For steelhead, I have actually seen steelhead react to the scent more than once. One time I had one that was circling in and out of an eddy. I finally baited up a jig with some pautzke eggs and shirmp oil and tossed it out there. The big hen came around, circled the bait a couple of times, approached backed of, and then finally just mouthed it. I have no doubt that the smell finally got to her. Another time I came across a bunch of summer runs stacked in a big pool. After a few tosses I doused a jig in shrimp oil and tossed it out. One drifted over and started bitting at the water. You could see him getting more and more excited, but when the jig finally came close he spooked and took of. It was really cool to see him tasting the water.

For springers, scent most certainly seems to be the most important, with fall fish coming in second for the scent factor, third summer runs, fourth winter runs.