Product Review: Kick'n Bass

    It was just one year ago that I wrote an article for AZOD on the subject of fish attractants. Those of you who have been with us since that time, can probably recall the skepticism I originally had on this subject. Through a lot of reading and some hands-on tests, I concluded they actually won’t attract the fish, but they do cause the fish to hold your bait quite a bit longer. That alone was enough to convince me to quietly take a deeper look into the products available in this industry. I had to go quietly since I have teased some of my fellow anglers, including my buddy "goop", about their dependence on these products. If you didn’t read my previous article on scents, "goop" is a nickname of one of my fellow club members. Anyway I have received several bottles and cans of various attractants from club raffles, boat show giveaways, along with a few over-the-counter purchases, during this past year. It is hard to be quiet with the spray cans, so I started adding different products to separate baggies, marking them, and packing them away in my box. I soaked the same worms in each bag to ensure an equal test. I would start each fishing trip with worms that had not been soaked in any substance, then work my way through the baggies. I am confident in telling you that the added scents definitely made a difference, especially on the tough days. Fish that were short-biting or pecking at the bait, seemed to grab and hold the scented baits. While I had pretty good success with most of the top brands, I found one brand to stand head-and-shoulders above the rest. It was a 4oz. bottle of Kick’n Bass that I received for being a volunteer at the Glendale Police Departments Youth Fishing Tournament, that will remain in my box and on my baits. First of all, the bottle of Kick’n Bass lasted much longer than the others, and the worms from the Kick’n Bass baggie would hold their scent much longer than the others. If you have to re-apply a scent every 3-4 casts, it can get expensive. Second, I felt the fish would hang on to my bait longer than with the others, and I received more bites. I recall a trip to Pleasant this spring when I had my boys with me. By this time I was exclusively using Kick'n Bass and using it with an added confidence. I caught 50-60 bass that morning, on a dropshot rig. My boys were doing pretty good too, except for my youngest. It was a bit of a subtle bite, which he had yet to master, probably because he is only three. Don’t laugh, he has caught several fish this past year, all by himself. I have to add he is extremely independent and doesn’t like for anyone to help him. So in order to help him catch a fish I had to help him without him knowing. I would detect the bite, call him over, hand him the pole, wait a minute, then tell him, "You got one!", and he would reel him in. Those fish were holding that worm for as long as 30-40 seconds. The third reason I prefer Kick'n Bass is the small 4oz. bottle. It may seem like a petty reason, but space becomes an issue, especially when I load a tackle box to fish on someone else's boat. That little 4oz. bottle is easy to use and will last quite a long time.

After becoming a believer in Kick’n Bass, I got the chance to meet the man behind the formula, Ken Kross. Ken was a chemist that specialized in perfumes, but also was an avid fisherman. Realizing the importance scent plays in both humans and animals, fish included, he began experimenting with various fish oils to aid him on his fishing trips. After years of tests, and proven results, he is confident that his product is tops on the market. Kick'n Bass is based in Arizona and can be found at most of your local tackle shops or check out www.kicknbass.com  for a look at his product line. You can buy Kick'n Bass in the original garlic scent, heavy crawfish, or anise/shad. In closing, I am including a couple links to articles from Ken Kross that better explain the role scent plays in the sport of fishing. They are worth taking a look at. Also I am adding a link to an article on the new boat cleaner from Kick'n Bass, written by the president of the Missouri B.A.S.S. Federation. I am awaiting a sample of this, which I can try for myself. My boat needs a good cleaning. Good Fishin’, Kip Pollay (AZOD)