Pro-Cure Bait Scent: How Many More Fish Does It Really Catch? [New Experiment]
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Fishing with Otis, Lure Experiments, Lure Reviews, Product Reviews
Pro-Cure Bait Scent Experiment
Does bait scent make a difference or not?
Many Salt Strong members have asked this question so I decided to do an on-the-water experiment to come up with answers to it that has some independent testing behind it.
And I wanted to share this first experiment with you to get your feedback about how effective this scent testing method is before I continue to do more of them.
See below for the overall structure of the experiment as well as a fun video of it in action… Otis sure was having a blast “helping” me out.
Bait Scent Experiment Details
This first scent experiment features a scented gel from Pro-Cure rubbed on a soft plastic jig (Zman MinnowZ).–
As you’ll see in the video below, I did my best to keep the variables as minimized as possible…
What I kept constant:
- Lure
- Rod
- Reel size
- Line size (different color to keep track of which one had the scented lure)
- Leader line
- Knots
Target variable:
The target variable was scent, so I applied the Pro-Cure gel to the lure on the rod with the yellow line, and kept the lure on the white line completely free of any scent.
And I switched rods every 3 casts while fishing so that I would have an equal amount of casts with each of the lures to see if there were any differences in fish caught.
Pro-Cure Scent Experiment Results
I had some time last week to start the testing, and I filmed the action so that you can see exactly what fish were caught.
Click on the video below to see the action from the first experiment:
Conclusion
This experiment is just getting started, so there is a lot more analysis to be done before I can report any conclusive results.
I plan to test out multiple different Pro-Cure scents, and I’ll target a variety of species assuming you’re interested in seeing the results.
For now, I’m mostly interested in your thoughts about the following:
- Should I make changes to the testing format? or keep it as is?
- What type of Pro-Cure gel do you like best for inshore fishing?
Use the comments section at the bottom of this post for any feedback on these scent experiments.
Thanks for your time in checking out this post… Fish On!
Related Posts:
– How To Consistently Catch Redfish, Snook, & Seatrout [PDF Guide]
– 7 Saltwater Fishing Lures That Can Catch Fish Pretty Much Anywhere
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What’s up salt strong staff? If you don’t use scent you are missing a lot of opportunities. I just started inshore fishing this year (March 2020). My wife and I bought a house in Charleston SC on the Wando River. Her brother is an active fisherman so I started fishing with him and got hooked big time. After spending numerous hours fishing, an obnoxious amount of money on every lure you can imagine and a 22’ tidewater bay max fully rigged I finally came to my scentses…get it. I had bought a 2 pack of egret baits vudu shrimp and a bottle of pro cure shrimp scent and decided that’s all I was gonna use that day. And holy sh-t!!! My first slam. Actually caught 5 different species that day. Redfish, flounder, trout, grouper and red snapper. Since then I have managed 5 slams and ALL were while using pro cure. And to prove how well pro cure works I took cut sponge and saturated it in pro cure shrimp scent while we were cut bait fishing some docks at low tide. Caught 3 redfish on just a soaked sponge on a hook. It did not outfish the cut finger mullet but it caught fish on smell alone. So I’m a believer. Now I use pro cure shrimp on my vudu shrimp and the inshore gel for ALL other baits. I won’t leave the ramp without it. Thanks for all the tips and tricks and stay salt strong!!!
Thanks for making time to post the helpful comment Darren!
Hey Luke,
Im getting ready for a fishing triip to Venice, LA vicinity targeting trout , reds, and flounder, and was thinking if I needed to take some extra Pro Cure. Now After seeing this video, it looks like Pro Cure and the like are no big deal.
But I also recently heard your podcast on Underwater Fish Scents that repel and attract fish. The fish scent research seems to say that scents can make a big difference. It looks like pro cure or similar stuff should have made more difference in your onwater test. Also, arent the slam shadys and z man shadys packed in some kind of scent.
At least, the scents like pro cure would be good insurance to get rid of human skin oil scent or other detracting scents that might be on your line and lure.
Here’s a story for you.
