Can crappie smell?

[scrat]

I know this is a old question here on crappie.com. But researchers are finding answers to these questions everyday. Do crappie smell or taste scents are they scientific proof that adding scents to artificial baits is worth the trouble. I know that catfish smell scents from very far distances as I have used them in the past years to catch catfish. I have also used anise as a scent for bass with some good results. I have heard people use vanilla scents for bream. I have read past posts of positive and negative on where are not crappie are caught with the help of scents. Seems no one really knows for sure or I didn't read that post. I see that some think anise, garlic,and worm oil are good scents. Well is there any new proof or articles that you can share on this.

[CrappiePappy]

They've got "noses" (well, actually "nostrils" ).... so yeah, they can smell. I believe they use their sight and vibration sensing lateral lines, first & foremost, but they can definitely smell/taste through their nostrils.

I don't know as there has been any "scientific studies" about Crappie & their ability to smell or distinguish good smells from bad, as it were ... but, a Google search for "can crappie smell scientific proof" did offer a few articles that were interesting. I particularly liked the In-Fisherman article, the 1948 School for Fishermen, and some of the Google books pages.

JUST IGNORE the "old school secrets" link ... he's just trying to sell DVD's (and you can get better info, right here, for free !! ) And I make it no secret that I have a reason for my disdain for this man & his tactics ... and that is because he "stole" my method & its name (Vertical Casting) and posted it without so much as a mention of the originator or acknowledgement that it was someone else's intellectual property.

... cp

[lowe175]

Yes, although they are primarily site feeders.

[scrat]

Looks like this is still up in the air as to just how well crappie react to scents and tastes. But it is good to know that if all else fails it doesn't hurt to try. As it is known now that they do have a nose(nostril) to sense of smell and tongue to taste with. I was in real hopes of biologist having scientific proof of this by now. Thanks for the information.

[Badgerloader]

I found that crappie do smell if someone leaves them in a cooler for a few days.

[kickingback]

Per "Old Farmers Almanac" smell-Fish smell through two openings on their head. The sense of smell helps fish find food and warns of danger.

I believe they do and use scents and minnows often.

[no1son]

Gotta be careful with this one. Fish senses are much more integrated than ours are. The components are much more on the order of one super sense whose combination of components varies with the species of fish. No question that scent/taste is a part of that for both crappies and sunnies. More so for sunnies than crappies IMO and both have an excellent vision component. We have seldom added to the scents our plastics come with and generally don't have to, but in a real tough bite, it would probably make a difference for crappies. More often though we find a difference in color and/or movement (presentation) is more important for crappies.

[willietex75766]

I found that crappie do smell if someone leaves them in a cooler for a few days.

My Mother-in-Law of almost 40 years used to say: "guests that stay for more than 3 days start to smell, just like fish" She passed away just last February 13, 2015 and she was my best crappie fishing buddy. I miss her everyday!!!

[brucec]

What are sunnies ?

[CrappiePappy]

What are sunnies ?

Sunfish .... the nickname "sunnies" is usually used to encompass all species of sunfish, or what many call by the lump sum nickname of "bream". It's just used rather than specifically identifying several different species by their proper name ... like Bluegill, Green Sunfish, Longear Sunfish, Pumpkinseed, Redbreast Sunfish, Orangespotted Sunfish, Redear Sunfish, etc. (since they all have several nicknames of their own, as well, and vary according to state or region).

... cp