Sealing the Deal with Scent!

There is no denying it scent definitely helps when targeting redfish… it’s the number one reason  why cut-bait like mullet, ladyfish, and threadfin are so popular among most redfish anglers.  The challenge that cut-bait and most built-in scent infused soft plastic baits have is that they are most effective at rest or dragged ever so slowly.  But if you don’t know where the fish are located, this type of fishing will only keep you busy with nuisance fish… ala catfish galore!

Here is a question I ask at our Flats Class seminar series all the time… why not appeal to all the senses of a redfish and seal the deal with scent?  When redfish are chasing mullet in the marsh, I like to fish top water or a spinner bait that give redfish both a visual and an audible target… then apply a mullet gel scent to the lure to “seal the deal”.  This set-up is so effective because it appeals to all the senses of a redfish who’s aggressively trapping finger mullet against the spartina grass in the marsh… because it looks like a mullet, its sounds like a distressed mullet, and it definitely smells & tastes like a finger mullet.

Here is another scenario that is often faced by redfish anglers. You are on a flat searching for scattered reds but the fish are spread out over a big area… a stink bait laying on the bottom isn’t going to cut it, no pun intended.  But a reaction bait like a spoon or a fast-paced twitch bait can cover water quickly… add a little sardine gel scent to your spoon or hard bait and now you have appealed to more than one of the redfish’s senses and he is fooled again quite convincingly.  By adding scent to a search lure, you also are putting a smell into the water, over and over again… it won’t be long before the reds get a whiff and are running down your spoon because the applied scent helped stimulate their hunger, sealing the deal.

Even tailing redfish can be a difficult scenario at times but when a well placed tube bait in front of a tailing redfish it’s usually an instant hook-up.  A tube bait with its rich natural coloring, moving appendages, and of course laced with a (jelly doughnut load) of crab or shrimp gel… appeals once again to the multiple senses of the redfish. Sealing the deal with a loaded rod and a tight line!

Whether you are a kayak angler, avid artificial lure enthusiasts, or an aspiring redfish pro… don’t limit yourself; use all the tricks in your tackle bag and simply add scent.  The Pro-Cure Gel Scent product line has many forage specific options (menhaden, sardine, mullet, shrimp, crab, squid, and more)… its real “bait in a bottle” and both Ray & I agree nothing on the market today is as versatile or effective as this product!

You can find Pro-Cure Scents in most tackle retailers but I save time and gas and order it direct from www.fishingtacklegiant.com in the Guide-Size bottles.

Until next time, keep’em bent!

-Capt. C.A. Richardson