more finesse fishing but in the warmer months I’m not gonna take the time to slow down for scent applications.
Berkley says oil scents don’t work but saltwater anglers use menhaden oil to chum with. You could use small pieces of foam ear plugs and squeeze them to absorb scents and see how bream respond to the different scents. I know for a fact bluegill prefer certain natural scents over another.
@@SteveRogersOutdoors I’ve been wanting to test scents like this fishing against someone else and both using a different scent in the foam to see which can catch the most bream. Both guys fishing with small bobbers and about 2 to 3 feet apart from the other guys bobber so a different location isn’t a big factor. Same exact lines, weights, hooks and bobbers. Bream and largemouth bass are both in the sunfish family and I bet their scent preferences are pretty similar. Bream are plentiful and willing biters so they’d be an easier subject to test this with.
My personal thought is that scents help to get the scent of humans off the baits. Sunscreen, gasoline, lotion, etc...whatever we had on our hands when we rigged the bait. I've never thought of scent as an attractant, but more something to help make the bait continue to seem real once the fish bites it.
Every time a fill the boat with gas I always worry about the scent. I can only imagine all the unnatural odors we have on our hands when we touch the lures.
So what I've found is that the scent disappears fast, especially from moving lures and I've never been able to say with certainty that it had any effect. So my way of using scent has evolved to just putting some on a rock and throwing it out in to the water close to me. But I also imagine that if scent actually has an effect it would most likely pull bass towards where you've already thrown your lure and therefore away from where you're currently throwing it. Since you don't usually throw the lure in the exact same spot several times in a row. So my conclusion is that scent doesn't do much, and can even be counterproductive.
I would separate the non scented and scented baits by at least 10 feet and see what happens during the test. Then, I would run a test with two baits totally non scented to see if any fish are interested
I only recently started using fish attractants sprayed on my lures. I'm still not fully convinced that they make any difference at all. I have caught fish after applying these scents, but I was catching fish without the scents before too. To me it's impossible to test them in a laboratory setting like your local fishing waters because there are countless variables that can affect the outcome. I hope you can come up with a way to verify that they actually work. This way it will confirm that catching fish while using fish attractant scents isn't just a placebo effect of naturally occurring reactions on the part of the fisherman and the bass.
Hey I like your idea how about using the same apparatus tie a couple of crawdads just around the waist not tight just enough to hold them there put scent on one and no scent on the other just live crawdads
I read Dr. Keith Jones' book when it first came out, I've read a lot of Doug Hannon's (who didn't really buy into scent) articles, and other scientific experiments relating to scent on fishing lures and came to the same conclusion Steve suggested here; scent does not attract fish to your lures. BUT I can say for sure, when Berkley Power worms first came out (80's?), you could literally lift bluegills, that were not hooked, out of the water because they didn't want to let go of that power worm. Bluegills didn't hit on every cast but they did hold on to these baits much more aggressively than they did any other plastic on the market, which suggests the taste made them hold on. Although a bass is a member of the sunfish family, bluegill behavior doesn't necessarily translate to bass behavior, so this is apples to oranges, but there's no doubt in my mind taste made a big difference (at least to bluegills). That has since changed and bluegill no longer hold onto the current "power bait" like they did originally and I speculate it's because they changed (cheapened up) the formula, not because bluegills became conditioned to the taste. I believe "scents" (taste) can make a fish hold a bait longer which can be a double edged sword. When fish are picking up baits and blowing them right out, taste could be a positive if it makes them hold it a bit longer. On the other hand, I don't want to gut hook fish because they try to swallow the bait right away. I love the experiments Steve has been conducting in his videos.
I have always believed scent gets the fish to hold on to bait longer and even come back for it if the fish doesn't get hooked. I had one day where my buddy and I where fishing the same bait. My bait had scent and his didn't. I was catching fish and he wasn't. So, I am strong believer in scent, but I believe you got to get the fish to bite the bait first. As an attractant, I am not sure about that.
Scent works! When I drag a crankbait through an area. The bluegill gather and eat it if it floats on the surface. Acts as a cover up too. People have more smells on their hands than they think. Did you gas up the boat,smoke,eat a sandwich, use sunscreen,or insect repellant? Are you sweating a lot? It doesn't have to even be a bad smell, just unnatural one for your lure presentation. Scent works good on surface baits too. When slow twitching on the surface you need all the help you can get. That fish needs to rise and hit that floating lure. I've used Scent for about 40 hrs and I've see it tip the scale many, many times. Now I use "Mike's gel bass scent".But any Scent is better than human. Also I had a terrible salmon fishing trip in Niagra river last October. Real eggs weren't working for 6hrs. But I got 2 fish on orange puff balls soaked in Mike's salmon scent. If you lure fish, you are a puppeteer! Your bit of plastic, wood,rubber or metal needs to seem like real prey. And Scent can help with that.
