Smelly human smell

[shooter]

Does anyone think, or know of, any way in which the smell / traces of human contact can remain on a bait and end tackle and cause the fish to spook off.

 

I have no scientific evidence of this but it is starting to concern me and I am considering wearing a full chemical suit fishing....not really.. but I have considered trying not to touch any of my end tackle or bait with my bare skin, but to pick up bait only with a baiting needle and sterilising the end tackle with steam and then squirting it with a bait enhancement spray.

 

Am I being an idiot?????

 

I am going to conduct a few experiments when I eventually wake up from my winter hibernation, but I wondered if anyone had considered any of this before or know of anyone who has studied such theorums???

 

Many thanks..

[Leon Roskilly]

shooter:

Does anyone think, or know of, any way in which the smell / traces of human contact can remain on a bait and end tackle and cause the fish to spook off.

 

I have no scientific evidence of this but it is  starting to concern me and I am considering wearing a full chemical suit fishing....not really.. but I have considered trying not to touch any of my end tackle or bait with my bare skin, but to pick up bait only with a baiting needle and sterilising the end tackle with steam and then squirting it with a bait enhancement spray.

 

Am I being an idiot?????

 

I am going to conduct a few experiments when I eventually wake up from my winter hibernation, but I wondered if anyone had considered any of this before or know of anyone who has studied such theorums???

 

Many thanks..

Yep, this was a topic of discussion back in the '50s/'60s.

 

Smokers were particularly subject to speculation that handling bait could put fish off.

 

The solution was to handle bait as little as possible, and to wash hands in river/lake water to remove as much scent as possible, and to treat the bait with oils to mask the scent of man - geranium oil and aniseed were favourites.

 

I can't remember that it made much difference, and as it hasn't passed into angling lore, I doubt that it has much real effect, or that there is a worthwhile procedure for overcoming any slight difference made. Anglers seem to be able to catch well enough without taking such precautioons.

 

Reminds me of when I was living in North Quensland back then.

 

I used to fish with 3 yanks one of whom never had a bite, even when myself and the other 2 were bagging up.

 

I explained the theory that an angler's smell could put fish off taking bait.

 

'You mean I stink!' said Ed.

 

After that, whenever we exchanged banter, I'd riposte 'Ed, you know why you can't catch fish, don't you?'

 

Tight Lines - leon

[rob.i]

if most ground baits ,boilies and attractants are scent based i would think that the idea of wearing gloves is not too far fetched .on the other hand i read an article in trout fisherman magazine where a man tied flies with his wifes hair and caught fish......rob

[chesters1]

strange thing, when we lived in whitley bay a jack russel used to hang around the beach waiting for strollers to throw stones for it (strange pastime even for dogs :confused: ) it was always there. on the beach was an old victorian sea bath (just a deep square in the rocks) you could see to the bottom as it was about 5 feet deep and this stupid dog would dive for stones dropped in ,the strange thing is even if it didnt see the rock he would bring the same one back thinking he was watching where it went it was distracted when the rock was dropped but it always found the rock :confused: a dog breaths in as we do to sniff something as we do and you cant do that under water ,are jack russels part fish :confused:

 

[ 09. March 2004, 07:15 PM: Message edited by: chesters1 ]

[rob.i]

we too had a similar experience at coniston lastyear .the dog in question was also ajack russell. my grandy was throwing stones into the lake for him and much to our amusement he too brought back the same stone ,and would not let anyone else pick up the stone except her ,she obviously enjoyed it as she wanted to take the dog home ,had a bugger of a time trying to explain to her that you cant just pinch anyones dog .

[chesters1]

blimey he gets about and as it was in 1973/4 a dammed old one as well

[rob.i]

couldve been his grandy on hols

[Steve Burke]

Scientists have done experiments that show that fish can detect one of the chemicals on our hands, called L-serine. For instance salmon went up both forks of a channel, until a man put his hand in the water in one fork, which they then avoided.

 

Apparently, some of us release more of this chemical than others - which may or may not explain why some of us catch more than others.

 

There are other substances that apparently taint bait, including sun tan oil and most insect repellants.

 

But human saliva doesn't. In fact, it's an attractant. Which may explain the success of spitting on your bait "for luck"!

[Popsbear]

My sister's dog can find a small stick thrown into a field when it has only been touched once briefly by a finger and thumb. I smoke a pipe, if I ever give up I'll let you know if she can still do it.