Where superstitions rule on my boat, making sense of scents is a bit of a challenge. What scent, how often to apply it, and washing things down at the end of the day are all done with a nod toward my personal superstitions. Get it wrong, and I’m facing seven years of bad luck! Whether or not you’re superstitious, here are a few smelly tips to help ensure luck is on your side.
The application of scents to your lures and bait can act as an attractant or bite stimulant. It can also mask odors that repel fish. You can help reduce offensive orders by keeping your hands clean and free of sunscreen, bug repellent, petroleum products jellyfish goo, and tobacco products residue. On the day of your fishing trip, try to use unscented soaps or a light vinegar solution to wash your hands.
The use of scents should complement your game plan. They should work together with your presentation, location, and gear set-up.
There are numerous scent formulations out there: gels, liquid, sticky liquid, wax, oils, and water-soluble. Most scents are available in different “flavors”.
Frequently scent oils are used to infuse other bait to create a hybrid cocktail that your target species will find irresistible.
With most sticky liquids, gels, paste and waxes you simply apply a small amount to your lures and let it work its smelly magic. Apply a thin even layer to the underside of spoons, spinner blades and plugs. Assure that the application doesn’t hinder the lure action. Scents can be very effective when applied to your dodgers or even downrigger balls.
Water temperature is your driver for how frequently to refresh your scent. With warmer water, you should pull your gear and refresh the scent more frequently. For most fisheries, I check the gear every 20 minutes or so and reapply the scent at that point.
When using some of the paste type of scents it is a good idea to wipe your lures down between each application. Otherwise, you may experience waxy buildup which could affect the lure’s action or even your hearing. What was that, did I just hear a groan?
If using a scent cocktail that includes dyes, it is a good idea to wear nitrile gloves and work over a towel or a work surface separate from your boat. Bait dyes are potent and will stain both your boat and skin. There were many times during my suit and tie days when I was giving a presentation with orange, pink, or blue fingers
Liquid scents can be used to marinate herring, shrimp, white shoepeg corn, chicken livers, salmon eggs, and dough baits. Place your bait of choice in one liquid scent or another overnight.
One of my go-to kokanee baits is tuna corn. A day before a trip I upend a can of white shoepeg corn into a mesh strainer and let it drain overnight in the fridge. Then I open a tin of packed-in oil tuna and pour the excess oil into my drained corn. I divide the corn/tuna juice mix evenly between some small containers or Zip-Lok snack bags and then add a different scent of oil to each container or bag.
Many freshwater salmon anglers marinate herring, sardine fillets, or shrimp in their secret mix of scent oils and amino acids then use the enhanced bait for trolling or wrapping their plugs.
Regarding flavor, everyone has their personal favorites for a given fishery. I find that garlic, anise, and carp-spit oils work best for Westside kokanee. For most Puget Sound salmon fisheries, I am partial to Anchovy. For general freshwater fishing, you can’t beat nightcrawler/garlic or anise. These are a few of my personal preferences (superstitions). There are a gazillion different scents available. Here in the PNW, scents like anise, sand shrimp, krill garlic, or bloody tuna seem to enhance any fishery.
It would be a good idea to visit a tackle shop in the vicinity of your fishery to pick up the local favorite. With its proximity to some solid fresh and saltwater fisheries, Holiday Sports in Burlington is a great source for local fishing information. Their scent corner is well stocked with numerous brands and different scents.
Any scent discussion must include a segment on proper storage. Scents have different shelf lives depending on the product. Generally, they are:
Super Gels, Sauces and Paste: 7–10 years
Bait Oils: 3–5 years
Water Soluble: 3–5 years
It would be a good idea to use a permanent marker to mark the purchase date on your scent bottles. Typically, you’ll run out before they are ineffective but knowing when you purchased them gives you something to talk about. “I caught that huge walleye on 10-year-old worm sauce”.
A couple of thoughts on storage:
On the boat store your scent collection out of direct sunlight in a cool place. While fishing I put a wet towel over my scent containers on my workstation, making sure to keep it damp as required.
At home store them in a dry, cool place. Preferably a metal cabinet in the garage or in the bait/beer fridge. The mice in my garage love to chew through scent bottles.
At the end of the day, make sure you clean your gear. Being superstitious I use Lemon Joy to wash all my lures and attractors. Lemon Joy or not, just make sure you clean everything after each trip.
Where your local knowledge, trip planning, gear set-up, and presentation are important in a successful outing, the use of scents will help you consistently fill the fish box.
Proper scent storage, application, and clean-up will go a long way in making sure your fishing trip doesn’t stink!
