does using scent make a differance?

Fish will eat a bare hook or unpainted plug if it's presented right

...or if it's really hungry

I once read this article about a spin fisherman and a fly fisherman from Montana and both were debating on how finicky fish really were - in this case, they were targeting big rainbows. Anyway, they were kneeling down on a big rock looking down into clear water stream and every now and then, a rainbow would come out of cover and grab almost anything that was floating downstream of it's position (hide out). The Fly Fisherman (or what I call "a heaver") made a bet that only a properly presented fly can catch that particular fish. The spin fisherman disagreed - based on the feeding behavior - that the fish was actively feeding and that it would eat a dime if it was tossed in the water. Well, the dime was tossed and the trout was on it before the dime could even reach the bottom.

IMO: if the fish are hungry, they will bite.

I've caught some native rainbows and brook trout during my backpacking days (kept some for dinner) and noticed the stomach contained a few little twigs and even fresh small leaves in it's belly.

I've also caught a few cabezon with rocks the size of a silver dollar in it's belly.

Fish will eat a bare hook or unpainted plug if it's presented right

I've also caught a few cabezon with rocks the size of a silver dollar in it's belly.

Those were probably just rocks that you forgot you put into the fish's mouth during the HMB tourny. 

I've also caught a few cabezon with rocks the size of a silver dollar in it's belly.

Man that must hurt its' lil'hole when passed!

I think on actively feeding fish it doesn't make much difference.
But if they are not feeding it can stimulate them to turn on.

I'm with Mike on this one.

yea, with Mike.

So did you guys use any in Del Valle? I had some cray fish scent with me but never occured to me to pull it out.

Compa - most of the fish I caught that weekend was on live minnows. The only 3 lures that caught fish were - kast master,shad rap and super duper - non of which had any scent to 'em.

The month before, I was catching catfish with dead chovies.

I'm gonna try scenting next time - especially if the bite is slow.

I'm gonna try scenting next time

AXE 

Bang scent worked for me at Lake Amador for trout. Before I started using it, I had no nibbles. I ended up with five hook-ups...took home two.

Howard

Fish will eat a bare hook or unpainted plug if it's presented right

...or if it's really hungry

I once read this article about a spin fisherman and a fly fisherman from Montana and both were debating on how finicky fish really were - in this case, they were targeting big rainbows. Anyway, they were kneeling down on a big rock looking down into clear water stream and every now and then, a rainbow would come out of cover and grab almost anything that was floating downstream of it's position (hide out). The Fly Fisherman (or what I call "a heaver") made a bet that only a properly presented fly can catch that particular fish. The spin fisherman disagreed - based on the feeding behavior - that the fish was actively feeding and that it would eat a dime if it was tossed in the water. Well, the dime was tossed and the trout was on it before the dime could even reach the bottom.

IMO: if the fish are hungry, they will bite.

I've caught some native rainbows and brook trout during my backpacking days (kept some for dinner) and noticed the stomach contained a few little twigs and even fresh small leaves in it's belly.

I've also caught a few cabezon with rocks the size of a silver dollar in it's belly.

After a tough day of fishing the Gualala for steelies no one was having any luck. Both bait fishermen and fly fishermen were looking at the fish and neither were having any success. Everything was tossed at them.
All of the sudden a steelie busts the surface to nail, of all things, a cigarette butt!

All of the sudden a steelie busts the surface to nail, of all things, a cigarette butt!

Did anybody try and match the hatch?

So did you guys use any in Del Valle? I had some cray fish scent with me but never occured to me to pull it out.
[/quote]
I did! and it was not WORKING!...WHEA!  

Were you all three fishing in the same manner, same depth, same weight, same test line, etc?

I would believe scent comes into the equation, but I don't think it makes nearly as much difference as presentation.  I feel the same way about color. 

Fish will eat a bare hook or unpainted plug if it's presented right.

Eric, we were fishing withing about 20 feet of each other, none of us had a FF so we could not say what the terrain was or if depth was identical. We were all using hex bars to begin with. One guy snagged up and lost it and went to a lead head with a CTG. We all were using 15 lb. test. All of it is anecdotal, not scientific by any means - just an observation of that particular time.

John

All of the sudden a steelie busts the surface to nail, of all things, a cigarette butt!

Back in the day, the Lake Merced locals used cigarette butts to catch rainbows....the old timers said that the nicotine was the ticket. It's Myth Buster time

I have caught bows at Merced with cig butts in their bellies.....hmmmmm....move over power bait 

  Ick!  Mooch,You know how you are with those big hairy 8 legged devil creatures? I'm that way with (can't even type it out without  ) cig buts ewww  discusting   there did it. (As shivers roll down his back) can't, WON'T touch those things!   Safe bet I won't using that bait ever!  Thats just wrong.
 

Troy

Troy...there's no harm in eating Marlboro-flavored-trout  Now that's what you call a "MAN-DISH" 

so when is marlboro gonna come out with some fishin scent?