Using bait fuel this year and noticed fish have been hitting it harder and absolutely holding on to the bait longer and getting deeper hooksets with it.... I was a skeptic, but now I'm leaning the other way...
i have found Scent doesn't increase BPH but when you do get a bite they hold on to it longer and try to eat it sooner. i gut hook more fish with scent then without using robo worms on a drop shot pack soaked in scent i was getting deeper hook sets vs without a pack i didn't treat.
I'm a big fan of JJs magic. The problem is that the alcohol content is very high in it. So it breaks down or melts some soft plastic baits. Like do not use it with anything z-man. It melts the baits away completely. It also causes it to evaporate away. I've had unopened bottles completely evaporate away before ever getting to use it. But, because it penetrates so well. You can add chartreus to a green pumpkin or water melon green bait. The color comes out more than Spike It. Now, I'm not going to say it attracts fish more, but I do genuinely feel like BASS hold onto the bait more and longer. They don't seem to spit the bait as fast. Giving you more time to set the hook. Which, when there is a tough bite or the fish aren't really attacking the bait, but causally biting it. You have more time to feel the additional weight on your line and realize something has it. The only way I could see to test it would be to capture a bunch of Bass or use one of those BASS tank setups you see at fishing shows loaded with BASS and rig up some soft plastics without hooks and see if you can trigger bites and see which ones the fish hold onto longer.
You may try fishing with a partner using the same lure and technique one guy has scent the other doesn't and see how many fish each person catches for the outing with all other variables close to constant
Scent vs no scent, that is the question. Probably the only way to accurately test would be actually fishing the scented vs unscented baits over the long term, in relatively the same areas, and tallying up how much fish you caught with each scented vs un-scented (using identical baits). I have found with a particular brand of plastics (that come pre-scented AND unscented) is that when the bite is slow, the pre-scented baits will generally fare somewhat better than the unscented. I also believe some fish species are more scent-driven than others...in particular, catfish. Catfish are like freshwater sharks...they seem to pick up scent from far away and they'll gather in numbers around scented baits. I'll throw a scented bait and leave it at the bottom...then I'll just wait it out. Once the first catfish is hooked, I'll generally hook several others within that same short time frame. Scented baits seem to help draw some types of fish in. Bass are trickier as they seem to move around more often.
About the only good thing about attractants. It's more of a human scent cover-up. Just put it on your fingers before you even touch your lures. Even then its more about presentation than it is about smell. A fish will normally strike before it ever has a chance to smell. I personally never ever noticed a difference with or without attractant. Once I have used up what I have. I doubt I will be wasting money on anymore.
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I love the shorter videos that get to the point. Great job
Glad you like them!
Me & you both.
Steve comes up with channel content the same way most of us comes up with dinner ideas 🤣 Bro makes a weekly content menu with sides... Great video Steve!
Thanks!
We have a lot of anglers in our Agency and this video was on a phone in the break room. With Agents from Arizona, Nevada, and California in the room we took a poll. All of us use some type of attractant on our soft baits- worms, frogs, and jig trailers to be precise. Most of us simply use a solo cup or similar, scoop up a little local water and spray some attractant into the cup. I was taught this as a kid when they first hit the market. We called it dippin & flippin and would troll the shore in one direction then come all the way back to where we started and run the same line with a different bait now that the whole shoreline had been peppered with attractant. Most of the big-fish stories came from the 2nd pass.
Good luck and tight lines :)
That is awesome you took a poll! Thank you for sharing this with me. I definitely think that the cup of scent there is the way to go. Thanks again!
Steve, you are exceptional in actually doing the work to learn more about bass and bass fishing techniques, instead of just throwing out opinions. And you do it in a humble manner, no harshness- we fish for fun, I don’t get the anger and sniping that is so common in videos and comments.
Thank you so much! I appreciate it. I do my best to share the things I observe and questions that I still have.
I been saying this for years. I find scents not as an attractant, but more of a bite stimulant. I been using the same scent going on 3 years and learned that the fish bite it much more aggressively and I get better hook ups by them inhaling the bait deeper.
