Salt on Plastics? (2004 post)

[BASSSTALKER]

Can any explain why there is salt on plastics? It comes of on the first cast anyway, or ends up in the bottom of the bag/tackle box??

[orrsey]

Fish are attracted and like the taste. It will keep them holding on longer. even though you can't see it after one cast the scent and taste is still there for the fish

[Rideaufish]

just bite the head off a bait to get to good plastic salt is still there trust me a mistake i wont make again

[BASSSTALKER]

Hmmmmmmmmm Thanks


Dave

[magicturnip]

Some of the salt is often inside the material itself... when the fish bites, the plastic is altered and some of the salt can escape and disolve in its mouth.

[Cancatchbass]

Although I'm a firm believer in scent, I don't feel as enthusiastic about salt.

As BASSSTALKER noted many "salted" baits have salt on the surface of the bait, but not inside. Manufacturers who use a lot of salt are often doing it to increase the sink rate of their baits, the salt being denser than the plastisol.

The theory that blood is salty and this attracts fish is somewhat skewed, as many fish -bass and walleye, etc.- normally swallow their prey whole, without a drop of blood being spilled. How, then, would they equate salt to food?

Here's a question for you- do salt-water soft plastics ever incorporate salt???

CCB

[BASSSTALKER]

Good point CCB!

[Hoser]

I bought some plastic this year laced with garlic. Are these fish acquiring gourmet palettes? What's next....Italian seasoning? House dressing? This kinda brings me back to my last post....attracting the fish or the fishermen? Our fathers used to catch tons of fish on plain old ugly lures. Is it the fish that are getting smarter or the marketing departments? For the record, I buy all the new crap too, just in case there is something to it.

[wolfe]

Maybe there's something to the fish hanging on a bit longer to baits enhanced with salt.....but otherwise, I believe most fish strike on sight impulses, rather than by smell or taste. Now, carp or cats I know nothing about; perhaps they're a different ball of wax, or salt, or whatever noxious mixture one uses to turn them on! I think most of these enhancements to plastics are made to attract the biggest lunker: the buyer. (Kind of like the recent thread on lure colors attracting buyers more than fish?)

However, with that said, I do love my Power Baits. But again, I think it's a matter of the fish grabbing on longer for taste appreciation AFTER it struck due to impulse.)

W.

[slop]

BASSSTALKER,

Have you considered trying salt IMPREGNATED plastic?

There are so many scent IMPREGNATED baits on the market and like all lures/baits they have their time and place. No need to cast away the salt.......Explore

Slop.

[Iceman]

Ya gotta be careful when selecting highly salted baits. Baits that claim salt impregnation sometimes have so much salt in them that they are far from tough baits. Last year I bought some flipping tubes that claimed to be extra salty and they would tear when rigging them, needless to say they would not last on many fish:)

[dana]

usually the salt is ON them because they want you to believe they are impregnated ie. salt IN them....
if its ON em it usually ain't IN em

salt impregnated baits work well...don't last as long ..
my rule ...salt on em=forget em
salt in em=get em

think i repeated myself

[BASSSTALKER]

Slop, I do have a many of impregnated baits. I was mainly targeting the 3x strike king. I personally think it is a waist of time. I don't care about how long the fish hangs on to it, as long as I have time to set the hook!

[taylor]

I use salt religously, I find the bass perfer a little flavour when it comes to plastic baits.

[DropShotr]

Can any explain why there is salt on plastics? It comes of on the first cast anyway, or ends up in the bottom of the bag/tackle box??

I think the salt on the baits is used primarily as a "lubricant" in effect helping keep the individual baits and the tails separated in the package.

Maybe it's just a marketing ploy.

In any case, I perfer my baits to have salt cooked in.

DropShot'r