I recently went off shore bottom fishing with my neighbor. Typically when we hit a spot and dropped our lines, I would catch fish quickly, and larger fish. His were smaller and less frequent. Toward the end of your trip, he asked if he could fish on my side of the boat!! like that was going to make a difference out in the vast ocean. I thought it was kind of crazy.
He was a smoker and took a couple of smoking breaks while we were fishing. When I heard the podcast on Underwater Fish Scents, it dawned on me that the smoking scent on his hands and equipment might be the reason he wasn’t catching fish like I was=== not the side of the boat.
2 What do you think?
Thanks for any thoughts.
J M
I think it’s more about avoiding negative scents and less about trying the find the perfect scent for a target species. All smokers should use scents on their lures to mask the negative scents. But for those of us who are careful to avoid the top negative scents, adding pro cure is not a must-do thing.
Having been a writer and contributor when I worked for tech republic I have use video and interesting writing for the viewer/readers. As far as how you review them and changes. I’d just ask for a little more written information in the article. Call it add but sometimes I just want to know, you know. does scent work, and maybe a why based on results. but i do like to watch the videos when i have quiet time “alone”. if someone is talking, and there is always one sitting right next to me. I may not be paying attention to them but i can’t concentrate enough not to miss something in the video. I like the option of reading more and look like I’m listening. I have to go she is watching me. JK lol
Hey Luke. So when in COVID 19 Sheltering in Place mode – what is one to do? Watch Salt Strong Videos of course!!!
So Just watched the ProCure “test” video. Here is my nickle’s worth opinion. I like scents when the water is stained, muddy, dark. I believe freshwater trout, catfish, and panfish use “scent” in these conditions to further “validate” the object is worth eating, and within reasonable short range they are attracted to the item, or are aware there is something nearby worth eating.
In salt, redfish and black drum, in such similar colored (versus clear) water conditions will track a scent trail to the source. Regarding flounder, since they tend to hold on to and “chew” before swallowing the bait – I think a scent on plastics or even dead shrimp – makes the bait appear more palatable. Think it also provides a “cover” scent to unscented plastic baits as well. In the video, you were catching trout, which have always seemed to me to be more “sight” predators. Okay, maybe that was seven cents (scents) worth… wocka wocka…
I know this is an old thread, but wanted to through out the idea of trolling the baits at the same time to see if one gets more hits.
Thanks for making time to leave the suggestion Tim!
Informative even though it doesn’t support use of scent.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks John!
I have actually tried Pro-Cure Shrimp on a sabiki rig to catch pin fish in the marina and it absolutely positively makes a HUGE difference. Dropping the plain unscented Sabiki rig you’d get 1 maybe 2 every 5 minutes. Smear some Pro-Cure on each lure on the rig and you have all 6 hooks hit almost instantly. I know they arent game fish, but just comparing unscented to Pro_cure scented it’s night and day. The Pro_cure worked better than FishBites – Shrimp, Berkley fish strips (like FishBites) and was equal in attracting Pin Fish as small bits of fresh dead shrimp.
I have used Pro-Cure Mullet scent on a hard plastic lure and it seemed to make a difference on a slow bite day. However I am not sure that I tested under same conditions, etc.
Coastal Bend area of Texas
Thanks for making time to leave the helpful comment John!
Over the last 15 years I’ve used Procure (mullet) inshore and offshore. I have seen a considerable difference attracting fish when the bute is difficult. It’s more difficult to compare when the fish are actively feeding. However, over the last year I’ve seen Berkley gulp deliver better results.
I have been using pro cure inshore salt and have not seen any real difference. However when you tie on a Berkley gulp there is a difference
Love that dog so damn funny i wish i could bring my pup fishing more but she whines and wants to go in anyways to me and I always speak for myself scent does make a difference I use scent and also tip my jigs, spoons, and spinnerbaits with a small piece of fishbites and you also have to realize it’s what your confident in using and the conditions that are fished in but think about it it only makes scence that when a scent is added that it now smells different and probably better instead of a non scented piece of plastic plus if you also think about it some fisherman have bad habits like smoking or excessive drinking adding non natural smells to baits and lures that I’m sure the fish find not natural but offensive lure and or bait scents help cover up those offensive odors anyways like I said before I only speak for my own beliefs what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for all anglers thanks for the video and as always what you do????