Coming Attractions A Look at New Scents and Attractants for Bass Anglers By Keith Sutton

Anglers have been adding various types of scents and attractants to their bass fishing lures for decades. As early as the 1930s, for example, fishermen were dousing their plugs with vanilla, peppermint and licorice from home cupboards. Some employed aromatic extracts such as asafetida and myrrh that were purchased at the local pharmacy.

Some of those anglers of yesteryear used these add-ons primarily to mask repulsive odors from gasoline, oil, insect repellent and the like. Others believed in the power of these products to attract bass by their senses of smell and taste.

In the 1980s, scents charged onto the bass-fishing scene in a big way. First generation products were typically addons from spray bottles or other applicators (Fish Formula, B.A.N.G., Yum, Dr. Juice). Scent types included extracts and oils from a wide variety of forage animals, including minnows, shad, crayfish, leeches and worms. Saltand garlic-impregnated lures came next.

The variety of such products marketed today is simply astounding. There are pastes, gels, liquids and solids; fish oils, pheromones, amino acids and enzymes; and all this in more colors and flavors than Baskin Robbins ice cream.

Scent and attractor products are somewhat controversial in nature. They are viewed with suspicion by many bass anglers, yet used religiously by others. Many question whether or not they actually attract fish and/or mask offensive odors, thereby increasing hooking success. But the answer won’t come easily because it’s difficult to prove under actual angling conditions due to the number of variables that influence fish behavior and angling effort.

The fact remains, however, that scent and attractant products are here to stay, and some manufacturers are investing millions of dollars and years of time trying to develop a formula that is indisputably effective. This is reflected in the variety of products being introduced this year by major manufacturers. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll be seeing in 2005.

Mustad’s Ultrabite™ Fish Attractant Distributed exclusively through Mustad®, the world’s best-selling hook brand and a leader in fishing innovations, Ultrabite™ is a breakthrough liquid formulation containing patented pheromone technology that the manufacturer says will attract fish to a specific area and induce them to feed. Four formulations are now available: black bass, salmon, saltwater and catfish.

“Ultrabite is truly unique,” says Bob Funk, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Mustad. “Even though it has a very distinct aroma, it is not a scent.Ultrabite is an attractant. I say that because Ultrabite can be produced in a form that looks and smells like water, thus the aroma has nothing to do with how it works. The important thing to remember when using Ultrabite is that you need to get it into the water. There are many ways of doing this. For example:

“Put Ultrabite on your lure and make several casts to a given area. The lure is the delivery device. You do not want Ultrabite to stay on your lure; you want the lure to deliver the Ultrabite into the area you think the fish are.

“Use a Sure Strike device. This is a plastic capsule that has a top and a bottom. The two pieces are held together with a piece of surgical tubing. Run the line from your rod and reel through the tubing and twist the top until the tubing goes tight on the line and holds the Sure Strike device in place. Fill the capsule with Ultrabite and begin fishing.

“Carry a squirt gun and simply squirt Ultrabite directly into an area.

“Depending on water temperature and current,” Funk continues, “it takes roughly a teaspoon of Ultrabite to turn on the fish in an area the size of an Olympic swimming pool. Also, it is important to keep Ultrabite cool in warm environments. I keep it in my ice chest in the boat.”

It takes a few minute for Ultrabite to have an effect on fish. This is important to know because if an angler is a runand-gun-style fisherman and puts Ultrabite on his lure, makes a couple casts then leaves the area, he has succeeded only in turning on the fish for the guy that comes in behind him.

“We have also found that once the fish are turned on, if there is no food (or lure) in the area for them to eat, they will leave the area in search of food,” Funk says. “I will not say that Ultrabite is guaranteed in all situations but I have seen it make a huge difference enough times so Harris and Bedient also have designed scent dispensers that will accommodate Aqua-Scent pills. These dispensers—the Aqua-Spin, Aqua-Bug, Aqua-Soaker and Aqua-Soaker II—can be employed for a variety of fishing techniques.

Aqua-Scent pills come in 20 flavors, including anise, garlic, minnow, crawfish and night crawler. Retail prices aren’t available.

For more details, phone Aqua-Scent at 503-349-1553 or log on to their website at: www.aqua-scent.com.

Scent-A-Strike Another just-released product is Scent-A-Strike, which is available in crawfish, anise and garlic flavors, which are known to work well on bass. What’s unique about this product is the easy-to-use, twist-up, solid stick. Think of a large tube of Chap Stick, and you’ll get the picture.

Scent application is a snap. Rub Scent-A-Strike on crankbaits, soft plastics or other lures. It won’t affect the action of the lure, and there’s no dripping on boat decks, no spilling in your tacklebox or any of the other traditional downsides to scent fishing. You don’t even get this stuff on your hands. Just twist the stick up in the tube and apply.

According to the manufacturer, Scent-A-Strike incorporates two of the best bass-attracting amino acids, and users will get over 5,000 applications per stick of product. The suggested retail price is $5.99 per stick, or a three-pack with all flavors for $17.49. Check it out by logging on to www.scentastrike.com  or phoning 631-581-4611, ext. 31.  
   

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