That is why I am such a fan of YUM worms! They are cheaper than Yamas, hold up for more than one catch, and the bass won’t let it go after they pick it up. I’ve even caught bass that didn’t have the hook set at all just because they wouldn’t let go!
Yums have zero shimmy. Yum is terrible.
@@aneedmorehead9006 I wasn’t talking about “shimmy”. Yums have that oil on em that attracts fish and makes hang on! If I want shimmy, I’ll use Yamas, but when fishing this chocolate SETX muddy water, scent and movement is more important than a subtle shimmy. Yums slay in that category.
@@BassassinatorYeah, I have still caught a ton of fish on the weightless Yum dingers. I found a half dozen old scented bags of strike king shimmy sticks at the flea market and they worked really good too, the fish where swallowing them. Way better then their new unscented version that are made in Costa Rica instead of the US.
@@Steve-ev6vx I have an old bag of Zoom Speed Worms in Watermelon Green Flake. They are sooo greasy I can hardly put them on the hook! They get NAILED, though. I use them sparingly because I am sure I’ll never get another bag like this.
I am not even a spin cast guy I fly fish guy and the amount of wealth I learn from your videos is priceless!
Glad you like them!
We used regular chicken liver vs Chicken liver sprayed with Bang Shrimp spray. The sprayed Chicken liver got all the bigger fish we caught that day....
I've read and heard that scent helps masks human odors. I rub PRO -CURE on soft plastics. Does it help? I have no idea. I met an old timer a few years back. He prepped his soft plastics by putting them in a ziplock sandwich bag, added a little olive oil, garlic cloves, and a few drops of hot sauce. He swore by it, I haven't tried it. Once again, great content, Steve.
If the pro-cure you are using is chlorine dioxide (CI02) please be careful. Prepping lures in a zip lock works great, most come pre-lubed now with some attractant 😊
Bass love garlic
For me scent seems to help bass not spit the lure as fast as it tastes like something other than plastic. However, I’m not religiously soaking my lures. When the bass are in a feeding mood they will hammer everything. I agree with not having sunscreen all over your hands then getting it all over your lures.
I definitely noticed that when I have sunscreen on my hands and touch my baits I don't get as many bites not sure about the scent stuff tho
I listened to an interview with the retired Berkley scent scientist, he said their testing definitely proved that bass were repelled by sunscreen and insect repellent, it was one of the strongest reactions they found.
I don't know how you come out with so many great videos so quickly, but I'm all for it!
Glad you like them!
First, Steve, you do a great job on these videos. Regarding scent, it is my experience that fish hold the bait longer and often deeper with scent. I have been using Pro Cure, Bait Fuel and others for years. Not sure any one is better than the other but I believe it improves hookups. I also believe in Max Scent. I would love to see a test between Senkos, Dingers, and Berkeley Generals to see how long a fish will hold each before spitting it out...?...
Thanks for adding this!
@@SteveRogersOutdoors Dr. Juice works the best, IMHO. I've been using it since 1985. A lot of research went into it. I also like worm or nightcrawler imitation scent. And then, I've read, some guys use PAM cooking oil spray. Corn oil, I imagine.
You are killing it Steve. Excellent videos
I fish for smallmouth on the susquehanna in pa...use tubes with cotton stuffed in it with scent(crawfish) and it makes a big difference for me especially when the water is stained.
I’m a believer, always have been. Especially like Bang Combo for flipping and punching, helps my bait slip through cover.
I really enjoy your content, and appreciate that you try to apply a scientific methodology to your tests.
My opinion on this one: the two lures were too close together.
Needs to be 2 cameras with one lure at each camera. Even if the lures are only on opposite sides of the dock, there should be enough space between them to see if more fish congregate around one vs the other.
Steve I’ve had a lot of success using bait fuel
Either just putting a few of my favorite soft plastics in a zip loc and letting them soak overnight or
Using the bait fuel injector
I can say that any bait with a pocket of sorts like Berkley gilly or tube holds the bait fuel very well..
I make my own craw scent, I took a buddy fishing and I out caught him 2 to 1.
Next trip, I gave him the scent and he out fished me from the back of the boat 3 to 1
Imo- scent works
Please send me the recipe for your special sauce. Thanks
@@cg-keukame too!
I like that your videos get to the point and don't drag on.
