Using Fish Attractants When Trout Fishing – Does It Make a Difference?

Fish attractants are something that bass fishermen have been aware of for many years, squirting and spraying various scents onto their baits to help attract bass, but these products aren't something that trout fishermen usually never consider. So does using fish attractants make a difference when trout fishing? Well, the short answer is yes they do, but it depends on the type of water that you are fishing and the amount of fishing pressure that that water receives. One of the biggest advantages to using an attractant is that it will mask any human scents that may be on your bait or lure, which as I have pontificated about in the past, can be detrimental to catching "seasoned" trout.

In this post I will outline how and why fish attractants should be used when trout fishing along with a list of the most popular and effective choices. At the end of the day, it's not as simple as just squirting whatever trout bait you are using and calling it good. A little more thought should be put into the process to help to make fish attractants help you to catch more trout.

The first thing to consider is that attractants should not be used when you are fishing with live bait or in pristine water that contains a population of largely "native trout". They are best utilized when using soft plastics, crank baits, or other trout lures for trout that have been "stocked" in the past 1-3 years. An attractant will not only add the specific scent that you choose to the bait, it will also help to cover up any unnatural human scents on the trout bait. And since we all know how sensitive a trouts sense of "smell" is, both of these factors are a good thing.

So, what kinds of attractants should be utilized when fishing for trout? In my experience the list has three members, all of which I have found to be effective. Carrying all of them with you isn't necessary, but having at least one of them in your fishing vest is a great idea anytime trout lures are going to be utilized. The first attractant is called Smelly Jelly which is the strongest and most concentrated liquid scents available. The best flavors for trout would be "crawfish", "trout enhancer", and "anise". The next attractant that is effective for trout fishing is called Atlas Mikes Glo Scents Oil . And finally we have Berkley Powerbait Trout Attractant , which I have found to be the most effective with "freshly stocked" trout.

The bottom line is that fish attractants definitely have their place in the world of trout fishing and are something that anyone who him or herself to be a serious trout fisherman should always have available to them, especially when they are fishing for trout with lures or soft plastics.