I am going to start using scent on my setup when fishing in off colored water. I purchased some pro-cure shrimp oil and it seems like it smells like a new tennis shoe rather than shrimp. I thought it would be more pungent.
Just curious what the BB favorites were for brands and scent choices.

Thanks in advance

Pro-Cure shrimp oil is my go to scent for steelhead.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

If it's the Puyallup/Carbon you're referring to, smelly jelly special mix is tops. They gobble that stuff up. Not only the Puyallup, but anywhere that plays host to silvers. Kings seem to dig anise a little more. I'd like to think that I know what I'm talking about but I probably don't. Maybe it's just luck. I do, however, nail silvers using that scent far more than any other.
Good luck
Cuthroat

for steelies I will second the Pro cure shrimp oil. I use the smelly jelly for salmon (herring in the salt and anise in the rivers). I don't know if these are any better than other products but they seem to do a good job.

On the Puyallup I use Smelly Jelly "Salt Shrimp Glitter" and it works well. I may try some of the others listed here also, but the scent I have been using has been great so far.

Bait Butter. I think it is Pro-Cure, but cannot remember, never looked that close. It has been the best bet so far. Use Herring and/or Shrimp
For silvers, I add a few drops of Anise oil to it and it Rocks!

To add to the original question; how much scent do most apply to their baits? I've usually slathered it on pretty liberally, but wonder at times if too much of a good thing is bad. Has anyone noticed that using only a drop or two is better than covering the whole lure/bait?

In my fuzzy opinion "pungent" is bad. If you smell all the popular bait oils, none of them smell really pungent. Among other things, bait oils try to emulate fresh bait. But, fresh bait does not stink. If I have a bottle of scent a season or two old I check to see if it smells rancid. If it is, I use it for trout.

i have found using the procure shrimp/prawn scent to be top notch for steelies...i even mixed some of it with the new pautzke bait krill scent to see what i come up with, so anyone here see better results fishing anise scent for kings versus shrimp scent? this year im gonna inject my pink worms with the procure shrimp to see if that works better than jus applying it..anyone fish pink worms for silvers? and how did you do? bb

"anyone fish pink worms for silvers? and how did you do?"

BB --- I have backtrolled pink worms behind a diver and have caught silvers, chinook and steelhead, even all three in the same day. I use a bead above the worm, then a small Spin-N-Glo, and 3-4 feet of leader to the diver.

special mix smelly jelly...straight up nails 'em...

Pro-cure Bait oils work well. Sand shrimp, Prawn/Shrimp, Anchovie, Sardine, Herring, have all worked for me. The Top producer being Prawn/Shrimp.
Smelly Jelly is a fine alternative to bait oils.
Good Luck.

Mike's shrimp oil is the only way to go. I strayed from it for half of last years steelhead season, trying the smelly jelly shrimp and the procure shrimp, i wish i hadn't. I switched back and easily saw the difference...............maybe this whole thing is just mental.

I usually buy Mike's shrimp oil and have for 15 yrs., recently tried the Smelly Jelly shrimp and caught fish on that, I don't really think there is that much difference in them its more just to cover the human scent and any of them do that fine.
I do have a question, does anyone know if heat will spoil this stuff, I've had times when my vest was left in my truck on hot days and have often wondered what if any effect this may have. I have thrown a bottle or 2 out just because I wasn't sure.