I've used different scents over the years and have had some success. But for many years I really didn't think that the sense was making any difference. But I came across a guy who's now one of my best friends who showed me a sent that he makes. And yes it makes a difference. I've been using it for 6 years now and I see how it makes a difference. They're less likely to spit the lure out and the bass hold it longer. The only downfall to this is it stinks bad but it works great. LOL
Excelentes tus videos, muy ilustrativos y bien definidos los puntos a mostrar....Felicidades!!
I have fished many years with many scents and have found that in high pressure lakes they usually make a difference. Some lure like the caffeine shad don't need extra because they already have them in it yet zoom style lures I always add something. Garlic spike, liquid Manheim, smelly jelly scent and bait fuel all seam to help them hold on longer increasing hook up hope this helps. I tend to use crawfish, shad, garlic or garlic crawfish scents in these brands for best results. I average catching about 30 largemouth bass per 6 hr trip. When using scent and about 15large mouth when not using it. Most of this is due to better hookup ratios not necessarily more bites
i fish steelhead in a ny river and found scent has made a difference mostly in stained water although i fished side by side with a friend exact same set ups i took 6 fish while he did 3 in the same stretch of water
Great video. A lot of soft baits are scented already, but I will add scent if the bite is slow or I'm getting a lot of short strikes where they aren't really taking it. I do think it matters in those scenarios, from my experience. I really like the new Bait Fuel, which I believe is water-based. I haven't gotten real scientific but it seems I almost always get more bites, and more quality strikes, with it than without it.
This video gives very little indication of anything, but I applaud you for your efforts and enthusiasm!
3:02 little turtle curious about the camera
I use sent all the time Steve, I feel it does make a difference for sure. The best luck I have is with Yum shad sent. Great video, thanks!
Thanks 👍
Great video Steve. I think your right about scent not really being an attractant. I think the combination of the lure along with a scent may play a part in having a bass strike or not. I have had times in my fishing career when scent played a big part in catching fish, and some days it didn't matter. It all depended on the conditions of the day I guess.
They definitely held on to it better. I was quite impressed with that. I need to be quicker on the hookset because of it.
Something makes Berkley Gulp get a lot more bites in saltwater than other soft plastics. They come in a liquid that smells pretty strong and I believe it's the scent that gets the extra bites. I put ProCure or Dr Juice scents on other soft plastics and they absolutely get more bites than without the scent.
@@comfortablynumb9342 I went Speckled Trout fishing with a bud last week. He was throwing Gulp 3” Mullets and I was using Zoom Super Fluke Jr. We were using the same 1/8th oz jigheads.
Every time I wouldn’t get a bite, I’d go spray my minnow with Shad spray. Next cast…. BOOM! He never hooked up on his Gulp and I out-fished him 5 to 1. I also caught my limit and he just had one keeper!
I ain’t saying it was the scent, but he caught his keeper after trying my spray.
The absolute best rig I use is a bitsie tube with tiny cut up pieces of sponge soaked in attractant crammed in the hollow body of the tube.
In a seminar, Jimmy Houston asked the audience how many put sent on their baits. He then said those of you who didn't raise your hands are liars. When you touch a bait you put your sent on it. Sent are more to mask our foreign sent than as an attractant.
Thanks for all your great content.
I was firmly in the "no scent" camp until very recently. I'm sure you know that I've taken to soaking my plastics overnight or longer and was told by a chemist that osmosis is what is leading to the lure absorbing the scent. I think I might be finally sold on scents now, though. It only took me 45+ years, lol!
It took me a super long time too. Lol. It was really fun to work on and I will definitely be doing more timelapse tests. I totally agree with you the soaking them has got make a big difference.
Thanks Steve, the videos are great! Love your mantra- encourage someone❤
Glad you like them!
I use berkley gulp for sea fishing, they mostly out perform unscented lures
Very good product, anything named gulp is good. We use it in europe for light spinning. Amazing for horse mackerels
maybe a good test is just put 2 lures with bass attractant and count how many fish come to investigate, and do the same thing for the ones without attractant. This way your able to quantify if the attractant can pull in passing fish.
absolutely get more bites if your hands smell more like the first fish you catch vs sunscreen/bugspray, sometimes its not what it smells like but what it doesn't smell like. thanks for the vids
i like to think because bass are pretty smart that the scent dont really attract them to bite it but rather tricks them into thinking thats actually food they want to eat when they go to stalk it and wait for their moment to strike rather them following it and smelling nothing and not taking it cause they might know better. bass do adapt. but best thing i do is use aromas to get them into a specific area which helps gets more strikes around there with any lure. just my experience with that.
