If a person smokes or uses chewing tobacco does that scent transfer to the bait.
Is there a product out you can clean your hands without leaving a scaent. Or is a wet towel good enough

I chew while fishing and I honestly can't say that I have noticed a huge difference in the amount of bites I get. I am sure that there is some scent, but I don't know how much. I would think that a wet towel, or maybe some dirt would take care of any scent that was on your hands. I know it sounds weird to "wash" you hands with dirt, but I have done it for deer hunting. Can't say that it works or doesn't work.

It might be just a confidence thing, but I'm rarely outfished in my boat at least and I don't pick anything up until I've washed my hands with No-Scent soap. Picked up some Anise soap at Ron Schara's "booth cabin" at the fair last summer. That stuff raises my confidence even more. Smells like the old anise bases Fish Formula. lol. I loved that stuff.

L-cerine (sp?) is the human scent molecule. I remember a study done years ago that showed Al Linder naturally had low levels on his hands. That and gas are my biggest worries. Tobacco too, but more when I used to bow hunt. Don't know if tobacco repels fish.

There a many things we touch that leave a negative sent on our hands so one thing I do is rinse my hands with a liquid type fish attractant giving my hands a positive sent and it does seem to help. HTB

So that's what I can say if I get skunked, I have a negative scent on my hands...

My sister in law gave me a stainless steel soap for Christmas..
and it does take the odors off your hands.
Google stainless steel soap
I had my doubts but it does work.
And yes whatever odors that are on your hands will transfer to your bait it seems to me.

Lynn

I'm not worried about tobacco. Can the fish smell beer? Or would that be an attractant?

I chew while I am fishing as well. I can honestly say that when I have been fishing shallows and there are panfish around the boat, I have thrown a chew into the water and the panfish will come runnin to it and eat it. Whether thats just a natural reaction I don't know. I have always wondered about my saliva though when I tie on a new jig or whatever since I always wet the mono before I pull the knot tight...

I like to carry a small bottle of liquid Ivory to clean my hands when I first get on the lake and will wash them again if I handle something that I feel my have some kinda oil on it (Frito's)

I'd suggest everyone read the studies done by Dr. Jones down at Berkley. He states that fish don't smell anything that isn't water soluble (gas, oil, many fish "attractrants", etc...).

Kats on the ball.. it has to be water soluable... Also, for those who wash hands with soap.. you may be hurting yourself as well.. Check to be sure you are using SOAP.. check to see whats in the soap, if you see the word surfactant, fish no like!

Gary Roach was filming a segment for Midwest Outdoors. They wanted him to promote a scent-free soap. He grumbled a little bit and then poured gas on his hands, then baited a minnow, put the bait back in the water and bam - walleye.

If it helps your confidence, it's worth the money.

I have never thought about this much, but washing your hands off good with lake water (basically rinse with no soap) seems like the best thing to do. That way any particular smell that is in the water gets on your hands. I have also heard that fish only smell water-soluble agents.

play it safe , clean hands with Lindy soap or something similar. Treat your bait like your clothes while deer hunting...sure there will always be one fish/deer that doesn't care, but the goal is the mimic nature and fool the prey!