SCENTS--Do I clean them off or what?

[Fishlaw]

Used ProCure Alewife gel on lures this weekend. When done for the day, some of the spoons still had the sticky stuff on them. Should I clean them off? If so, what should I use?

[Mad Mulcher]

I would try sulfuric acid and then maybe some napalm. Then throw the gel in the garbage and save yourself future embarrassing posts such as this one. If you want scent run meat rigs or even Brads cut plugs with garlic tuna in oil from Piggly Wiggly. Spoons seem to have no problem getting bit "au naturel". The day I have to squirt stinky alewife gel on a spoon to catch a salmon is the day I quit fishing.

[Grey Beard]

I use hot water and Dawn dish soap to clean Brad's cut plugs. I would not let your scent dry on long as can be hard to remove. I had a bottle of Kickn Trout spill and didn't find that for a week or so and really hard to get off the fiberglass deck.

I've used various scents on spoons but not sure it mattered. I didn't apply directly to the spoon. I wrapped a piece of pipe cleaner around the shank of the hook and applied the scent. Then I could throw away at the end of the day. As gifted a smeller as the salmon have I believe bad scents can hurt more than good scents help. A number of times when watching west coast salmon shows the guides often wear rubber gloves when handling lures. Others clean their hands with toothpaste.

When the water is cold in spring or fall I almost always apply Kickn Walleye to my plastics for walleye. A few of my guide friends do the same with various scents but don't talk about it, hint hint. Intercoastal salt water fisherman also use a lot of procure scents and gulp.

Let us know if you think the scents helped.

Thanks,

[Fisher123]

I remember this topic coming up last year also. I believe it was recommended to use dawn dish soap and let them soak, or use an all purpose cleaner. I do remember most people saying it was a pain to get off and it did require some elbow grease.

[youp50]

Try WD-40, it has its own fish attracting odor. You may want to get some treble hook bonnets or small vinyl tubing for siwash hooks, to cover the hook points. It depends on your tolerance to pain. Do not leave wd-40 on long, it tends to lift stickers. Ladder backs, some of the RV Moonshine stuff.

Some of us have a fish repelling amino acid on our hands. That is why some swear by scents and others see no difference.

[frisbee3557]

I put Atlas Mike's Glo Scent (Salmon and Herring flavor/scent) on every lure I let out behind the boat. I've never washed the lures and they continue to work so I've seen no reason to change my habit. As for the Brad's cut plugs, I rinse them out, soak them in water and unscented dish soap, scrub them clean and let them dry.

[Fishlaw]

Mud mulcher--try decaf