# WD-40 as fish attractant?



## DogFaceClown

A while ago I heard of this an never thought nothing of it until the other day. I was cleaning out my tackle box when I came across one of my newer jigs that had a little rust on the hook. I filed off the rust and sprayed some WD-40 on the hook an then I remembered that I was told at one time that its a good attractant for bass and catfish. 

Has anyone else heard of this?

_Sent from my Droid_


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## kozski10

Although I don't know why, but in the 80's I fished with a group of guys that always sprayed their hot-n-tots and Erie dearies. -Koz

_OutdoorHub Mobile, the information engine of the outdoors_


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## sbreech

I don't know if this is the whole story, but it's probably safer to spray a touch in the water than it is to pour 1/2 of a Diet Coke into the lake.


_Diet Coke has ingredients that could be cancer causing. WD-40, an industrial solvent, doesn't_.


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## Hook N Book

This has been disscussed a few times here. I'd suggest doing a search and see what you come up with. No pun intended, but this can be a very messy subject...!


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## spfldbassguy

I still don't know why anyone would want to use that stuff on their lures. There's far too many other products out there by companies that are producing some quality stuff that's actually INTENDED for fishing applications.


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## SConner

spfldbassguy said:


> I still don't know why anyone would want to use that stuff on their lures. There's far too many other products out there by companies that are producing some quality stuff that's actually INTENDED for fishing applications.



If it works (I am not 100% convinced of this) it makes perfect sense since it is about 1/10th the cost per ounce than most the products designed to attract fish.


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## Hook N Book

SConner said:


> If it works (I am not 100% convinced of this) it makes perfect sense since it is about 1/10th the cost per ounce than most the products designed to attract fish.


I think if you were to get caught using WD-40 as an attractant, the cost of bying it would be the least of your worries...!


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## Chuck P.

Hook N Book said:


> I think if you were to get caught using WD-40 as an attractant, the cost of bying it would be the least of your worries...!



Why is that? Is there some law that states you can't spray WD-40 on a bait?

Btw- catfish like it.


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## SConner

Hook N Book said:


> I think if you were to get caught using WD-40 as an attractant, the cost of bying it would be the least of your worries...!


This thread may me curious, so I poked around a little and found the following:
1) There is no fish oil in WD-40 which kind of indicates the whole fish attractant qualities are probably more myth than fact.
2) WD-40 does content petroleum products so you are correct, the EPA would most likely not be thrilled about using it as a fish attractant.
3) It does not cure arthritis.

Based on 10 minutes of online research, I have concluded it is best used to loosen rusted bolts and probably not very effective as a fish attracted.


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## FISNFOOL

1988 announcement by the makers of WD-40

OUTDOORS; CONCOCTING POTIONS TO ATTRACT FISH
By NELSON BRYANT
*Published: July 10, 1988
*


The recent (1988) announcement by the WD-40 Company of San Diego that its well-known penetrating oil - dear to the heart of every handyman or mechanic wrestling with a rust-frozen nut or bolt - is also being used as a fish attractant is not as startling as some might think.

For centuries, fishermen have been concocting various potions intended to stimulate their prey to take lure or bait. In recent years, some of these brews have been the result of extended research in laboratories. Others evolved (as might have happened with WD-40) from casual experimenting when the fishing was slow. The discovery of WD-40's appeal to fish could also have been serendipitous. Many anglers include a can of it in their tackle boxes for use on reels, reel seats and pliers, and a bait that was sprayed by accident may have suddenly begun to take fish.

*The San Diego firm said* that fishermen in the Pacific Northwest who put WD-40 on bait or lures have tremendous success catching trout, and added that *its product is also being used with success by those after sturgeon, pickerel, northern pike, catfish, black bass, walleyed pike, sunfish, salmon, halibut, sharks and sting rays.*


*According to Lou Repaci, manager of marketing services for WD-40*, his firm has received hundreds of letters from anglers scattered about the country attesting to the product's fish-getting qualities. *One letter from a commercial fisherman in Alaska described how he and his crew caught more than two dozen halibut in two hours using chunks of cut herring scented with WD-40. Baits that were not so treated caught no fish, he added.*

Whether there is something in WD-40 that attracts fish or whether it masks other less desirable odors (human scent is often mentioned as one of these) is not clear.


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## rustyfish

Effective or not- If you are spraying wd40 on your bait then you are trying to hard.


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## Nikster

For years & years it's been known to be a GREAT way to catch Carp. I use it all the time at a carp tourney every year.
Won 2nd pl., some years back. Missed by 1/2lb., total weight combined.

Nik,


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## rutnut245

We used to spray it on our lures many years ago and also heard it was used to releave arthritus pain.It was reformulated,or so I was told,several years back with petrolium based ingredients and doesn't perform the same anymore.


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## 10fish

It worked in Cali when sprayed on mini marshmellows fishing for lake rainbow trout. 

Hasn't work for any other species for me.


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## dillon basser

well now if you don't like wd40......try some preparation h..ha ha i know i laughed the frist time i heard about it.


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## fallen513

I got nothin'.


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## boonecreek

hummmmmm,.,. ooookhey


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## DogFaceClown

I caught 2 largemouths today using the jig I sprayed WD-40 on. It has been setting in my tackle box for awhile now the WD-40 has completely dried on it. I put a Uncle Josh pork trailer on the end of it and it worked just fine.

_Sent from my Droid_


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## PolymerStew

Looking at the MSDS sheet for WD-40 shows that most of the ingredients are just hydrocarbons, which are insoluble in water. The major component (45-50%) appears to be kerosene. The other "petroleum base oil" and "LVP aliphatic hydrocarbon" appear to also be mixtures of hydrocarbon (oily or waxy) compounds based on the CAS numbers. They list a proprietary surfactant (soap-like compound that helps oils and water mix) at <2% and 10% "non-hazardous" ingredients. They list it as insoluble in water, so it seems like it wouldn't be able to disperse from the lure to act as an attractant scent. Maybe it leaves an oily coating on the lure that the fish like or something. 

http://www.wd40.com/files/pdf/msds-wd494716385.pdf

Still, I've also heard of people using WD-40 as a fish attractant. Personally I'll stick to using the commercial fish attractants like Yum or Fish Formula


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