SALT

[Delw]

I have to ask this question: so no one get there panties in a wad.

why do people put salt in baits?

the only real purpose of salt in baits is to get them to sink, way to many people put salt in everything now for no reason.

lets say your running a shaky head, with a trick worm. woudlnt you want that worm to be boyant and not sink? I mean you all ready have a lead jig head on it.

what about c-rigging you have a big sinker with a long leader

what about texas rigging.

stik baits need salt due to your tossing it with out a weight

Beavers this one is a little tricky cause they are texas rigged or on a jig head, how ever salted make them nice when you want them to fall like a senko with out a weight.

I make stik baits with no salt and use them for topwater and also put them on a jig heads.

My point is I think we have over done it with adding salt to baits unless your planning on using NO Weight.

Now when I say adding salt I mean mixing it in with the plastic not putting it on the outside for flavor

Hope this makes sence.

Delw

[saint308]

I follow and I agree. I pour sticks with and without salt. I fish trick worms wacky style, so I need the salt. I also pour the trick worms without salt for c-rigging. It all depends on what you are going to use the bait for. Saint.

[BassnRandy]

I agree with you Delw. I was catching bass on worms with no salt in the late 70's and early eighty's. How did we do with out it? I use alot of shaky worms and salt is the last thing I want in them. I want that tail standing up as much as possible. Senko's ya. But my beaver and Craw Hawg bait have just a touch because customers wanted it. For myself they get none.

[wannabefishing]

confidence maybe? i know lots of people in my area feel like the fish hold on longer if they get a taste of salt... some say it's because blood has a salty taste to it, i don't think it does tastes more like metal to me so wouldn't metal be better then... i don't know, but i'm sure it all comes down to confidence...

As to trick worms being loaded with salt... well, i actually do prefer to fish them unweighted when fishing a light current, they just kind of move around naturally with the flow of water... a friend and i were fishing side by side last year, both using my handpours, i was salted and unweighted and he was weighted, both using the same colour (give or take some whiteness due to salt) i out fished him by more then a 5-1 ratio... i personally believe it was because of the natural action of the bait, we're both steelheaders and the weight is crucial to catching fish... needless to say, i'm sure a finishing nail inserted into the unsalted worm would have done just aswell...

and i'll be fishing stix without salt this year, except when testing, figure the weighted weedless wacky hooks will do a nice job...

well taht didn't answer your question, but i did get to ramble lol

[Gloomisman]

Del, not bunching my panties on this. I use to think no salt in those baits I aint buying. But since I've become a little more knowledgable in bait making, presentation, feel, and making a bait do what I want. I put alot of time into watching how a bait performs on certain rigs. salt is unnecessary for a majority of presentations. How long do you really want a fish to hold onto your lure. Yeah they might hold onto a bait for 18 seconds but if it takes you that long to relize there is a fish on it something is wrong. Like you said on the senkos, I only add the weight, some no salt for floating purposes. Pretty much IMO all salt does in the plastic is make it stiff and retards movement.

Cook in scent not salt. You get better colors and movement with the bait

Forgot to mention color and clarity. Take out the salt and you can get some really nice colors that are not milky.

Cant wait for some sinking plastic that falls 1ft per second.

[printertom]

I Think its from the success GY is having. people are paying top dollar for gary stuff they are catching fish on it so everyone thinks that salt got something to do with it. It does on style baits he makes but i don't think that it right in every application.

Thomas

[One Sock]

Salt in sticks is always a must for me. But then again I fish my sticks almost 99% of time wacky rigged. For slither type baits and trick worms it would depend on how I was fishing them No one can argue that GY's sticks have produced a ton of bass and fall rate has everything to do with that IMO, I have tested my sticks side by side with GY's for a while trying to get the right salt content down. I tank tested them and I also weighed them on a gram scale. I do a lot better now that i know that my salt content is comparable to GY's.

I also use salt to firm up some baits. Like the frogs I have been making. when your whipping frogs around on a baitcaster, the no salt frogs seem to tear up a bit faster. It's a personal preference for most people I guess. But your right Del, everywhere you look the word salt impregnated seems to be popping up. Don't even get me started on bleeding baits :-)

[vishezfish]

I have guys who love the salt in the baits i make... In fact they taste em for themselves to make sure... It in there...

I wonder if it make a diff in the bass holding on longer...

But they been working with my senko type baits, regular worms.. beavers so who knows!

[bump]

I have to agree that the salt thing is highly overrated. For me personally I do not add salt to anything besides senkos that I want to fish wacky rigged. The problem is a guy gets a bag of worms that say heavily salt injected and has a good day with them, he believes the salt was the reason for the results.

[james bradshaw]

I haven't bought into the salt making the fish hang on longer. I have had a lot of fish hang on to a unsalted bait and even pack it around like a Dog with a bone. I think the salt is way over rated, but then again it doesn't hurt unless your looking for floatation!

James

[Shawn M]

Del...you asked a question that I've been wanting to ask for awhile.

