human smells

right guys ive allways wondered to what affect do the smells from our hands that are transfered to our baits or rigs etc have on the fish being able to smell/taste them? albeit fuel, tobacco or even sweat?

im allways paranoid and will under no circumstances fuel up my car on the day of fishing, i allways do it the day before.

I've always been very careful about what I've got on my hands, before a session. I used to always rub my hands in whatever was on the lake bed, in the margins, wherever I was fishing, or in the flavour of whatever bait I was using (as long as it wasn't too unpleasant). However, although I would never, knowingly, go fishing with petrol/diesel, detergents or such like, on my hands, I did used to smoke (and, I rolled my own) and I don't think that ever effected my catch rates. I certainly haven't done any better, since I gave up smoking.
Anyway, can we be sure fish are put off by some of the smells/tastes we assume, they won't like? Petrol, tobacco and detergent might attract fish? (Probably not - I know!) As for sweat - I try not to.

Interesting topic this.

I'd be interested to see if any technical research has been carried out on this? Anyone seen anything in the books or mags?

For the time being I think its better to play it safe and remove as much as possible thats on your hands. Cant do any harm

They say it is true that why records such as salmon are held by females and I do think that if more women started fishing the blokes would get there a** kicked. I dont think its a bad thing to rub hands in bait and lake/bed before putting anything by hand on hook or get your wife/girlfriend to do it for you also if it is at that one week in the month you will brake your PB I will let you work that one out for yourself without going into more detail !!!

I read somewhere, quite recently, that the female pheromone theory, regarding fish and baits, was actually a fallacy. Tests have been done, it seems, and natural female 'smells' are no more effective as fish attractants, than natural male smells. (I can't for the life of me remember where I read this, though. If I recall, I will pass it on.) So, next time you make your bait, it might be a waste of time adding all that..............................to your mix!!!!! ''

Here is a thought for lads ...some of the best carp anglers out there, like the odd rolled up smoke ...are they passing it to their baits

a few years ago, a lad on the lake I used to bailiff had a complete disaster with the coleman, fuel everywhere including him, now I along with the oher bailiffs thought that would be the end of his trip, how wrong we where, he had a real red letter day, now it might have been that he was to scared to light a fag for 24hours in case he still went up, but it did get us all thinking, maybe the fish in the lake where petrolheads, maybe because he'd had changed clothes, and had a real scub, that helped, but you could still smell the petrol around the bivvy for sometime. it did get us scratching the head, as to how he'd got away with it....
carp gods I belived.

i'm sure that our smells are passed on to the baits, i used to do some realy long sessions at one time & would natrualy wash & shave, i started to realise after a while of using aftershave that it was effecting my catch rate, now when i wash i use unscented soap (available in most good army surplus stores) & never use aftershave or deodrants