There has been a lot of controversy over fish attractants, otherwise known as fish scents. In the past, I've noticed that many of my bass guide clients have always come prepared with plenty of fish attractant, and wow! Do they ever use it! They will grab that particular bait they are using, hold it over the boat's edge, and pour it on. Is that method worthwhile?
I'll explain that in a moment, but first, let me explain a few things about fish attractants. There are several different types of fish attractants on the market today in the multi-billion dollar bass fishing industry, and the marketing is very costly. Somewhere the companies have to sell, sell, and sell to make up for the high marketing cost. Whether TV, radio, magazines, outdoor shows, etc., many commercials have to get the anglers to buy this stuff.
Let me explain the importance of fish attractants. A freshwater black bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth, or Spotted) will usually spit out a bait within 2 or 3 seconds if the bass doesn't accept the taste if it picks up the bait at all. On the other side of the coin, if a bass likes the scent or attractant, it can hold the bait up to 30 seconds or more before it spits the bait out. Fish attractant does not attract fish, but your odds of setting the hook will be greater by using it rather than not.
Now, let's get back to marketing once again. The companies that manufacture fish attractants or scents want the anglers to use it by dousing the bait. Well, if you have lots of money, go right ahead! Most tackle shops that I've been to have a variety of attractants and scents, and they cost the angler anywhere from $1.99 up to $10.00. When an angler douses the bait several times, they are ready for another bottle soon, which can get expensive after a while. Now, most plastic baits on the market today are manufactured with a scent already put in the bait. So why would you want to douse this same bait with additional fish attractant? It makes no sense at all.
However, there is a reason why one would want to buy and use fish attractants. Just think of this; a freshwater black bass can sense 1-200th of a drop of a substance in about 100 gallons of water. Wow, what a real sense of taste! This says that whenever you go fishing in the morning, gas up the night before so your hands don't smell like gas while you're fishing.
Now, let's get right to the point, and hopefully, this point can and will save you some of your hard-earned cash. When you go fishing, the first thing that you should do before you hit the water is to wash your hands with soap and water. Hopefully, this will clean any foreign scents off of your hands that may get on your baits when you handle them. Second, take that bottle of fish attractant and pour a little bit on your hands and rub them together, like a hand lotion. Now you're ready for action because any bait you touch will have this fish attractant scent added to it. Just think of the money you will save from pouring the formula over the bait. A bottle of fish attractant should now last you about 20 times as long as it did before.
I will not tell you which ones to buy, but I use only natural scents like crawfish or shad. Remember, the angler pays for the high cost of marketing a product, so of course, they want you to use lots of that product!
So, fish attractants, are they worth it? Yes! But use it as a hand lotion, and you will find yourself saving money and getting the same results as if you were dousing the bait with this fish attractant. Remember, the presentation of the bait is the most important.
