Best Bass Attractant? 2024

MDP4BASS reply :

If anyone has any suggestions on a good scent spray for largemouth (brand, smell itself, etc.) please let me know.

Thank You

rockchalk06 reply :

I don't like sprays as they contain oil. Never worked well for me.

I use Megastrike on jigs trailers and plastics. It's a cream type. Order less and colorless. I also use some on my hands to mask my scent when I touch plastics. Not sure if it helps, but it makes me feel better. And it works for scents like I use when deer hunting.

When I want something different or to give it some color, I use JJ's in chartreuse. It's a garlic scented dipping dye. Reeks something good!

Hogsticker reply :

I don't know if it's the best, and I think it is hard for any person to prove that any specific one is - but, I like the Chapsticks type attractant. No mess, though I rarely use it.

Sam reply :

Well, here we go again.

Texasfisherman is experimenting with a Nightcrawler worm paste vs. no scent on plastics and I am going to be doing the same as soon as this weather breaks and we get into the 70s around Richmond, Virginia and I can go out with my boat and hit the small lakes and to experiment.

The Nightcrawler formula is the brainchild of Dr. Keith Jones (Ph.D) of the Berkley research department now known as Pure Fishing.

There are a number of posts on scents and I am sure if you search this site you will bring up a number of them for your reading pleasure.

So what are scents supposed to do? Three things: First, you can do as Rock Chalk wrote and and hide any foreign and human scents on your hands that can be transferred to the plastics. Second, to have the bass hold onto the bait for a few seconds longer. And third, to give you confidence.

I will not go into all of the details Dr. Jones writes in his book, Knowing Bass - The Scientific Apporach to Catching More Fish, but I will give you his list as to the best scents his research found. A word of caution: Dr. Jones performed his experiments in a controlled lab. He had to do this to have the variables the same for each experiment. We may have other outcomes in the wild so use what Dr. Jones writes as your guide and not your bible.

Dr. Jones performed a scent experiment with crankbaits. We usually forget to add scents to crankbaits so I was a little surprised when I first read the chapter on chemoreception. Dr. Jones' findings show that scent on a crankbait produces an average of 43 strikes with scent and only 23 strikes without scent. Crankbaits with scent had longer retentions averaging .9 second longer than cranks without scent, .4 seconds.

The scents will surprise you. Here they are from best to worse:

Worm Extract

Prey Salt Mix

Salt

Garlic

Sugar

Anise

When you select a scent you will note there are many garlic scents out there that we all use. And Senkos are loaded with salt which plays a part in the bass striking and holding on to them.

Taking the oil molecules out of the equation since we don't pay attention to that factor there are a number of scents that we purchase for our plastics. Your goal is to expand them to all baits, including spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and jigs & pigs.

My list includes the following. You have to experiment with different brands to find out which ones you like best.

1. MegaStrike - Original Formula

2. JJs Magic - Love that garlic

3. Carolina Lunker Sauce - Place bait on a sponge and slop it up with this formula and then put sponge in a air tight plastic quart freezer bag

4. Bang! - Seems to do a good job but be ready for a stream and not a spray when you push the button

To learn more about the bass and scents please consider going to Amazon.com and purcahse Dr. Jones' book. Although it is packed with a lot of scientific information and b-i-g words I think you and the other guys and gals on this site will enjoy what Dr. Jones writes and his charts.

Now it the time to change your battle cry to: NOTHING LEAVES THE BOAT WITHOUT SCENT!

Now go out and buy some Nightcrawlers!!!!

Topwaterspook reply :

This is the first year I've tried Megastrike. Three tubes were purchased a while ago but I've only tried the "Original". So far, I'm very well satisfied. The only minor problem I've had; is the tube split at the bottom seam.

Oregon Native reply :

Been a user of Smelly Jelly, and YUM and have had some great results.

Tight Lines

derekxec reply :

i use bang for freshwater and carolina lunker sauce in both hard and soft bait kinds for saltwater

georgeyew reply :

On 5/6/2013 at 7:02 PM, Topwaterspook said:
This is the first year I've tried Megastrike. Three tubes were purchased a while ago but I've only tried the "Original". So far, I'm very well satisfied. The only minor problem I've had; is the tube split at the bottom seam.

Yeah, I had that problem too. I had to transfer the gel to another container.

TrapperJ reply :

@Sam

I am dying to find out the results of the worm pastes aka worms in a blender results. I need a reason to buy a blender just for liquefying worms! haha

gallowaypt reply :

Spike-it chartreuse garlic works well for me. I might have to try the megastrike so I can start putting scent on hard lures.

