By: Mark Romanack
It only takes a few drops of Super Gel to create a natural scent stream in the water that lasts 30-40 minutes before more scent should be applied.
As avid fishermen we are always trying to figure out an “edge” to help us catch more and bigger fish. Usually that process pushes us towards experimenting with specific lures and or lure colors. No doubt picking the “right bait” or the “right color bait” can make a difference.
It could also be argued that picking the right “scent” has a similar result when it comes to putting fish in the boat. Sadly, the idea of using scent to attract fish is not likely to be the first thing most anglers think about when fishing gets tough.
Science has proven that all species of game fish use their sense of smell to not only find food, but more importantly to seek out the most desirable foods. For anglers who are open minded enough to experiment with scent products, this simple leap of faith can be a game changer.
The things that any game fish species eats typically changes with the seasons. Fish are opportunistic creatures that readily take advantage of seasonably abundant or locally abundant food resources.
For example, it’s well known that smallmouth bass feed on crayfish. Crayfish hibernate in the winter so a crayfish scent is going to work best during the warm water periods of the year when these crustaceans are active and available as a food source.
One of the author’s favorite Pro Cure Super Gel formulas is the Gizzard Shad formula. Gizzard shad are a common soft rayed forage species that walleye seek out routinely.
Another good example would be smelt that spawn in the early spring and then move out to deeper and colder water during the rest of the year. Species such as walleye routinely gorge on smelt when these baitfish move shallow to spawn.
Also, certain bodies of water tend to favor certain forage species. The Detroit River for example is a haven for emerald shiners a common forage species that both walleye and smallmouth bass seek out.
Understanding these seasonal or geographic forage options helps anglers use scent products that game fish are routinely seeking out. At Fishing 411 we are big fans of Pro Cure Bait Scents. We use a lot of the Super Gel products because these scents are made using baitfish species that are common to the areas we fish.
Pro Cure Super Gel also creates a long lasting scent stream in the water. For the best results we recommend re-applying every 30-40 minutes while fishing.
At any given time you’ll find several Super Gel bottles in our boats including Emerald Shiner, Gizzard Shad, Alewife, Crayfish, Nightcrawler, Leech, Salmon Egg and Smelt formulas. These are the forages that Great Lakes trout, salmon, steelhead, walleye, bass and pike commonly feed on and the scent products that help us catch fish consistently.
Using scent products never hurts and often makes all the difference in how fish react to fishing presentations. Super Gel can be used on hard baits, soft plastics and even live bait such as nightcrawler, minnows and leeches.