having been a smoker (cigarettes) for a good couple of years now ,I had quit for 4 1/2 years than decided to build a house last year,my wife brought up that fact that my catch and release numbers have gone down and wondered if it was because I started smoking again,Good question? How many of you smoke and do you notice a difference.Do you wear gloves ,wash you're hands after every cig or what .I know it's a nasty habit but it's one of the only vises I still have besides catarafts and fishing ....Thanks Again

------------------
Tight Lines
FISH ON ------<*)>><
Men are like fish we get into trouble when we open our mouths to much!!

[This message has been edited by Steelheader boy (edited 03-29-2000).]

I don't smoke anymore but I used to. And I can't say I caught more fish then or now. friend of mine went out with a guide on the columbia down by biggs and and the guy would freak if they even touched one of the plugs with their hands because they smoked. He was dead serious about it. On the side, it would amaze you how many fishing mishaps are smoking related. I was float tubing with a guy once on a warm day and he popped his tube with a cigarette and damn near downed. I have also seen a freind in the front of my drift boat reeling like hell on a nice fish and touch the line with the smoke hanging out of his mouth and cut the line in an instant.. that one cracked me up pretty good

Take it from a smoker who wishes he wasn't, it doesn't seem to make any difference. I've tried to quit on several occassions over the past 10 years or so; gone as long as 6 mo without a smoke. Whether I'm smoking a pack a day or not, it doesn't seem to affect fishing. I've got a friend who says he's seen a steelhead roll on a butt floating on top. I'm sure steelhead can smell the damn things, I just don't think they care.

I've also heard the king thing--that they're really sensitive to scents. Maybe so, but I haven't had enough varied experience with king fishing to have an opinion. Steelhead, I do.

[This message has been edited by obsessed (edited 03-29-2000).]

[This message has been edited by obsessed (edited 03-29-2000).]

I did some heavy research on scents and fishing a few years ago for a series of magazine articles. Talked with Dr. Juice, Berkley scientists and others, about positive and negative scents, and no one could see that tobacco is a problem. We probably all know smokers who "smoke" us when we fish together. If I believed it made a difference, I'd have quit long ago...

Scaly, If I understand you right you'll quit for a fish but not for your own health, stupid.

Scaly, let me get this straight. I read and enjoy your posts, you sound intelligent, you do research, and yet you say you would have quit smoking long ago if you thought it would effect the steelhead bite?!?!? But not if it reduced your lifespan significantly and reduced the quality of life for you and those around you?? We'd like to have ya around a little longer and smellin' a bit better! ..sftick BTW, a friend of a friend hasn't hooked a steelie for the last few years, since he started pinching Coppenhagen to put in his cheek, and he keeps on fishing for them. A stronger smell on the fingers than cigs but an indication that fish probably would at least prefer a bait a little more w/o the tabbaco scent. True story. Unfortunately, those of us that are addicted to a substance (my addiction is not smoking, but just as hard to kick) will tend to believe anything other people tell us, or the lies we tell ourselves, in order to rationalize our addiction. So you are going to choose to believe the ones that say tabbaco doesn't affect the bite over ones who say it does- like the pro guide and the friend). Face it and kick it! I'm going to give mine another kick in the ass right now.

Back when I smoked cigarettes, I caught fish. Then I quit cigarettes about 12 years ago, and I caught fish. Then I started chewing tobacco, and I caught fish. Then I quit chewing tobacco and started dipping snuff and I caught fish. Then I quit chewing altogether, and I caught fish. Now I smoke cigars and for the last two years, I've done better on steelhead than ever before in my life.

I fish with friends who are tobacco free and they can't seem to catch a steelhead in the Kalama in December and January, when you can't hardly help but catch them.

Doubtless, some things may put the fish off, but I don't think tobacco is the biggest culprit. There's that guy who, several years ago, was famous for his underwater camera work of salmon going after various trolled presentations. One of his videos I saw depicted side by side hoochies being trolled behind flashers. In one segment, he dipped one of the flasher/leader/hoochie set-ups in this oily bilge and made a point of dumping an ashtray full of butts and ashes into it for good measure. He got better results on that set-up than the supposedly clean set-up.

Got a guide buddy who fishes both Ak and Tillamook (highliner in Tillamook) and smokes like a chimney, one of the best king fisherman I've ever met.

Take it from someone who buried both of his parents due to cigarettes: PLEASE QUIT. Whether or not it impacts your catch percentage is irrelevant. I'd love to have you standing on the bank next to me, or in the boat next to me, for many years to come - with or without fish!

