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).]