Attractant Additives and Dyes
Over the years fishermen have dipped their bait into attractants to improve the bite. Bass fishermen have used everything from anise oil to blood, and saltwater fishermen have used blood, chum, and other mixtures to add smell to their baits. As a result, a big commercial industry has developed, and now some companies produce nothing but attractants. You can still make your own or buy a wide variety of products. You can also buy products that dye your bait and lures, and some of those also add smell.
Kinds of Additives and Dyes
There's just about any kind of additive you could possibly want on the market. One company, Jack's Juice, produces the following spray-on additives:
Clam scent
Crab scent
Crawfish scent
Garlic scent
Lizard scent
Menhaden oil
Salty shad scent
Shrimp scent
All these additives are put on live bait and lures to make them more attractive to fish. Other companies offer other scents so there's a wide range to choose from. No matter what kind of fish you're after in both salt and fresh water, there's a scent available to attract them.
How to Use Additives and Dyes
Spray your bait with the attractant or dip your bait into it. Refresh the attractant every few casts because it wears off. When using garlic or other strong scents, you can smell them and know when they need refreshing. These attractants can be used with any kind of live bait or lure.
Many kinds of spray-on scents will stain you and your boat; it will stick to skin, carpet, and fiberglass and leave a smell and dark stain. Unless you want to smell the scent from now on, make sure you hold the bait or lure over the side of the boat while spraying on the additive.
Mix the attractants with prepared specialty baits like dough or blood baits. Or you can make your own special mix by using some of the commercial attractants and anything else you choose. You might find a green dough ball that smells like garlic is just the bait carp in your favorite lake are waiting for.
With the dyes, dip the bait into it and leave it until it changes color. You can even buy special bedding for earthworms that makes them turn different colors. There are many dyes for plastic worms, and for some kinds of live bait.