I think the theory behind attractant is that fish might hold on to the bait longer before spitting it. I don't see the sense in adding any, as most every soft plastic under the sun comes pre loaded with it.
This will probably get lost but if you want to do a proper scientific experiment you need to separate the variables. That’s all I’m gonna say. Having them right next to each other..
100% agreed, this doesn’t give any useful information
I think separating them and having a way of monitoring how many fish are entering each area versus an area without attractant
A good idea would be to rig them up to both get bit and see which one gets played with and which one actually just gets gobbled up in seconds.
I'm definitely a believer in scents, Berkeley Max scent baits & the bait fuel is my go to's. I actually inject my soft plastics with bait fuel, that way it leaks out slowly & carrys the scent longer. I just use one of my goat vaccine needles that's a large gauge. I take my time handling it on water so I don't stick myself! I think bait fuel even sells an injector now. Idk how much that is? I'll stick with what I've been using considering it's less than a buck
Hey Steve: I've become a believer. I drip Berkley Bass Attractant on all my soft plastics throughout my fishing trips. I generally see better results than some of my angling buddies who don't bother,
I use a water soluble spray, and it seems to get more bites with all pan fish.
Yep, the hookup ratio and more aggressive and full on bite or swallow is much higher using scent imo. Without, many species are more likely to have minor bites or bumps or not really commit as much as a scented lure.
Yes sir scent is a definite benefit
Matt Stephon Swears about Berkeley’s power bait max scent Fish turn to look for it. Bite it. Haven’t tried or seen for myself tho yet.
Great video. I use Xtra-small cocktail shrimp with Fire Cure to attract fish as well as Spawn Sacks clipped to my swivel and it works rather well as everything eats Shrimp and most lakes have some kind of Krill species in them.
I'll even add Shrimp to baits, stuff pieces into Tube's etc...
Awesome! Thanks
It just depends on the species of fish.
For bass, I imagine the scented baits would get a more violent reaction strike, but who knows, all I know is redfish and drum like scented soft plastics, and they work great in saltwater
All the JDM soft baits I buy come pre scented, fish will hold the bait even if they are not hooked and re bite the bait when pulled away. Most seem to have some variation of shrimp flavor.
Thanks for sharing this!
I had similar experience. I think it is taste vs scent. I have gotten bites and lost them simply because I think it was an unscented bait or plastic.
They feed on 4 main senses, vibration detected by the lateral line, visual, smell, amd taste. They may detect a desirable scent that leads them to the bait but if it tastes bad they will quickly spit it out. These attractants can also mask unwanted odors on your hands
⭐Thanks Steve for letting me know exactly what scent does, it at least gives exrta holding power. I very much look forward to another video about scent ! I always thought I had an edge with scent on slow moving lures. Also what scent is the best would make another great video !
I will try to do that one. Thank you!
Catching carp mostly here in SA(South Africa). Started with plain floaties(pop corn) about 3 months ago and have landed much more than my fishing mates using scent floaties. Next outing might be different?
Steve, LowBrow Fishing has a good video on scent. He uses it faithfully and catches some nice fish. I'm in the process of trying his way. Will let you know how it works. Stay Safe & God Bless!!! 🤠👍
Thanks! Let me know how it goes for you.
I use scent if for nothing else hopefully the fish will hold on longer and you can get a good hook set
3 of us were throwing soft plastic lures on the beach. A friend had squid scent on a prawn soft plastic while we were using prawn and paddle tails without scent. Our friend caught 2 Barramundi with the scent and we caught noticing. So does it work? Possibly?
Not sure if I’m right, but I use attractants such as Bait Fuel not with the thought that will it will attract fish but rather that if a fish actually bites my lure, it will hold on longer and actually commit to the bite.
I wonder if that also has something to do with the taste of the attractant vs the lure too? I’m a beginner fisherman and I’m finding out quick I know nothing about this stuff at all 😭😭
Bother, I am right there with you.
Exactly why I use scent. They do hang onto it longer. IMHO
Works great to get a tube rigged.
3 Cheers for a video that is WAY more than clickbait. GREAT stuff. Thank you.
Glad you liked it!
I havent had scent on my lures for last 3 outings and each trip gotten worse and worse… may just be in my head but i just caught em good with chartreuse dye garlic scent. Especially if water color got more stained. And i didnt lose many either they held on.
Steve, as always, well organized and thoughtfully prepared and presented.
Here’s what I wonder:
Plastic baits whether plastisol or Elaztek must already have some inherent scent, albeit that of the material itself. So, does the added scent do more to create a scent or hide the inherent scent of the bait material?
