The most reliable trout scents match a slow, natural presentation. Cal Kellogg runs sweet corn, anise-krill, and garlic scents, going heavier on garlic in cold, muddy water. On soft plastics and threaded worms he slathers his Trigger Scent, a sweet anise gel. For dough baits he spikes rainbow PowerBait with Power Powder, an amino-acid bite stimulant, then forms a teardrop the size of a hot air balloon. Skip scent when power trolling spoons. Scent shines on finesse days, getting nippy fish to take the bait deeper for a better hookup.
What is the best scent for trout fishing?
There is no single best scent, but sweet corn, anise-krill, and garlic cover most days. Cal Kellogg calls a clear sweet corn gel his number one trout scent. He slathers soft plastics and threaded worms with his Trigger Scent, a sweet anise gel, and leans on garlic when the water turns cold and muddy.
When should I use scent for trout?
Use scent any time you bait fish, troll bait, or pull soft plastics. Cal always scents his Trix Worms, minnows, and grubs, since soft plastics hold scent well. He goes scent-free only when power trolling spoons or plugs fast, around 2.7 to 4 mph, where a reaction strike matters more than smell.
How does scent help me catch more trout?
Scent draws strikes and, more importantly, keeps a fish on the bait. When trout are nipping and short-striking, a scented soft plastic tastes and feels real, so they take it deeper. That deeper take means a better hookup and fewer fish thrown at the net. It works best paired with soft plastics.
What scent works best in cold or muddy water?
Garlic. When Cal Kellogg guided through muddy, cold water, garlic-scented offerings started producing when little else would. The more garlic scent he got on the rig, the more bites he got from lethargic fish. Garlic also draws spotted bass. Pair it with a slow, small-profile presentation in stained water.
How do I use Power Powder on PowerBait?
Put a small gob of rainbow PowerBait in your palm, sprinkle a little Power Powder on it, and roll it into a tight ball. Power Powder is an amino-acid bite stimulant that makes the bait more effective and much cleaner to handle. One bottle spikes 200 to 300 baits.
How do I rig scented PowerBait off the bottom?
This is the number one way to float bait off the bottom. Run your main line through an egg sinker, then a bead and a snap swivel, then 16 to 22 inches of leader to a small octopus hook. Bait with rainbow garlic PowerBait and form a teardrop shape so it floats up off the bottom.
Should I put scent directly on trolling flies?
No. Cal Kellogg does not put scent on the fly itself. Instead he smears super gel on the concave base of the action disc ahead of the fly, so the scent flows out behind the disc and adds a scent trail to the whole spread without fouling the fly's action.
How should I store fish scent?
Keep it cold. Cal stores the bulk of his scent supply in a refrigerator and only takes out enough for a week of fishing. Cool and dark conditions keep the gels from spoiling and maximize their shelf life, and he never has one go bad stored that way.
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Trout scents and bait additives FAQ
His lineup is sweet corn as his number one, anise-krill, a trout and kokanee blend, a trophy trout blend, and garlic plus for tough water. He also keeps a bloody tuna scent, but that one is his go-to for landlocked kings and stripers rather than trout.
Yes, especially in cloudy, cold water. When trout are lethargic and not moving much, garlic really helps trigger bites. Cal found the more garlic he added, the more bites he got, and he even picked up spotted bass on garlic-scented offerings in those conditions.
Yes. Cal is not afraid to mix scents, combining garlic with sweet corn or anise on a given day. Trout can key on one scent for a month or change day to day, so carrying a range and being willing to experiment matters.
No. Cal fishes spoons like the Speed Spoon and plugs scent-free when power trolling fast, from about 2.7 to 4 mph. At those speeds a reaction strike drives the bite, and scent just is not that critical. Spoons run clean, never behind a dodger.
Power Powder is a blend of amino acids that acts as a bite stimulant. Sprinkled into PowerBait it makes the dough more effective at drawing and holding fish, and it also makes the bait much neater and less messy to work with in your hands.
Soft plastics like Trix Worms, Trix Minnows, and grubs hold scent very well. Cal favors a sweet corn gel or garlic. The scent encourages neutral fish to keep hitting the bait until the hook is well back in their mouth.
Not much. Form a small teardrop shape, roughly like a hot air balloon, pinched tight around the eye of the hook. You gain nothing from a big giant ball. A compact, well-formed bait floats better and gets more bites.
