Along with the incredibly sensitive olfactory capabilities of virtually all of our target species here in the Northeast, they also hunt for prey using sight, their lateral lines and sound. Current technology has enabled lure manufacturers to develop incredibly lifelike baits that look, feel and move like the real thing, but it’s often scent that’s triggers the strike response. Only a handful of manufacturers make scents that we believe make a difference. Most recently we’ve been impressed with the results of our field testing of Pro-Cure scents.
I met Phil Pirone, president of Pro-Cure, at the recent ICAST Tackle Convention in Las Vegas. Pro-Cure is located in Salem, Oregon but Phil is from the Northeast and highly experienced in fishing for stripers, fluke and our offshore gamefish. Following the show, Phil sent me a selection of Super Gel scents and new water soluble fish oils that included Squid, Bunker, Bloody Tuna, Mullet, Sand Shrimp, Herring and others. Over 50 scents are available from Pro-Cure.
We circulated samples among our staff and the early results are in. New Jersey Editor Chris Lido, Long Island Associate Editor Joe Wenegenofsky and I recently tried them. We all experienced increased catches compared to others fishing with or near us and not using the scent. Chris Lido used the scent in an interesting way and reported back: "The bunker scent was good for livening up frozen chunks because fresh bunker was not available. The gel scents, especially the squid, worked well on fluke. It really adhered to the lure well." On another recent fluke outing, one angler on our boat used the Water Soluble Fish Oils on a teaser tied with bucktail and hung from a dropper loop. Below the rig was a squid/spearing combo. Consistently, the teaser was hit over the bait combo which made us believe the scent played a role. I applied squid oil to a soft plastic lure and caught at a rate that was consistently above others on the boat, with water clarity that day being very poor on an outgoing tide.
Try injecting Pro-Cure into real baits for added scent dispersant. Those who have used the scents have said that when a bottle is opened, the scent actually smells spot on real and is very strong. All of Pro-Cure scents are made using real bait, not a synthetic formula. You’ll hear more about Pro-Cure in the future, but get the edge now.