Also, when applying the scent, if you’re so inclined, it might be more efficient to put the scent solution in a small container with the top open. When you reel in and it’s time to reapply just dip your bait into the container and make your next cast.
That is an excellent question. I also love the container idea. I will definitely be doing that for sure.
100% facts scent matters. Looks good, SMELLS good, must be good to eat!!
Especially fishing inshore.
I think scent is good for trolling, where a trout can follow the scent and catch up to the lure.
Try making the jig have a greater distance between the two baits, scent isn't like visuals and animals can only tell the area it's from not the exact location. I would say there should be at least 3-5 yards of distance between the two testing jigs. For control, you can switch them back and forth. Doing 15 minute tests then switching locations.
Seem to remember Berkley saying 1 type of scent for attracting/dispersing, and another type for holding on after the bite...might be a means for another test?? Keep up the great content.
Will do! Thank you.
I personally never been a big fan of bait scent I guess if a fish is following a scented lure it could help trigger a strike. I think scent could possibly help in muddy waters and places where multiple casts are being made but I never used it. I know if it leaks in your tackle box it will smell for ever lol. I have considered using the chartreuse dip dye for the tails on soft plastics.
Always thought it was snake oil (literally since the cheap stuff is oil based) but I might just give scents a shot.
I was flipping a maxscent general stick bait wacky rig the other day and was getting no bites. I went back down the same banks with the same lure type and color from another brand with no scent and got 12 bites. Was it timing or lack of scent on lure, or something else? Difficult to say.
Another day I was drop shot fishing and couldn’t buy a bite. I started applying a scent and started getting bit.
Wish there was a solid answer.
I remember when Berkley Power Worms first came out(yah I'm old). I started using them and they were an instant game changer for me and my buddies. We all switched. Their 7" worms didn't look like anything special but they just worked better than other worms. I always had either a black, black w/blue tail, red shad, or solid purple Power Worm on ready to go. They made me a believer in scent making a difference. The funny thing is I have never applied scent to other baits...even today. Now days a lot of soft plastics brands apply scent in the bag from the factory...some have a WAY stronger scent compared to Berkley but I still think Berkley got "the stink" right the first time decades ago.
I had lots of those Power baits too!
The thing that shocked me is that you didn't even get a nibble on the tubes.
Makes me wonder if when we think we are "deadsticking" or "soaking" a finesse technique to get bites, we really still are getting the bass to come over to investigate the water spash and the lure sinking down vs the actual bait just sitting there.
No doubt scent makes a difference in my mind . Also a confidence thing
I use Bang garlic and Bait fuel
Steve if you could try testing different scents on fish that are particularly finicky and difficult to catch to see if any scents make a difference in convincing them to bite, that could be extremely useful information!
That would be a great one. Thank you!
What about scents that might DETER a strike Steve? My buddy swears that putting on sun screen leaves a scent on your hands that end up on the lure that fish will NOT bite. I happen to think that’s hogwash.
I will definitely try to do a test on that one. Thank you!
@@SteveRogersOutdoors looking forward to it! You’re like the fishing Mythbusters!👏
I agree with your buddy. What we need….a fish scented sunscreeen!!! Maybe use bait fuel so it doesn’t stink to humans! I need to patent it now! 😉
@@TWC6724 Come up with a great marketing name for it like they do with lures…how about “Prom Night”?😂🤣
The Berkley lab testing definitely showed bass were repelled by sunscreen and insect repellents, a very strong reaction.
This is what I Believe is going on. When we tie up our Riggs some of us may use our saliva to lubricant the line and also just Lotions Soaps Aftershave we use I believe even the Sunscreen & Bug Repellent effect the Lure as well as the line. Adding sent for me is like a Hunter I’m masking all the smells I may added by touching & rigging. So I’ll run the sent on the lure as well as up the line about a foot. To hide my Smells. Maybe I’m crazy 🤪
I think you’re definitely on to something. There are lots of other scents on our hands for sure.
There was a scent that seemed to work really good on small mouth in the river. The company changed the ingredients and the seemed effective reaction changed for the worse.
Interestingly, the scent did not seem to improve at all in lakes.
2 different types of scent... one for taste and one for attraction. oil based is most definitely for the taste. makes them hold on longer and although water based could do the same it washes off the bait quicker. think about it like chumming... oil can also attract but it doesnt do as well as water based because water and oil dont mix well. water based doesnt stick long in water it disperses... certain fish are more prone to scent such as catfish vs not as big of a factor in bass. but can never hurt. good for covering up that human hand scent...
