Tainting the bait

quattro

quattro

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It's something I've often wondered about. How easy is it to taint the bait with smells or flavours enough to put the fish off? It seems that fish are attracted by "smell" as well as taste (could be the same thing), and are not easily put off by exotic fruit flavours etc. I used to think that smokers could taint the bait, or diesel if you're clumsy like me when filling up:rolleyes:
What brought this to mind was that I was about to polish my pole (oo er missus:D) with furniture polish which stunk of flowers or disinfectant, and thought this could easily be transferred to the bait. I've got into the habit of rubbing my hands on the grass before I bait up, but no idea if it does any good
Has anyone noticed anything like this which has affected their fishing?
 
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Ben Haigh

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i suppose some smells could pass on and put the fish off, but i doubt this is something that happens all the time. i smoke quite heavily while fishing, (just cos sods law says i'll get a fish on while rolling a fag, lol), and the smell has never seemed to put the fish off really, not so as i'd notice anyway. unless the fish have a penchant for Drum tobacco?

i know it is easy to overdo it with direct application of flavourings to bait, some of them anyway, but i really don't worry about the remnants on my hands
 
Cakey

Cakey

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Im real real fussy with my baits ,I will not get petrol or diesel on the day and when I get to the lake just before I bait up I rub my hands with grass
 
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Stealph Viper

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I wash my hands in the lake water before baiting up, i have also rubbed them in the mud of the lake and then washed them off with the lake water.
I don't know if it makes one iota of a difference to the Fish, but it just gives me added confidence. :D
 
Ray Roberts

Ray Roberts

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I used to fish with a pal and in three years sea fishing he never caught once. He actually isn't a bad angler but most times we fish together in freshwater he catches far less than me. I think that occasionally the body produces scents that fish find repulsive. We have even swapped swims and used identical tackle in the past and he still has caught at a far slower rate.

On the other side of the fence carp and pike anglers anoint and include all sorts of weird and wonderful smells, oils and so called attractors. I was advised by one of the pike anglers on here to use Kalium oil on my baits, this smells like a sweetshop and is certainly not by any stretch of the imagination something that could resemble natural food to pike. Could it be that some of these scents don't act as attractors but mask other smells that the fish at times find distasteful?
 
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Stealph Viper

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I have a set routine if i know i am going fishing for the day.
the night before, i have a shower before i get in to bed, but on the morning of the day i am going fishing i throw some water on my face and brush my teeth but i don't put on any deodorant or aftershave or anything like that.
Just because i believe that they could taint the bait, i don't suppose the deodorant matters so much in the winter when you have loads of layers on, but in the summer i believe it can.
Silly superstition i suppose but hey we all have routines when it comes to fishing. :D
 
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captainbarnacles

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As already mentioned , i rub my hands on the bank dirt and water , dont know if it helps or not. But when off fishing ( as i'm not trying to pull the birds) i never use deodarant spray or aftershave , normally around 5 . 30 in the morning before i get dressed i usually roll around in me maggott box just to get the right smell hehe , not realy folks. I smoke like hell too and still catch plenty , the only thing i have noticed just lately is, that i have been liquidiseing dog buscuit to bulk up my groundbait for cheapness. And find i dont catch on it apose to pure groundbait. It tends to put them off , don't know why. But now i'v started to add just a sprinkle of tumeric wich most fish love and that counteracts any nasty smells.
 
Peter Jacobs

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Cakey said:
Im real real fussy with my baits ,I will not get petrol or diesel on the day and when I get to the lake just before I bait up I rub my hands with grass
Click to expand...

I do exactly the same as Cakey - never fill-up the car on the day you are going to fish; its the kiss of death in my humble opinion.

As a smoker I also prefer to use 'smelly' baits, like cheese paste and maggot too.
 
Cakey

Cakey

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the other problem I have is my wife makes me use a alcohol hand rub by guest medical and that leaves a slight smell that I worry about............
 
Ray Roberts

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Cakey said:
I have enough health issies without catching something bankside..............
Click to expand...

You haven't been fishing the Trent with a certain Mr Swords have you. You might need somthing stronger than a bit of hand gel. I'd put two on, just in case one splits...............................




Paper bag for her head I meant.
 
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