Trying Out The New Fishbites Xtreme Scent Release Lures
by Mark Dennis
April 5, 2008
Thanks to the nice folks at Fishbites (Carr Specialty Baits, Inc.) in St. Augustine, Florida, I recently had the opportunity to try out the latest in synthetic natural baits. Fishbites is perhaps best known for their line of natural, biodegradable strips of cut bait. Their newest product, "xtreme scent release lures," are shaped like natural baits. Saltwater formulas are available in the form of shrimp, paddle tail minnows, and jerk baits. They also have a freshwater formula in two worm shapes and sizes. Armed with all three saltwater versions, I loaded up my kayak and ventured out to a local saltmarsh creek to do a little fishing and see how these new baits performed.
Knowing that a Gulp! bait will shrink to half its size and dry to the consistency of concrete if left on a hook overnight, the first thing I did was see if the Fishbites lures would do the same. The night before my fishing trip, I baited up a couple of hooks and left them exposed to the air along with the fishing rods until I got on the water the following morning. They baits did dry out a little, but they were still fairly soft and seemed to retain most of their original size. Once I dunked them in the water for a few minutes, their original flexibility returned, and they still drew strikes from fish.
As for durability, the Fishbites lures appear to be at least as hardy as their Gulp! counterparts. Even after being mangled by a sharp toothed bluefish, a Fishbites jerk bait was tattered, but still serviceable. As with similar soft plastic lures, you will still lose a tail or two when fishing the paddle tail bait. Unlike the Fishbites cut bait products, the xtreme scent release lures do not appear to gradually "melt" off the hook. After soaking these lures repeatedly and over several hours, they still held their original shape and consistency.
While the fishing itself was slow on the first day of my Fishbites lure trial run, I managed to hook up with at least one fish using each of these new saltwater baits:
1st fish: blue fish on rootbeer jerk bait, fished on a Carolina rig
3rd fish: spotted seatrout on rootbeer paddle tail minnow, on weighted flutter hook.
Tight lines!
April 5, 2008
Thanks to the nice folks at Fishbites (Carr Specialty Baits, Inc.) in St. Augustine, Florida, I recently had the opportunity to try out the latest in synthetic natural baits. Fishbites is perhaps best known for their line of natural, biodegradable strips of cut bait. Their newest product, "xtreme scent release lures," are shaped like natural baits. Saltwater formulas are available in the form of shrimp, paddle tail minnows, and jerk baits. They also have a freshwater formula in two worm shapes and sizes. Armed with all three saltwater versions, I loaded up my kayak and ventured out to a local saltmarsh creek to do a little fishing and see how these new baits performed.
Knowing that a Gulp! bait will shrink to half its size and dry to the consistency of concrete if left on a hook overnight, the first thing I did was see if the Fishbites lures would do the same. The night before my fishing trip, I baited up a couple of hooks and left them exposed to the air along with the fishing rods until I got on the water the following morning. They baits did dry out a little, but they were still fairly soft and seemed to retain most of their original size. Once I dunked them in the water for a few minutes, their original flexibility returned, and they still drew strikes from fish.
As for durability, the Fishbites lures appear to be at least as hardy as their Gulp! counterparts. Even after being mangled by a sharp toothed bluefish, a Fishbites jerk bait was tattered, but still serviceable. As with similar soft plastic lures, you will still lose a tail or two when fishing the paddle tail bait. Unlike the Fishbites cut bait products, the xtreme scent release lures do not appear to gradually "melt" off the hook. After soaking these lures repeatedly and over several hours, they still held their original shape and consistency.
While the fishing itself was slow on the first day of my Fishbites lure trial run, I managed to hook up with at least one fish using each of these new saltwater baits:
1st fish: blue fish on rootbeer jerk bait, fished on a Carolina rig
3rd fish: spotted seatrout on rootbeer paddle tail minnow, on weighted flutter hook.
Tight lines!
Great site...I'm currently looking for a nice starter kayak for fishing. Any recommendations?
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Shop several dealers. Many have water to paddle in. There are so many variable, you will have to decide. Sit on top is most preferred for fishing. It is easy to customize your choice. I am no handyman and think it is easy. A rudder is helpful, my only mistake. Width is nice too. There are many ready to fish. Your time and money will help you make the decision. Never had any complaints about a bad yak!!!!! Hope this helps some. Take your time and ride a few. E-mail me if you have any questions.
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