I'd like to add my 2 cents worth. This from being a "proper" scent fanatic concerning Steelhead and especially King fishing for over 30 years, including many years as a fulltime guide. For every person, such as Scaly & T-Dodge, that seem more than OK with tabacco scent on fishing lures you can find another person such as Steel.Boy, B-Run's friend's pro guide, and Fishtick's Copp. chewer that claim it has a negative affect on the fish. Most of the posts appear neutral and that's where the reality probably is for cigarettes (they only touch the outside cig. paper; not directly to strong tobacco as with Coppenhagen). AK King, if the great King guide from Till. is Gary A., I used to watch him chain smoke on the rivers with vinyl gloves on & then do a quick rinse of the gloves before baiting up- but not necessarily for the cig. scent. When I was guiding I used to make every customer wash his hands with fishermen's soap when they got into the boat. And if I saw them touch something I thought fish might be adverse to I would have them rewash.- I will mention some of the things I think fish are likely to be somewhat adverse to here and would like feedback from other fishermen: 1- Insect repellant; especially deet. Use spray on the back of your wrist & elsewhere, then wash the inside of the hands & fingers! 2- People's L-Serine content in their skin; stronger on some than others. Fish bio. studies have proven this to be adverse to fish. So when I would see a guy wipe & scratch his nose or take a pee I ask them to wash. Greasy nose sweat has got to be the worst! 3- Sunscreen. Wash your hands after app. 4- Cologne/perfume on hands. I've had some suits out that I could smell coming down the ramp. Wash! 5- Spoiled bait. Especially half dead sandshrimp. I'd rather use lures with a good scent product. 6- Some strong foods brought to eat. I've had doughballs out that didn't know any better than to arrange raw onions on a sandwich then reach for the rod handle-"DON'T touch it! Wash real good first". Garlic's OK. 7- Gasoline. This is debatable & the one I most want feedback on. I have on occaions squeezed the gas bulb too hard and had gas all over my hands. Smells strong & costic. I would have really thought fish to be adverse to it so always wash it off well. But two cases where fish weren't adverse to it. Charlie White's underwater cam where he tested bilgewater with oil & gas in it. And one day on the Kenai R. we were way down from our camp with only one container of eggs left. We gassed up at the dock near the large wooden store/lodge and had gas spilled right in the eggs. We fished them on our way back and hooked some Kings on them. But I still don't like the idea.- There's much more. I'd like to hear people's opinions. - Steve

[This message has been edited by Reel Truth (edited 03-30-2000).]

I can vouch for the sunscreen--one hot day I was knocking 'em dead trolling flies in a lake..until I got a little sunscreen on my paddle handles, then on my reel, then on my leader...and it's hard to wash that stuff off...but you might as well go home and do so, because the fish won't have at a fly dressed in SPF 40!

Reeltruth, a couple other scents to avoid, Rain-X, and bleach, I've had bad experiences with both, one afternoon a few years back I did a quick rain-x job on my windows before an afternoon trip, cut 6 dozen herring and headed out to a spot that had a "hot" king bite going on, after about 30-45 min. without a bite and watching boats all around me double and tripled up I remembered the rain-x, tossed 5 dz. baits, washed my hands and immeadiately got into the action, as for the bleach, a fellow guide used my boat one day and washed out my baitbox with bleach, at the time I had a sinus problem and couldn't smell it, a guests noticed the odor and we found where it came from, there went 4dz. baits.
I also wanted to mention a procure scent that has worked well for me, squid oil, I've had some very good days with it while others around me weren't catching much.
Finally, the guide I mentioned above is Kim Q.

When fishin I always rub a couple of drops of shrimp oil on my hands. Can't hurt I figure.

AK K- I've known Kim for many years. Fished along side on the Trask & Wilson when guiding. When he was managing Kimmels he & his bro Rocky always gave the most honest fishing shop reports around Tillamook. Saw Rock this season but not Kim, I only get out a couple days a week now. Tell him hello from Steve Hanson.- I've also had success with the Squid oil in combo with sardine and herring oils. Thanks.

Kings, Tick and Fool: Thanks for your concern and advice, honestly. "Stupid" sounds right, unless (or even IF)you understand addictions. My comment was made pretty lightly, I have to agree. You name a smoking cessation method, and I'll guarantee I've tried it. Maybe my problem is rationalizing, since I did beat a bigger addiction 11 years ago, but meantime you guys are right.
I too remember Charlie White's Bilgewater in the little black squeeze bottles, but how about the WD-40 that used to be the craze for spraying on salmon lures and even bait? (Just not a good idea when EPA or USCG were around to see the "sheen on the water!")
p.s. Another negative scent is supposedly that from a dog in the water.

Interesting topic. I've strongly suspected that Copenhagen CAN'T be attractive to steelhead after I shut down the hottest day of fishing I'd had in years. Before New Years I was fishing the Willapa River, and had a hole to myself that was unbelievably stacked with fish. I felt lucky to be there without competition since the river was standing room only in most spots. After catching and releasing a half dozen fish in a fairly short time span and over half the run to rish I took time out to have a snoose...bad idea. Despite seeing fish the length of the pool they would not touch my jig or any thing else I threw. Really makes a guy wonder. There must be a government grant available to further study this matter.

Reel Truth, yeah I haven't talked to Kim in about 3 yrs. I worked with him at a resort out of Ketchikan for a few years and we both went to different resorts after the 94 season, fished Tillamook with him in 97, haven't talked to him since.

I would have to say smoking and dipping all depend on the fish. I know a guy who dips Cope and spits on his rig. He catches fish. I have friends who smoke up to 2 packs a day. They catch fish. I don't smoke or dip and catch fish, sometimes. Carlie White showed me at least that odor isn't really all it's crakced up to be. His Mr. Clean lures got WAY out fished by even the one he rubbed cigar ash on. As for DEET, that crap ate a reel handle on me when I was about 14 and didn't know better. It loves plastic. Works good though. Never use sun screen, might be a good idea after the last burn I got. I have had gas and diesel fuel on my hands and still catch fish. But then I've had all the above and not caught anything. I think certain fish will just spook at anything.

------------------
Just because I look big, dumb, and ugly, doesn't mean I am. It means I can stomp you for calling me it!

I just read another post about peeing in the river and spooking fish. If your worrying about smoking impacting the number of fish you catch, you got more free time than I and are a touch to anal. Just get to fishin.
Go see a shrink and see if your wearing the right color waders.

Hey, no offense intended but, anyone with the nickname "Bottomfeeder" isn't in position to be dissin' guys about smoke talk or anything to do with anus'!