When I use salt I have all kinds of problems with colors and air bubbles. I've gotten to the point that I use a minimum amount (1 tbl spoon for 2 oz plastic) for stiks. I've even poured some with no salt and still catch fish, they aren't as heavy, but still seem to work for me. Everything else I pour get's no salt, just some fish formula in the bag. Without the salt they are softer and last longer, IMHO.

Granted I have limited experience with pouring, but I'm my only customer...

Shawn

[The Dutchman]

Not only salt but scent. We put scent into our plastic. We have to use oil based scent. Oil and water doesn't mix. I am not a chemist but in reading about scent, except from people who make and sell it, the oil will either cook out of it or wash off when it hits the water. Ever see the oil slick after the bait hits the water? I have to ask how we ever caught fish on plastic worms prior to salt and scent. I will say that it has been a boon to the worm making and selling people. The only reason I put salt in my lures is if a customer asks for it or for weight. Gary Yamamoto uses a 1/8th oz. screw-in weight to fish his senkos. Guess he doesn't need the salt. I also put scent in the bag after filling and squish it around because people will open the bag and smell it. Then, someone will take one out of the bag and taste it to see if it has salt. It says salt added on the package. But, would they ever pull a real senko out of the pack and taste it? Salt AND scent are things put in baits to make you buy. The selling campaign has once again caught the fisherman and not the fish. If it is a confidence thing, go ahead. However, I think it is a waste of money that I could be using to pay for my $3.00 a gallon gas!!

[Richard Prager]

!0 cav would be fine. Even 5 or 6 cavities. Do you have a 3 cavity you can send out today?????

[Delw]

Some really good comments, Like alot of you guys I feel the salt went way over board, mainly due to the senko stage, while the senko is loaded with salt it has a reason for being loaded with salt and thats the sink rate using it with no weight.

For split shot work on worms adding salt helps just like the senko, no weight slow fall.

but now when you want to use baits that have some bouyantcy(sp) these baits loaded with salt just don't work and take the purpose out of carolina rigging and a few other types of rigs right out of the picture.

someone said scents, thats a whole nother subject and a pretty good one too.

I use scents when my kids were younger only for them. as they were learning how to feel the bite and the scents allowed the fish to stay on the hook for a second or 2 longer. This helped them on there hook set pretty good. I do the same when I take people out that have never fished for bass before as there reaction time isnt that great and it gives them another second or too.

all that being said scents do not effect the action of the bait or the purpose of the bait.

Salt effects the action of the bait in a very big big way. I know guys here in the valley that always did pretty good on shaky heads and c-rigging, they started building there own baits and they just couldnt catch fish like they use to. you guessed it they were using heavy salt and the bait would just fall to the bottom with no action( from the waves) they took the salt out and there catch rates went way up using the same baits but with out salt like the org bait.

[mrgeorge]

Who started all this scent thing, special formula, salt etc.? Probably Mann bait co. He had blue berry juice worms,black berry juice, plum etc. Have any of you seen a bass eat a plum? No and you never will. Have you ever seen a bass swim up to a worm filled with garlic sniff it like a dog and back off and seem to say not enough garlic does not smell enough might would eat it if it had a little salt added to it? No and you never will. Stink baits are for catfish, bass don't eat dead stinking things. How about special formulas? Take 4 lure companies, 1. My worm is a quality bait. 2 My worm has salt added. 3 My worm has salt and garlic. 4 My worm has salt garlic and special formula. Which one will the customer buy? why number 4 of course. WHY? Its called smoke blowing. It has nothing to do with catching fish, but evertyhing to do with catching people. For the record, there have been millions of bass caught without the scents,the garlic and the special formulas. But the bottom line is: If jack or Jill catch a fish with a worm that has salt in it there is no way on earth you could make them believe that salt had nothing to do with it. The other side of the coin is there is no way to prove or disprove it. Sure they make test in tanks and say it works this way, but the true test is in the wild habitat. Not till someone can put on a pair of bass eyes will we know what really goes on, and that aint't gonna happen.

I myself get caught up in all the hoopla. I use anise sent spray on my worms, but I don't believe in it.

Well hope this cleared up the water a little bit.. mrgeorge

[james bradshaw]

Scent on the other hand is a completely different story!

I know without a doubt that scent makes a difference in catch rate verses no scent.

I don't put scent in any of my baits because most people use thier own scent, plus it's a mess to deal with.

The way I see it the people are Brain washed with this salt craze!

James

[The Dutchman]

Does scent or salt catch more fish (bass). If you think so you probably will catch more because you have confidence in the bait. I think what has to happen is you have to have confidence in any bait you throw or why put it on in the first place. I know people who put scent on hard baits - jerks and cranks and spinnerbaits. These are reaction baits and people still put scent on them. I have yet to see people put salt on a crank - but they do catch fish with them - and lots of them. Scientists and fish biologists can't really see the scientific proof that scent makes a fish hold on longer or they eat the bait faster. Some people have actually dropped their worm in gasoline and caught bass, Some have dipped in in sunscreen and actually caught bass. L-serine(sp) in our bodies supposed to repulse bass. Now they believe that certain ones have no affect on bass. In closing, I think if salt, scent give you confidence to fish a bait harder and longer than do it. You don't catch fish with your bait out of the water. More fish are caught with baits that are in the water - salted or unsalted, scented or unscented. We, as fishermen and women, are constantly being bombarded with advertising about things that will sell products. I see pros who for years advertised one product - line - now they are singing the praises of another brand and company i.e. Hank Parker and Shaw Grigsby. Read a Bassin' Mag and all of the stories are infomercials for products. Companies pay pros big money and give them expensive products to sell their product i.e. Roland Martin - he will try to sell anything if he gets paid for it. Amen! Sorry for rambling.