Would be a better test if you had the lures further apart to see if one brought more fish than the other.
I feel like I’d use scent in colder months when I’m doing more finesse fishing but in the warmer months I’m not gonna take the time to slow down for scent applications.
Berkley says oil scents don’t work but saltwater anglers use menhaden oil to chum with. You could use small pieces of foam ear plugs and squeeze them to absorb scents and see how bream respond to the different scents. I know for a fact bluegill prefer certain natural scents over another.
Excellent idea. Thank you for sharing this.
@@SteveRogersOutdoors I’ve been wanting to test scents like this fishing against someone else and both using a different scent in the foam to see which can catch the most bream. Both guys fishing with small bobbers and about 2 to 3 feet apart from the other guys bobber so a different location isn’t a big factor. Same exact lines, weights, hooks and bobbers. Bream and largemouth bass are both in the sunfish family and I bet their scent preferences are pretty similar. Bream are plentiful and willing biters so they’d be an easier subject to test this with.
I think they hang on longervm with powerbait and big swimbaits with oil based flavor stiks rubbed on them i know they hanfmg onto longer.
My personal thought is that scents help to get the scent of humans off the baits. Sunscreen, gasoline, lotion, etc...whatever we had on our hands when we rigged the bait. I've never thought of scent as an attractant, but more something to help make the bait continue to seem real once the fish bites it.
Every time a fill the boat with gas I always worry about the scent. I can only imagine all the unnatural odors we have on our hands when we touch the lures.
So what I've found is that the scent disappears fast, especially from moving lures and I've never been able to say with certainty that it had any effect. So my way of using scent has evolved to just putting some on a rock and throwing it out in to the water close to me. But I also imagine that if scent actually has an effect it would most likely pull bass towards where you've already thrown your lure and therefore away from where you're currently throwing it. Since you don't usually throw the lure in the exact same spot several times in a row. So my conclusion is that scent doesn't do much, and can even be counterproductive.
Awesome video 👍👍
I would separate the non scented and scented baits by at least 10 feet and see what happens during the test. Then, I would run a test with two baits totally non scented to see if any fish are interested
I only recently started using fish attractants sprayed on my lures. I'm still not fully convinced that they make any difference at all.
I have caught fish after applying these scents, but I was catching fish without the scents before too.
To me it's impossible to test them in a laboratory setting like your local fishing waters because there are countless variables that can affect the outcome.
I hope you can come up with a way to verify that they actually work. This way it will confirm that catching fish while using fish attractant scents isn't just a placebo effect of naturally occurring reactions on the part of the fisherman and the bass.
I will definitely keep investigating! Thank you.
Hey I like your idea how about using the same apparatus tie a couple of crawdads just around the waist not tight just enough to hold them there put scent on one and no scent on the other just live crawdads
That would be interesting!
I read Dr. Keith Jones' book when it first came out, I've read a lot of Doug Hannon's (who didn't really buy into scent) articles, and other scientific experiments relating to scent on fishing lures and came to the same conclusion Steve suggested here; scent does not attract fish to your lures. BUT I can say for sure, when Berkley Power worms first came out (80's?), you could literally lift bluegills, that were not hooked, out of the water because they didn't want to let go of that power worm. Bluegills didn't hit on every cast but they did hold on to these baits much more aggressively than they did any other plastic on the market, which suggests the taste made them hold on. Although a bass is a member of the sunfish family, bluegill behavior doesn't necessarily translate to bass behavior, so this is apples to oranges, but there's no doubt in my mind taste made a big difference (at least to bluegills). That has since changed and bluegill no longer hold onto the current "power bait" like they did originally and I speculate it's because they changed (cheapened up) the formula, not because bluegills became conditioned to the taste. I believe "scents" (taste) can make a fish hold a bait longer which can be a double edged sword. When fish are picking up baits and blowing them right out, taste could be a positive if it makes them hold it a bit longer. On the other hand, I don't want to gut hook fish because they try to swallow the bait right away. I love the experiments Steve has been conducting in his videos.
Thanks for adding all this! I appreciate it.
Berkley has always claimed the fish hold on longer with sent.
I think it at least might mask the smell of plastic .
I have always believed scent gets the fish to hold on to bait longer and even come back for it if the fish doesn't get hooked. I had one day where my buddy and I where fishing the same bait. My bait had scent and his didn't. I was catching fish and he wasn't. So, I am strong believer in scent, but I believe you got to get the fish to bite the bait first. As an attractant, I am not sure about that.
