Scented compounds give fishermen an edge

When Brandon Dobbs, an avid fisherman, wanted to design air- and odour-tight pliable package to store his soft plastic baits, he turned to the Internet for information.

Brandon Dobbs, an avid fisherman, was dissatisfied with commercially available pouches used to store his soft plastic baits.

He thought they were poor quality, susceptible to tear and abrasion.

He reasoned that in order to mask human odour, why not apply a natural odour to the inner lining of the bags that would coat the soft plastic lures inside.

This in turn, would make the lures taste more natural to the fish.

It would also eliminate the need for messy spray, oil, and powdered scents applied directly to the bait.

He wanted an air- and odour-tight pliable package that would fit inside existing bait binders, specifically soft-sided tackle carrying bags.

Inexperienced in plastics, Dobbs turned to the Internet for information.

While visiting the website of custom compounder RTP Company he discovered that the company specialised in scented compounds, capable of both masking and imparting various aromas.

At his request, RTP Company engineers custom formulated an RTP 700 Series low-density polyethylene (LDPE) compound.

An RTP Company custom compound was formulated as an extrusion grade and impregnated the material with the four "flavours" specified by Dobbs - shad, crawfish, garlic and anise.

With extremely high loadings of aromatic essences, the materials were then engineered to bond with a second layer providing an air and vapour barrier.

Prototype pouches were co-extruded with the vapour barrier in six sizes, each colour coded for identification, heat sealed and cut to fit inside the popular brands of bait binders.

Dobbs distributed the pouches to a select number of field test participants in all areas of the country and got an "overwhelmingly positive" response.

He said, "They are so effective that it seems the longer the soft lures remain in the bag, the more scent they absorb".

He says that the soft plastic worms, grubs, jig skirts and spinner bait skirts stored in the pouches not only stay fresher for a longer period of time, but with the addition of the scent, seem to be even more effective.

Dobbs formed Scent Loc Storage System to market the bags as stand-alone products, for which patents are pending.

There are also plans for creating a line of soft-sided tackle binders.

He cites RTP Company's assistance as "extremely helpful", saying: "They managed to blend my ideas with their creativity and knowledge of scented compounds, which allowed me to produce a viable, effective product.

This is the first successful attempt to blend these flavours into a storage system for freshwater fishermen".

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