Fish attractant- yes or no?

[ronaultmtd]

Sitting here drinking a hot cup of coffee looking out my bay window at gloomy looking morning sky- Going to re-rig my rods this morning from the wear and tear of last Friday's CNR hook ups...Fished Friday under less than ideal conditions, so to improve my chances I spray my Bass Assassins with bunker Smelly Jelly, and my XRaps with shad scent...Does this improve the bite? Don't know but it doesn't hurt it...so the question is- do you use attractants or just pull one out of the package and go fishing?

[Oldbayrunner]

I've thought about it but to date I haven't used any. What I do feel is more important is what we don't have on our hands when we handle our lures like sunscreen, bug repellents or any type fragrance that are known detractants. I'm still debating the subject within myself.

[Mark]

I don't apply secondary attractants, nor do I use Gulp, but I believe some of the soft plastics I use from 12 Fathoms Lures have supposed attractants impregnated in them. For my styles of fishing, I am depending more on my targets' lateral lines and sight to trigger a strike than their sense of smell.

[ronaultmtd]

I've thought about it but to date I haven't used any. What I do feel is more important is what we don't have on our hands when we handle our lures like sunscreen, bug repellents or any type fragrance that are known detractants. Like you I'm still debating the subject.

Fillups at the gas station right before you launch isn't a great idea either- the gasoline smell is a powerful detractor...hand sanitizer is a great idea before handling your fishing tackle...I know all the guides on the Columbia River use tons of fish attractants on their salmon baits and lures...and they catch fish

[Oldbayrunner]

I agree as long as it is the unscented type. The fragrance in some of the hand sanitizers I feel can be just as bad.

[Mark]

I've thought about it but to date I haven't used any. What I do feel is more important is what we don't have on our hands when we handle our lures like sunscreen, bug repellents or any type fragrance that are known detractants. I'm still debating the subject within myself.

Worse than potentially chasing fish away, bug sprays with DEET in them may melt your fly line.

[Yak Fish]

I've fished several times where guys use slimy attractants, even as recently as this week. To me they're just a mess and I don't think they add to the catch ratio. I caught bigger fish, using the same jigs than the guys next to me using the attractant. I think it's always about the presentation. Everything else is secondary. The beauty of fishing artificials are that they're clean and not messy like live bait, etc.

These attractants do smell like dead fish, there's no doubt. So perhaps letting them sit will entice a strike, but I think that while trying to draw a reaction bite they're making a split second decision and strike. I've watched video of stripers following trolled baits for awhile. Perhaps if they had attractant they'd commit sooner?

I think the bottom line for any kind of fishing is that if you're not catching fish doing what you're are doing, changing color or adding scent will not be a magic bullet. Fine tuning your presentation or method of locating will go much further.

[Shady]

Ive never used extra fish attractants, but definitely use a lot of gulp baits.

[rugbyfish]

I like to use them to mask any scents on my hands. I picked up a nice channel cat last week after I stopped trolling and the lure sat on the bottom. I suspect the scent had something to do with that.

[dhawk]

Depends on the fishing Im doing. I dont use them on hard baits or baits that have a lot of action like paddle tails. I do use on soft plastics when bass fishing sometimes and i use gulp baits on occasion. Most of the time I believe prsentation is the key but if I aint catching Ill try anything.

[summersoff]

I've tried them a few times, and all they have done is made my plug bag stink. I soaked sluggos over winter only to have it wash off on the first cast. I've tried sticky slimy scents, bunker oil and probably a few others and none of them work. None of the plastics are made to hold any attachtant for any period of time. Gulp is pourous and most likely is impregnated with the scent in the pouring process. Don't get me wrong gulp works fantastic, and I have to attribute it to the scent. I have caught a boatload more fluke on stinky gulp in last few years than all the years prior combined. Just take a look at a Skinner fluke video and you quickly agree that scent works. But, it doesn't seem to work on other plastics. I have soaked a bunch of different plastics in gulp buckets and it never seems to hold, even over winter. Z-mans have a scent but have to attribute their success more to their fantastic action. Not sure how long their scent stays on, but their action lasts forever.
I'm not kidding about the stinky plug bag. I soaked sluggos three years ago in the slimy scent stuff, and my bag still stinks, worse than eels!

[Slobber Bob]

I've never tried any attractants like Smelly Jelly or Pro-Cure before, but it seems like they wouldn't last very long on artificials? They aren't porous lures. The attractant would have to be like peanut butter to last more than a cast or two? I used to use Gulp a little bit, but quit using it about 3 years ago; too expensive, poor quality control, and the juices always seemed to leak out of the packaging/tub at some point and stink up my vehicle or other stuff.

It seems to me that if you were throwing artificials with attractants smeared on them, wouldn't you have to work the area for a bit for the juices to dissipate into the area you are fishing? Attractants probably don't hurt, but I doubt they help significantly in most cases. They probably help angler confidence more than anything, and when you have confidence, you catch fish.

[Slobber Bob]

And summersoff - Gulp is a different plastic altogether than the stuff sluggo's and z-mans are made off. Gulp is very porous (dries like a rock if you don't keep it wet), the others are not at all. You could probably soak a regular soft plastic in Gulp juice forever and it won't soak up that much.

[Mark]

The primary catch of attractants may be anglers looking for an edge.

[baitball]

I've fished several times where guys use slimy attractants, even as recently as this week. To me they're just a mess and I don't think they add to the catch ratio. I caught bigger fish, using the same jigs than the guys next to me using the attractant. I think it's always about the presentation. Everything else is secondary. The beauty of fishing artificials are that they're clean and not messy like live bait, etc.

These attractants do smell like dead fish, there's no doubt. So perhaps letting them sit will entice a strike, but I think that while trying to draw a reaction bite they're making a split second decision and strike. I've watched video of stripers following trolled baits for awhile. Perhaps if they had attractant they'd commit sooner?

I think the bottom line for any kind of fishing is that if you're not catching fish doing what you're are doing, changing color or adding scent will not be a magic bullet. Fine tuning your presentation or method of locating will go much further.

Well said Alan, +1!