I think most would agree that adding some dye to color soft plastics is beneficial. My question is this: Do you believe that scent makes a difference for the hybrids and stripers?

Does scent make a difference? single choice
	No difference
	Negative effect
	Positive effect
	Extremely Positive effect
Votes accepted starting: 12/03/09 02:33 AM
View Results

I would have added one more choice. "Never tried"

ask Fastguy I think he would say "Maybe"

I'll add my 2 scents on this. I use a crawdad scent and have for awhile......with that said I mainly use it on my hands as a mask to what scent I my bring without it. Yes I put some on a bait but to me its more to mask my scent when I handle my gear and baits. Do I believe its something positive.... I know for sure it doesnt hurt.

It may help in the Winter while dead sticking the soft plastic baits. (May try it). Do not see much benefit when the fish are active in warmer water.

FISH IN THE WINTERTIME FOR BIG HYBRIDS WITH CUT BAIT. CATCH MY BIGGEST FISH DURING THE COLD WEATHER. SO,THE FISH MUST HAVE A KEEN SENSE OF SMELL BECAUSE THE WATER CAN BE VERY DINGY .JUST SEEMS THAT IF YOU USE ARIFICIALS ADDING SOME KIND OF ATTRACTION SUCH AS SCENT WOULD BE A POSITIVE.

Most of the sassy shad bodies that I use have scent added in the form of Spike-It dye that contains garlic scent. I think it helps and have fished with others using the same color that haven't had the success that I enjoyed.
A friend of mine that fishes in Oregon and off the coast there a lot adds scent, he thinks it masks the human scent.
I have seen Skeeter Steve catch hybrids and stripers on Tawakoni using SmackBait with the tail dipped in Spike-It catch some serious numbers while those that didn't dip weren't so fortunate.

I use Spike-it as instructed by George. I know that when I use it all day and try to hug Jessica when I return, it does not help. Our German Shorthair seems to like it alot and rolls on the hand towel that I've used during the trip. I've not logged enough time fishing with it to have an opinion that merits respect.

So that's 1 extremely postive vote by your dog?

Yeah..... but he eats Jessica's chicken-a-la-king and if not monitored, cat hockey. So his positive vote is suspect.

Adding scent can be effective.Primarily in the winter time is when i have seen best results.On the East coast we would buy a flat of fresh bunker,then combine some chartreuse or white sassy shads with them and put them in plastic bags and freeze them.When they thaw out the scent of the bunker is on the sassy's pretty heavily.And the freezing did not mess with the texture of the sassy's.We would just thaw them the night before we fished for the stripers on the Chesapeake.But just remember to take some surgical gloves(not rubber gloves) with you if you touch anything that a striper is not used to smelling,like motor oil,trans fluid or have just washed your hands with soap.A lot of people think that just because they washed their hands with soap that the fish will be ok with it,they are dead wrong.Stripers have great sense of smell and when those scents get on the bait,it makes for a long unproductive day.

I use sassy shad a lot for stripers, and spray WD-40 on them. Works good; just be careful not to spray your boat or in your buddy's face downwind.
I learned the trick from an old guy catfishing upwind from me at Arlington Lake some 20 years ago. He sprayed it on stinkbait; he claimed the treated stinkbaits out-caught the others 2 to 1. Something about the trail of the oil carrying the scent of the stinkbait.
At the very least the WD-40 would eliminate the human smell of your hands on your bait. And WD-40 has gotta be cheaper than some of the specialty fishing scents out there.

+1

As previously stated, winter-time dip in garlic chartruese Spike-It does make the difference. Just don't get it on your boat carpet or clothes.

yes...yes...yes..a little threadfin lunkersauce goes a long way in cold water.