Bobby Uhrig reply :

Believe me you do not want to play with the worms in the blender trick. Witin a few hours it starts to decay -You will be puking your guts out in the boat -HMMM chumming-Maybe thats why its supposed to work so well.

JayKumar reply :

MegaStrike, Smelly Jelly. The gel-type attractants stay on the best.

Crestliner2008 reply :

Megastrike here too.

Sundance reply :

Megastrike original.

Felix77 reply :

Megastrike - Original

roadwarrior reply :

MegaStrike

airborne_angler reply :

Megastrike here too.I've heard Megastrike is non staining. Tell that to the shorts I wear on the boat which I wipe my fingers on after applying Megastrike to baits.Its not Heavy staining, but there is a mildly darker area where I wipe my fingers. And if you rub that area you can still smell a faint hint of the scent. This and I just pulled these shorts out of the laundry this morning.My wife gives me funny looks when I rub my pant leg and then smell my fingers...Its a Megastrike thing...she wouldn't understand.

This weekend we were in a sporting goods store and I was sampling the scents and attractants. She wanted to have some fun too. She found a jar of Smelly Jelly Bass Feast (pink)...so she thought the color would match the scent...think maybe she had Cotton Candy or Tutti Fruity in mind? Shetook a big ol whiff of that stuff...she turned all sorts of shades of green...me...I love that smell.

Wayne P. reply :

Kick'nBass Garlic scent is the best, all the others are tied for last place along with WD-40, gasoline, insect repellant. sunscreen or any other substance you want to try.

iceintheveins reply :

Megastrike original, a tube of paste.

BigAL reply :

Bang

bowhunter63 reply :

Megastrike here too.

MDP4BASS reply :

I THINK IM GOING TO GET SOME MEGASTRIKE HAHA

Rivers Edge reply :

CB's Hawg Sauce

http://www.cbshawgsauce.com/

keith71 reply :

Bang craw or shad.

JT Bagwell reply :

I have been using Megastrike for several years (used to be friends with Bobby but he doesn't talk to me anymore, probably because I am cuter than him, not that that is saying much lol) and it works great. Just don't squeeze to hard if you leave it laying out in the sun.

I will usually toss a tube in my boat's cooler on hot days.

The posts about the tube splitting are interesting to me because I have never had that happen in the 8 or 9 years I have been using it. Of course there are always product defects in everything we buy.

flipin4bass reply :

CB's Hawg Sauce

jhoffman reply :

Powerteam Hog Tonic, stand back lol

Brian Needham reply :

best attractant is a jig and rage craw on the back of it.

everything else covers scent more than anything.

That said I love JJ's and megastrike

Bobby Uhrig reply :

OH snap!! Looks whos back-JT BAGWELL --He used to be called JT Bagless util he started using megastrike products - Email me your address J and I have got some new stuff for ya to try.

Mike L reply :

I've always made my own, kinda old school in too many ways

1/3 Anise and 2/3 baby oil.

Gotta try that Megastrike

Mike

Bobby Uhrig reply :

Need more science than that

JT Bagwell reply :

LOL "JT Bagless" that was funny and original........ you jerk.

I will email you when I get done emailing the cool kids. lol

Later bro

All kidding aside Megastrike is awesome stuff.

J Francho reply :

Quote

LOL "JT Bagless" that was funny and original........ you jerk.

LMAO!!! That's a great nickname.

JT Bagwell reply :

Alright I just found something I wanted to share with you guys.

Sometimes I google different word variations just to see what pops up.

Here is a post I found on some website from a long time ago. (Look at the date stamp).

So yes, I am a long time user of that mad scientists products. lol

I would have to agree on this one from JT Bagwell (12.217.81.112) 4/11/2003 1:11:00 PM
Hello, My name is JT and I am a MegaStrikeAholic.

I too am a MegaStrike junkie. The stuff works great and stays on your bait for a very long time. It can last days under the right temperatures. I did a little test in my fish tank at home. With a 68 degree water temperature, MegaStrike stayed on my jig for 4 days. I had the jig placed under the little waterfall thing in the tank so it constantly had water running over it as opposed to just sitting in dead water.

Ok enough talking me, and my Megastrike tube are heading for the river.