Thanks for sharing this!
Scent works! When I drag a crankbait through an area. The bluegill gather and eat it if it floats on the surface. Acts as a cover up too. People have more smells on their hands than they think. Did you gas up the boat,smoke,eat a sandwich, use sunscreen,or insect repellant? Are you sweating a lot?
It doesn't have to even be a bad smell, just unnatural one for your lure presentation.
Scent works good on surface baits too. When slow twitching on the surface you need all the help you can get. That fish needs to rise and hit that floating lure.
I've used Scent for about 40 hrs and I've see it tip the scale many, many times.
Now I use "Mike's gel bass scent".But any Scent is better than human.
Also I had a terrible salmon fishing trip in Niagra river last October. Real eggs weren't working for 6hrs. But I got 2 fish on orange puff balls soaked in Mike's salmon scent.
If you lure fish, you are a puppeteer! Your bit of plastic, wood,rubber or metal needs to seem like real prey.
And Scent can help with that.
Thanks for sharing all this!
You must be reading my mind. Each time I see a new video from you I think “wow, I’ve been thinking about that recently…” 😂
That's awesome!
I was never convinced scent helped much with bass. I think they are more attracted to movement. Flounder are definitely trigger by scent.
Using bait fuel this year and noticed fish have been hitting it harder and absolutely holding on to the bait longer and getting deeper hooksets with it.... I was a skeptic, but now I'm leaning the other way...
Awesome! Thank you for sharing this
I’m a believer in Bait Fuel.
i have found Scent doesn't increase BPH but when you do get a bite they hold on to it longer and try to eat it sooner.
i gut hook more fish with scent then without using robo worms on a drop shot pack soaked in scent i was getting deeper hook sets vs without a pack i didn't treat.
I definitely found they took it much deeper for sure.
great video thanks
I'm a big fan of JJs magic. The problem is that the alcohol content is very high in it. So it breaks down or melts some soft plastic baits. Like do not use it with anything z-man. It melts the baits away completely. It also causes it to evaporate away. I've had unopened bottles completely evaporate away before ever getting to use it. But, because it penetrates so well. You can add chartreus to a green pumpkin or water melon green bait. The color comes out more than Spike It. Now, I'm not going to say it attracts fish more, but I do genuinely feel like BASS hold onto the bait more and longer. They don't seem to spit the bait as fast. Giving you more time to set the hook. Which, when there is a tough bite or the fish aren't really attacking the bait, but causally biting it. You have more time to feel the additional weight on your line and realize something has it. The only way I could see to test it would be to capture a bunch of Bass or use one of those BASS tank setups you see at fishing shows loaded with BASS and rig up some soft plastics without hooks and see if you can trigger bites and see which ones the fish hold onto longer.
Thanks for sharing this! I appreciate it.
You may try fishing with a partner using the same lure and technique one guy has scent the other doesn't and see how many fish each person catches for the outing with all other variables close to constant
That would be excellent! I should have done that when my son was home last weekend.
Scent vs no scent, that is the question. Probably the only way to accurately test would be actually fishing the scented vs unscented baits over the long term, in relatively the same areas, and tallying up how much fish you caught with each scented vs un-scented (using identical baits). I have found with a particular brand of plastics (that come pre-scented AND unscented) is that when the bite is slow, the pre-scented baits will generally fare somewhat better than the unscented. I also believe some fish species are more scent-driven than others...in particular, catfish. Catfish are like freshwater sharks...they seem to pick up scent from far away and they'll gather in numbers around scented baits. I'll throw a scented bait and leave it at the bottom...then I'll just wait it out. Once the first catfish is hooked, I'll generally hook several others within that same short time frame. Scented baits seem to help draw some types of fish in. Bass are trickier as they seem to move around more often.
Thank you for sharing this! I appreciate it.
Use a modified A-rig with 2 arms so you can impart the desired action and see if the fish prefer one over the other.
Excellent idea! Thank you
About the only good thing about attractants. It's more of a human scent cover-up. Just put it on your fingers before you even touch your lures.
Even then its more about presentation than it is about smell. A fish will normally strike before it ever has a chance to smell.
I personally never ever noticed a difference with or without attractant. Once I have used up what I have. I doubt I will be wasting money on anymore.
Try Dr Juice and procure.
You can add these to a soft plastic and just throw out on heavy jig sitting on bottom no movement and you will get strikes
I will. Thank you!