Hunting Fishing Blog

Some of you are thinking right now... scent control when fishing?! He's crazy! But I beg to differ. Ask any successful angler and they will tell you that the number of quality fish caught is directly correlated with a fish's sense of smell. Doubt me? Then ask yourself why when catfishing, do anglers often use stink bait to attract and land lunker catfish fish? And why when deep sea fishing, do anglers chum the water to attract different fish species? The truth is fish have an acute sense of "smell". Take for instance... a bass fish's taste buds are located outside its mouth as well as inside of it. That means that a bass can taste an object before it enters its mouth. A bass fish's taste and smell are once again combined in such a way that a bass smells and tastes at the same time.

Several years ago a study was completed to determine the acuity of a bass fish’s sense of smell and taste. It was conducted in a 100 gallon tank. The results of the study were stunning. It was discovered that a bass can distinguish the scent or taste of 1/200th of a drop of a substance. If a bass tastes or smells bait that is unpleasing it will not take the bait into its mouth or it will only do so for a couple of seconds. If however a bass likes the taste or scent of a particular bait it has been known to hold on as long as half a minute before dispensing of the object from its mouth. This study can apply to all fish. This information is critical to any serious angler! Think about it, how many times do we quickly fill up the car or truck with gas, grab a bite to eat, wipe the sweat from our brow before grabbing out rod and reel and casting into our favorite honey hole for a little bass fishing or other fishing? These mistakes could be costing you a shot at those hidden lunker fish hiding deep in the water.

But don't fret, a couple simple steps can be taken to improve your odds.

1. Remember what your mother always told you about washing your hands?! Well it's critical to do this to cleanse your hands not only from the oil it naturally produces but also from the other scents that those oils have collected.
2. Air out your dirty laundry! By this I'm referring to your tackle box! Most synthetic lures now contain petroleum products that need to breathe otherwise they will begin to break down. When their chemical bonds break down they give off scent and they also begin to "melt" (not JUST due to heat). This is why after leaving your tackle box closed for extended periods of time often results in a mess and a trip to the local bait shop to acquire a new lure containing device.
3. Finally, don't forget that any disturbance to the natural habitat can also give off scents that will scare fish away. If the prop on your boat cuts weeds in the water those weeds give off scents that alert fish that danger may be near. The same can be said if disturbance occurs while fishing from the shore line. Mud, grass, or other objects that are suddenly introduced into the water may signal your fishing prey that you are in the area and cause them to be cautious of any bait and lures thrown in their immediate range.

Let me know how these tips help you!

Let me start out by saying that wind is a major factor in whether or not you even see or get a mature deer in range or any deer for that matter. Always pay very close attention to the wind while in the stand. If it's still early in the morning or afternoon and you need to make a switch to another stand I highly recommend it. You want to always put yourself up wind from where you believe the deer may be coming from. When calling or rattling the buck he will always come in downwind of your location to scent check you to be sure there is no danger. This is when all the scent control you have done pre hunt will determine the outcome. Also when using a decoy it's best to have the buck decoy quartering to you and upwind from you, that way when a buck comes in and circles downwind to get head up for the battle you have a broad side or quartering away shot. I prefer my sets to be at 20 to 25 feet but you need to do what is comfortable to you. Also when setting this high off of the ground always wear a safety harness or vest. As far as thermals go this is how it works. The thermals are pushed up in the morning along with your scent so you are less likely to be caught during morning hunts. In the evening when the thermals are being pushed downward toward the bucks best defense which gives him a little advantage as appose to morning but I prefer an evening hunt any day over morning, their always seems to be more action. Ultimately you want to gain an edge by being wind alert and as scent free as possible. If the wind is swirling all you can do is hope for the best. I mean after all it is bow hunting, anything can happen.

In my experience of finding and setting up on mature bucks through the years. There is one thing I've noticed about the ghostly 5 year or older mature whitetail, is that they are a whole different animal than they were at 3 or 4, that's for sure. They spend a lot of time alone and in the most remote spots they can find. A lot of times when I get a booner on camera during the summer he's always alone the whole summer long it seems. They have us figured out more then we care to admit on our patterns and habits as well. Stay as scent free as possible at all times even when goin in to check trail cams or to hang your set. The first thing I look for when I hit a new property is always locating the food on the property and the potential bedding areas and pinch points for stand sites. Then I find those out of the way off the beaten trail type spots, that booners always hide out in. If you keep in mind the fact that if you where him you wouldn't wana be bothered either. Remember this year when scouting find the thickest, most hiddin place on your property and that's where your next wall hanger is going to be.