JT Bagwell

Well that just proves it, I have been crazy for at least 10 years.

bkohlman reply :

Megastrike!

bigfishing85 reply :

Sam's reply gave me some good info as well. I use FishSticks brand in the Craw which as garlic and salt along with craw oil and I use shad scent also. I also have some shad scent in Yum.

floridabassman reply :

kick'n bass crawfish is the way to go

Bassfink86 reply :

Pro-Cure Craw fish

carlm01 reply :

Anyone ever try bass dynasty ?

BassThumb reply :

JJ's Magic is the best.

Add some to your bags with a glass eyedropper so it marinates the baits. They'll never need to be dipped afterwards.

cgolf reply :

Liquid Mayhem is my favorite secret sauce after using Altas Mike's gel scent for many years.

CTBassin860 reply :

On 4/2/2017 at 11:33 PM, carlm01 said:

Anyone ever try bass dynasty ?

They sell it at BPS in Foxboro.I havent pulled the trigger and it doesnt seem to sell either.

MIbassyaker reply :

The best bass attractant is the bait that looks the best and sounds the best.

fishwizzard reply :

I use Megastrike when I'm fishing jigs or using elaztech plastics that will hold the sent. I would use it a lot more if they offered it in a fliptop tube, like toothpaste.

Burke reply :

Powerteam Hog Tonic, JJ Magic and MegaStrike.

The strongest - Powerteam Hog Tonic -

Never Spray inside the room - Trust me, she wasn't a very Frigging happy camper.

I told her that it was only "two spray" as I wanted to test it out .

"It should be gone by 12 hours", I said (LOL)

Boy, I was really wrong, that scent smell wouldn't leave the room after one full week...

That Garlic Scent ....

cgolf reply :

On 4/3/2017 at 7:24 AM, Bunnielab said:

I use Megastrike when I'm fishing jigs or using elaztech plastics that will hold the sent. I would use it a lot more if they offered it in a fliptop tube, like toothpaste.

Liquid Mayhem has a flip cap on it, I always assumed Megastrike did too.

dmainor reply :

I gotta vote for Megastrike as well, original or Craw.

Dug

Bobby Uhrig reply :

All you had to do was watch at the demos at The Bass Masters Classic- it was as definitive as it comes - Blew the audiences away

cgolf reply :

On 4/4/2017 at 1:59 AM, Bobby Uhrig said:

All you had to do was watched at the demos at The Bass Masters Classic- it was as definitive as it comes -

Scent so works, I guess I should quit trying to convince guys, because it means more tough bite bass for me;)

That old horse and water saying comes to mind any time this topic comes up.

RHuff reply :

Mine are pretty generic but the only two scents I use is the Garlic/Chartreuse Dip for shaky head worm tails, creature baits when flipping to give more flash, and to add to the tips of trailers when on chartreuse spinner baits or chatterbaits.

Hot Rod Johnson reply :

I like to use "Edge Hot Sauce Fish Attractant"...When you've used Hot Sauce you know how effective it can be and if you haven't, you'll be in for a pleasant surprise...It creates a chum trail that brings the fish to the bait, plus it acts as a lube to make the bait more slippery which help you get a better hook set...

wisconsin heat reply :

On 5/6/2013 at 2:46 PM, rockchalk06 said:

I use Megastrike

On 5/6/2013 at 7:02 PM, Topwaterspook said:

Megastrike.

On 5/6/2013 at 11:17 PM, JayKumar said:

MegaStrike

On 5/6/2013 at 11:20 PM, Crestliner2008 said:

Megastrike here too.

On 5/6/2013 at 11:31 PM, Sundance said:

Megastrike original.

On 5/7/2013 at 12:24 AM, Felix77 said:

Megastrike - Original

On 5/7/2013 at 12:28 AM, roadwarrior said:

MegaStrike

On 5/7/2013 at 1:07 AM, airborne_angler said:

Megastrike here too

On 5/7/2013 at 5:22 AM, iceintheveins said:

Megastrike original, a tube of paste.

On 5/7/2013 at 7:27 AM, bowhunter63 said:

Megastrike here too.

On 5/10/2013 at 4:46 AM, JT Bagwell said:

I have been using Megastrike for several years (used to be friends with Bobby but he doesn't talk to me anymore, probably because I am cuter than him, not that that is saying much lol)

LOL Savage

On 4/3/2017 at 7:24 AM, Bunnielab said:

I use Megastrike when I'm fishing jigs or using elaztech plastics that will hold the sent. I would use it a lot more if they offered it in a fliptop tube, like toothpaste.

