Most anglers know that scent matters in hunting. But in fishing, we rarely talk about it — even though fish have extremely sensitive olfactory systems designed to detect dissolved chemical cues in the water. Today we’re exploring a lesser-discussed scientific layer: amino acids on human skin — especially L-serine — and how they might play a subtle role in what your hands actually transfer into the water. This isn’t about marketing magic or performance claims — it’s about real physiology and what science has observed about fish olfaction. 🧬 Amino Acids on Skin: A Primer Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and they’re present not just inside our bodies but also on the surface of our skin. Studies show that human sweat and skin secretions contain a suite of free amino acids — including serine — as part of the natural skin surface composition. Importantly: - These amino acids are water-soluble - They can be transferred to objects you touch - Washing reduces them, but measurable amounts can remain after cleansing So even after a shower, your hands and skin still bear parts of your unique chemistry. 🐟 How Fish Detect Amino Acids Fish have a powerful chemical sense. Unlike terrestrial animals, they “smell” dissolved molecules directly in the water — and amino acids are among the strongest olfactory cues in many species. Research from olfactory studies with rainbow trout, for example, shows that fish respond to a range of amino acids — including serine — when introduced into their sensory environment. At physiological concentrations, fish olfactory systems are tuned to amino acids, sometimes favoring them over other compound classes. ⚖️ L-Serine: Not Just Another Amino Acid Here’s where things get particularly interesting. A controlled study focusing on fish olfactory responses found that L-serine — the same amino acid commonly present on human skin — exhibited avoidance responses in zebrafish when presented as part of a mixture of odorants. In that study, fish tended to avoid areas with higher concentrations of serine relative to attractant amino acids.

Anyone who's ever fished with me knows that I'm a bladed jig fanatic. No matter the time of the year, I have one tied on. Even in the dead of winter. Over the past 5 years over 70% of the bass 5+ pounds that I've caught have come on a chatterbait, usually a 5/8 oz Big Blade in either green pumpkin candy, black and blue, or fire craw. I will throw other types of bladed jigs. I have a healthy selection of Rage Blades (discontinued), Crosseyes, Mini Max's, Thundercrickets, and who doesn't love a Jackhammer. All of them have their place and honestly, I don't think any are necessarily superior to the other. Just like any other bait it's about confidence. For me, that's the Big Blade. My favorite way to fish a bladed jig is around some sort of shallow cover. Rocks, docks, bushes, submergent (and even emergent) vegetation, and my personal favorite-lily pad stems. I prefer the water be 5 feet or less with at least some stain and I like for there to be some wind disturbance on the surface. That doesn't mean that I HAVE to have those conditions to fish a bladed jig-I'll throw one just about anywhere, but if those conditions are present you can bet that a bladed jig is what I'm throwing. A bladed jig is an excellent way to cover lots of water. Unless I'm fishing specific targets, my bladed jig casts are among the longest casts I make. I start with my rod tip high, employing short, sharp jerks should it get fouled with weeds (Many times this is when the bite occurs). As I'm reeling in I slowly drop my rod tip to keep the jig roughly at the same depth throughout the cast. Even on a super-long cast the whole thing takes about 30 seconds from release to next cast. Employing this method I can cover an entire flat in a hurry! When you get a hit on a bladed jig, you'll increase your hook-ups dramatically if you treat it like a topwater. Give it a 2 count and let the fish turn before you set the hook. This is especially important after the spawn when there's clouds of tiny fry swimming around in what look like little clouds. The bladed jig's skirt perfectly mimics one of these clouds and is deadly this time of year. However, if you've ever seen a bass attack a ball of fry, there's no real rhyme or reason to it. Normally when they attack a baitfish they go for the head. When they attack one of these fry clouds they attack from any direction, barreling through the tiny school at 90 miles per hour with their mouths open like a whale swimming through a school of mullet. This inconsistency makes hook-ups difficult, but nearly impossible if you set the hook too early.

This post is for those of you who tournament fish or just pride yourselves on having good instincts on the water. Recently, my son and I fished a bass tournament together. Beforehand, we spent a ton of time studying topo maps, planning our routes and stops, and picking out the baits we wanted to start with. I felt confident going in — I had a solid read on what the bass should be doing that time of year, and our plan looked good on paper. The goal was to scout the lake a few times before tournament day, but life had other plans. My lifelong fishing coach — my dad — was diagnosed with cancer, and the time we’d set aside for practice quickly disappeared into a blur of doctor appointments leading up to his surgery. We only managed to get one practice day in, the day before the tournament, which thankfully wasn’t against the rules for this series. That day, we rushed through practice but still found a few fish. Toward the end, we swung into a section I’d kept tucked in the back of my mind as a backup — a small, dirt-shallow pocket near the ramp. The water there was the dirtiest we’d found, absolutely loaded with shad. Now, there were plenty of shad in our main areas too, but this spot had a different energy — bait everywhere, movement, life. Still, we only spent about twenty minutes there before wrapping up. Our main game plan focused on textbook fall patterns: mouths of creeks, creek channels feeding into pockets, and the wood and rock along channel swing banks where bass typically stage to chase shad into the coves. I had our route meticulously crafted, every stop carefully thought out. I’d invested hours into this plan, and we caught fish in practice — nothing huge, but enough to build confidence. Yet, even as we finalized our plan, something deep down kept whispering to start in that dirty water. I ignored it. Tournament morning came, and we launched right on schedule, sticking to the plan. We caught plenty of fish — just none over the 15-inch mark. Halfway through the day, with frustration setting in, we decided to head back to that muddy section near the ramp. To get there, we had to duck under a narrow bridge, only wide enough for one boat at a time. As we pulled up, another boat was coming out. We exchanged the usual small talk — the kind of “Catching them all?” banter that everyone knows doesn’t mean a thing — and waited for them to clear out.

🎣 Welcome to The Three Minute Fishing Show Community! Hey everyone — I’m glad you’re here! This group is all about sharing quick, practical fishing knowledge and connecting with other anglers who love the sport as much as we do. Let’s kick things off by getting to know each other 👇 💬 Drop a quick intro in the comments and tell us: 1️⃣ What region or body of water you usually fish 2️⃣ Your favorite species to target 3️⃣ Whether you prefer live/natural bait or artificial lures (and why!) Here’s mine to get us started:🎣 I’m from Southern Indiana and love chasing bass, though I’ll go after other species when the mood strikes. I usually fish with lures because I don’t have the patience for live bait. No matter what I’m after, I like to stay on the move, making multiple casts to different targets. The only time I really slow down is when I’m catfishing. Then I’ll use live bait, cut bait, dough bait, or even hot dogs—whatever feels right at the time. Overall, I’d say more than 90% of my time is spent fishing for bass. Whether I’m in the boat, on the bank of a farm pond, or wading a creek, most of the time, I’m a bass guy. Let’s hear from you — the more you share, the better we can tailor future tips, videos, and discussions to your fishing style!