[Senkosam]

Pretty much IMO all salt does in the plastic is make it stiff and retards movement.

You get better colors and movement with the bait (..with no salt)

Forgot to mention color and clarity. Take out the salt and you can get some really nice colors that are not milky.

Good points!

It amazes be that Yamamoto puts so much salt into everything, even grubs. Maybe he realizes that salt and a lot of softener make a bait flimsy, forcing people to restock more often. The original Beaver should contain much less salt for better action and is good for only a few fish because it’s loaded. The profile of the bait is what I like, not the sink rate of the unweighted plastic.

Salt is only good for certain baits IMO and where enough softener must be added to retard the limiting action of salt. Soft plastics are about action – inherent and imparted – and with less action (flex, floatation, finesse), isn't worth didley! As far as fish holding onto a salted bait longer, consider this theory – they hold on longer because of the softness and the grainy, crunchy texture.

Can’t wait for some sinking plastic that falls 1ft per second.

Another good point. Salt is about sink rate. How many soft plastic designs do we need a faster sink rate while sacrificing softness and translucent color? Not too many IMO. Senko groupies insist that the Senko is a versatile bait, but like Del said, where does a heavily salted Carolina Senko or lizard end up? ...on the bottom, in the muck or weeds, crashing into every rock as it trails the rig.

The other reason to use salt is to not use an external weight that gives a bait a nose-down dive angle. But why only salt? I started using bb's recently and 4-5 add some nice center or tail weight to any design I pour needing non-uniform weight. No need for additional softener either!

[Gloomisman]

Picking me apart huh Senkosam.LOL

Del,

hate hasseling you but I'm going to anyway. Any new info on that sinking plastic?

[BassnRandy]

Having gone to school here in Stevens Point in the Outdoors fields; I still get to talk to fish biologists and read papers and studies ect once in a while. Fish like humans and animals have the ability to taste and to smell in their own way. With that said there has been studies done that have proven that bass do like salt and are attracked to certain scents. How much, how often ect, is still a matter of study and debate. Before salt impregnated baits; several of us carried a baggy of salt in our boat. we dipped our baits in it and in this anglers opinion it made bass hold on longer and take a complete bait in their mouth instead of just half or picking up the tail.

As far as scents. When I am on the Miss. R. I swear by garlic and know a dozen plus other guys who do also. Anywhere else I usually don't scent my baits unlees it's the ones I make and it's cooked in. Maybe it's all in my head, but as long as I am getting the bites I don't care alot.

I have a feeling salt maybe forgotten before long as something takes over to replace it. Sorry guys and Gals but we participate in a sport of fads and publicity and it is not going to change.

One anglers opinion.

[Senkosam]

Picking me apart huh Senkosam.LOL

Sorry, I didn't read your reply. I'm mostly expressing a personal opinion about the use of salt in plastic and agreeing with Del that it has it's place and time.

The only theory I don't agree with is that bass can identify an attractant and holds on because it recognizes it (ie. protein of craw or baitfish, blood, etc.).

[Gloomisman]

Sorry, I didn't read your reply. I'm mostly expressing a personal opinion about the use of salt in plastic and agreeing with Del that it has it's place and time.

The only theory I don't agree with is that bass can identify an attractant and holds on because it recognizes it (ie. protein of craw or baitfish, blood, etc.).

I was just kidding around. I'm suprised someone agreed with me.

I do wonder why garlic works so freaking good. There is nothing I've ever smelled a fish eats that smells like garlic. but it works great.

[outcast]

OK, as if I don't have enough worms already, now I'll be hitting ya'll up for SALTLESS worms. Some VERY interesting points made, thanks DEL for getting this one started. I have NEVER poured a worm, nor do I know anything about it. Reading these replies has got the ol' wheels turning, so here it goes. Would it be possible to pour worms with salt in designated areas, I mean in the middle (for weight) and nothing at the ends for more action, or in the head only for tail action (shakey head, texas rig), still giving it SOME salt ? Again, I don't know anything about pouring worms, I'll just stick with painting lures.

outcast....

[One Sock]

OWould it be possible to pour worms with salt in designated areas, I mean in the middle (for weight) and nothing at the ends for more action, or in the head only for tail action (shakey head, texas rig), still giving it SOME salt ? Again, I don't know anything about pouring worms, I'll just stick with painting lures.

outcast....

It is indeed possible, handpouring them it's a pain in the a$%, but once you have done it numerous times it becomes quite easy. I can salt a tip of a senko and have it stand straight up in the water. skinny worms work well for that too. i also do a lot of supersalt heads and tips so that the baits don't rip from the hook as easily while the rest of the bait stays super soft, and retains the action of unsalted baits