I use what these guys are using ^^^^^^^^^^^^

Felix77 reply :

On 4/3/2017 at 7:24 AM, Bunnielab said:

I use Megastrike when I'm fishing jigs or using elaztech plastics that will hold the sent. I would use it a lot more if they offered it in a fliptop tube, like toothpaste.

I thought the same thing ... just saved my toothpaste caps and put them on my MegaStrike.

Munkin reply :

Bobby Uhrig reply :

Gots to get ya some of the new skrimps formula--EEEEEEdoggy

Team9nine reply :

As you can see from the wide range of responses, the bass don't care which one you use - they love 'em all

fishwizzard reply :

On 4/4/2017 at 10:23 PM, Felix77 said:

I thought the same thing ... just saved my toothpaste caps and put them on my MegaStrike.

I feel dumb as hell for never thinking of that. Mind telling me what brand of toothpaste the cap is from? Or are they more less universal? I never really thought about it too hard.

CTBassin860 reply :

A short skirt and red lipstick.

Someone had to say it

SFL BassHunter reply :

On 4/4/2017 at 10:23 PM, Felix77 said:

I thought the same thing ... just saved my toothpaste caps and put them on my MegaStrike.

SMART!!!

jemstone90 reply :

I have a bottle of fish attractant in one of my tackle boxes. I am sure I used it right after I bought it, but if I felt I had better luck using it I would be on my second or third bottle by now. I use a lot of Berkley Gulp which comes in a stinky juice that seems to work well for me. I do soak some of my lures in the Gulp juice and like I said, It works well for me. The Chartreuse grubs, mullets and worms have been killer for Bass, Northern, and pan fish although the 3 inch Gulp minnows like in the photo below work well too on Lake Minnetonka, MN.

RoLo reply :

On 4/6/2017 at 3:59 AM, Team9nine said:

As you can see from the wide range of responses, the bass don't care which one you use - they love 'em all

Hmmm, wonder if that was 'tongue-in-cheek'

Team9nine reply :

On 4/7/2017 at 1:16 AM, RoLo said:

Hmmm, wonder if that was 'tongue-in-cheek'

Was it the "rolling eyes" smiley that gave it away?

RoLo reply :

On 4/7/2017 at 1:40 AM, Team9nine said:

Was it the "rolling eyes" smiley that gave it away?

In truth, it was based more on common belief.

Oh Yeah, I see the eye-roll now

blckshirt98 reply :

On 5/6/2013 at 10:52 PM, Bobby Uhrig said:

Believe me you do not want to play with the worms in the blender trick. Witin a few hours it starts to decay -You will be puking your guts out in the boat -HMMM chumming-Maybe thats why its supposed to work so well.

Disgusting!

I like to use Pro-Cure Gels, the stuff is basically ground up bait and sticks for a good amount of time. I've bought a few "flavors" and while I can't tell the difference I'm hoping the fish do.

I've tried Smelly Jelly but application is a bit cumbersome because of the jar.

Not a fan of Megastrike because I keep dropping the stinking cap. What brand of toothpaste is that with the fitting flip-top cap??!

Felix77 reply :

On 4/6/2017 at 9:07 AM, Bunnielab said:

I feel dumb as hell for never thinking of that. Mind telling me what brand of toothpaste the cap is from? Or are they more less universal? I never really thought about it too hard.

I typically use Colgate which comes with that cap. Just make sure to wash it good. Don't be surprised if your first few baits also include a little Spearmint or Peppermint smell in them. LOL

fishwizzard reply :

On 4/7/2017 at 2:23 AM, Felix77 said:

I typically use Colgate which comes with that cap. Just make sure to wash it good. Don't be surprised if your first few baits also include a little Spearmint or Peppermint smell in them. LOL

hah, one never knows what the bass will want!

roadwarrior reply :

And it's still MegaStrike for me.

lo n slo reply :

megastrike

.....and we want a new flip top cap Bobby!

fishwizzard reply :

Actually I also want a plastic needle-like applicator tip too, like a tiny caulk tube tip. I wanna be able to get the scent way up into tubes and biffle bugs.

Bobby Uhrig reply :

Ok wisenheimers here ya go. Ready for icast. New 1 oz tubes with flip top

New package

J Francho reply :

Travel size!

MisplacedTexan99 reply :

Mega strike or smelly jelly on any soft plastic I use

RichF reply :

I bought a tube of Megastrike on sale a few months ago because of all the BR peer pressure. Haven't used it yet. I still maintain that the best bass attractant is proper bait presentation;)

eyedabassman reply :

JJ'Magic-Megastrike

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