here is a neat tip my hubby and i use when all else fails and it works ever time. we take an onion with us since i am also the cook of the family i always have some kind of food with us. anyway cut then onion in to 1/2 inch square basicly dice it, and stick that on your hook and the bass go nuts they cant seem to get enough of it.

Just a chunk of onion and nothing else?

Ha Ha, bet you have a grand old time laughing at what ever knuckle head buys that onion hogwash. Shame on you for teasing fishermen that way.

Boy howdy, let's see someone top that one!

its true boys no foolin onion really works. if yall don't wanna think its real then just try it out yalls self. i bet yall will be coming back thanking me for the tip. i know yall think that cause im a female that i don't know anything like you boys but us women have some real handy tricks up our dainty little sleeves. i even know how to a pair of women's stockings save me money on bait.

I wouldn't be surprised!  People spend money on garlic scents, why not onion?

Let me get this right. You're saying put a 1/2 square of onion on a hook and a bass will eat it?

Even if it does work im not fishing with an onion. Bass are gamefish throwing an artificial bait is part of the sport. If I was gonna use real bait I would use a shiner or minnow the work everytime. Really an onion come on !!!!!!!!

Hey guys I have a trick for when all else fails put a piece of Jalapeno on a hook and the bass will just go nuts LOL LOL LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!

yes mo just put it on your hook and cast your line and they will bite. jaysun before you knock it try it if it dont work for you then just say so. but ill bet it will.

I was just joking no offense really. I just dont see the sport in it. I think most bass fisherman throw lures anyway.

Ok, I'll "bite". I am willing to try it. Does it mater the type of onion?

Ok, I'll "bite". I am willing to try it. Does it mater the type of onion?

I'm gonna try it just for the heck of it, if it ever cools down here!

it dont matter the onion. just put it this way the stronger the smell the better the onion will work so it best to use a large onion over say a green onion. after yall try this tip and if yall wanna know a stocking trick for fishing with worms let me know ill be happy to share.

jaysung i never take offense to anything. if i did then i would be mad half my life maybe even more. but i agree most bass fishermen do use lures more then anything. i dont know about them but when i go fishing i prefer to bring something back see my hubby LOVES his fish so i like to be sure i bring some fish back for him every time i go fishing me personaly i cant eat fish so i either catch and put back or ill catch one or two for him and the kids.

Glad to hear it bwaldburger what part of the country do yall live in?

Have you ever caught catfish this way ?

Well why not onions for bass, It mat sound crazy but I've caught catfish with ivory soap.

Posted By jaysun7776 on 31 Jul 2011 06:05 PM
Hey guys I have a trick for when all else fails put a piece of Jalapeno on a hook and the bass will just go nuts LOL LOL LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with you. There are literally dozens of things I could put on my hook that bass would eat. But there is no sport in it. You should use lures for bass like you said they are a game fish. If I wanted to still fish I would hook on a nightcrawler and go down to a trout pond! No thanks on the onions!

TO bwaldburger,
          

         THAT WAS A FANTASTIC TIP, AND DON'T EVEN BOTHER WITH THOSE PUREST BASS GUYS WITH IT'S LURES OR NOTHING. I MYSELF FISH 99.9% OF THE TIME WITH LURES, MOSTLY PLASTICS, FROGS, WORMS, AND CREATURE BAITS. BUT WHEN I TAKE ANY OF MY GRANDCHILDREN ( WHICH I HAVE 11 ) WE USE LIVE BAIT. MOST OF THE TIME WE USE NIGHT CRAWLERS, BUT NOW AND THEN WHEN AVAILABLE CATTERPILLERS, MINNOWS, AND CRAWFISH FOR BASS. THEN WHEN WE GO CATFISHING ETHER NIGHT CRAWLERS, STINK BAIT, BLOOD BAIT, MUSSELS, SHRIMP, OR HOT DOGS. 
         SO WHY NOT TRY ONION, I DON'T EAT ONIONS, IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM. THEY MAKE ME SICK AND TOSS, SO IF A FISH WANTS TO BITE ON IT WHY NOT. WHEN YOU TAKE SMALLER KIDS FISHING YOU HAVE TO KEEP THEIR MINDS OCCUPIED OR THEY GET BORED REALLY FAST AND START DOING EVERYTHING BUT FISH. SO HAVEING ANOTHER BAIT TO USE IS JUST ANOTHER BULLET IN THE CHAMBER TO CATCH FISH.
         YOUR HUBBY AND KIDS ARE VERY, VERY LUCKY TO HAVE SOMEONE LIKE YOU. MY WIFE OF 39 YEARS GOES FISHING WITH ME. I LOVE HAVING HER FISH WITH ME.  I DON'T WANT THIS TO GET AROUND, BUT I WOULD RATHER HAVE MY WIFE GO FISHING WITH ME THAN ANYONE ELSE. SHE IS MY BESTEST FRIEND IN THE WORLD. MY WIFE EVEN PUTS HER OWN WORM ON HER HOOK, HOW ABOUT THAT. I LOOK FORWARD TO GOING FISHING WITH MY WIFE, WE FISH, RELAX, TALK ABOUT THINGS, THE KIDS, THE GRAND KIDS, OR ANYTHING THAT COMES TO OUR MINDS. I ONLY WISH THAT MY WIFE HAD STARTED FISHING WITH ME SOONER THAN SHE DID. WE MISSED A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER WHEN SHE DIDN'T FISH.THEN ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO DOWN IN FLA. WE WERE IN OUR SMALL BOAT ON A RIVER AND I WAS FISHING, WHEN SHE ASK ME IF SHE COULD TRY. I CALLED THE FLA. FISH AND GAME AND BOUGHT HER A 7 DAY FISHING LIC. AND AFTER 15 MIN. ON THE PHONE, MY WIFE HAD HER FISHING LIC. AND WAS READY TO GO FISHING.
            EVER SENCE THAT DAY MY WIFE HAS BEEN MY BEST AND FAVORITE FISHING PARTNER. SO FISH ON GIRL, AND IF YOU HAVE ANYMORE TIPS, BY ALL MEANS POST THEM IN THE FORUM. ALSO WOULD YOU E-MAIL ME THE TRICK ON THE PANTY HOSE AND WORMS.
            DOWN IN FLA. WHEN I FISH FOR GAR FISH, I PUT A PIECE OF DEAD CUT SHINER, ( VAKA IN FLA. IS THE ONLY TIME I USE SHINERS FOR BASS ) THE CUT THE LEG AND TOE AT JUST BELOW THE KNEE OF A SET OF PANTY HOSE, AND PUT THE HOOK WITH THE CUT BAIT IN THE PANTY HOSE, THEN TIE THE TOP OF THE HOSE TIGHTLY ONTO YOUR LINE ABOVE THE HOOK SO IT CAN NOT BE PULLED OFF. WHEN A GAR FISH BITES THE BAIT WITH THE PANT HOSE, THE TEETH OF A GAR FISH GETS TANGLED UP IN THE PANTY HOSE ALONG WITH HOPEFULLY THE HOOK GETTING SET INSIDE THEIR MOUTH. BY THE WAY THE MOUTH OF A GAR IS HARD AS BONE AND IT IS HARD TO GET A GOOD HOOK SET. BUT WITH THE PANTY HOSE, AND THE TEETH GETTING TANGLED UP IN THE HOSE, YOU CATCH MORE GAR FISH.
             THERE IS ONE OF MY LITTLE SECRETS HOPE YOU CAN USE IT. GAR FISH FIGHT LIKE THE DEVEL WAS ON THEIR TAIL. THE LAST GAR I CAUGHT WAS 45LB. AND FOUGHT ME FOR OVER 50 MIM. BEFORE I GOT THE BEST OF HIM AND LANDED HER. EVEN THEN IT WAS HARD BECAUSE A GATER ALMOST GOT MY GAR. AFTER I LANDED THE GAR WE FOUND THAT THE GATER THAT WENT AFTER MY GAR BIT THE TAIL. BUT DIDN'T DO TO MUCH DAMAGE. 
              ANYWAY IF YOU WOULD E-MAIL ME THE PANTY HOSE TRICK AND ANY OTHERS YOU OR YOUR HUBBY KNOW I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO TRY IT OUT. MY E-MAIL IS ( all lower case) ( rhank123@aol.com ) hope to get your trick with panty hose.    



THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE NEW BAIT IDEA, MY GRANDKIDS WILL GET A KICK OUT OF TRYING IT. 
         REMEMBER TO TAKE A CHILD FISHING, YOU CAN CHANGE THEIR LIFE FOR THE BETTER FOREVER.


                                                                                                                                                   THANKS AGAIN
                                                                                                                                                    RICK HANKINS
                                                                                                                                   FROM NEW JERSEY, A TROPHY LIFE MEMBER
                                                                                                                          AND A GRANGFATHER TO 11 GRANDKIDS WHICH I 
                                                                                                                          I HAVE TOUGHT AND TAKE 9 OF THE FISHING.         THE LAST TWO ARE UNDER 3 YEARS OLD, JUST TO YOUNG, BUT THEY WILL HAVE THEIR TIME WITH THEIR POPPOP. 

                                                                                                                                          I WANT TO DO IS GO FISHING
GIVE A MAN OR A WOMEN A FISH AND THEY WILL EAT FOR A DAY.
TEACH A MAN OR A WOMEN TO FISH, AND THEY WILL EAT FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
                                                                                                                                             


                                                                                                                                             J. RICHARD HANKINS JR.
                                                                                                                                                   ( RICK HANKINS )
                                                                                                                                 A. K. A. THE EVERYDAY FISHERMAN
                                                                                   ALSO A BOOK I WROTE FOR BEGINNER, TO TEACH THE BASICS
                                                           WHICH WILL BE ON SALE AROUND THE END OF NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER OF 2011

yes i have went fishing for bass with onions and like i said they love it. my hubby & i use it when they wont bite anything else. i am living in MI but i have lived in 7 other states, but i dont plan on moving out of this state any time soon. i live in kalamazoo but when my hubby& i fish we fish in ludington.

Is fishing with onions even legal?

yes it is here in MI as well as all the other states i have been in

My only concern is that of the fishes ability to digest onions. If it can't, then it will die. Like if it were to consume corn or soft plastics. Fish ingest certain things that their digestive system cannot break down and they expire because of it. Can you provide any data as to the legality or potential detrimental effects of onion use while fishing? Im very curious.

well i dont have any data but i will work on getting that so i can tell you if its something to use just for fishing if you plan to eat what you catch or if you can catch and let go and the fish have no problems. although the others that fish with my hubby and i use it and said it dont bother the fish in their privet ponds that they fish out of on their land but if it will make you more comfy captain i will find and get that data for you and when i get it ill post my findings for you .

Posted By bwaldburger on 03 Aug 2011 10:41 PM
well i dont have any data but i will work on getting that so i can tell you if its something to use just for fishing if you plan to eat what you catch or if you can catch and let go and the fish have no problems. although the others that fish with my hubby and i use it and said it dont bother the fish in their privet ponds that they fish out of on their land but if it will make you more comfy captain i will find and get that data for you and when i get it ill post my findings for you .

Ha ha okay cool. Im actually pretty curious. It's not just for me either, lots of people see this stuff so it will help everyone!

happy to help. besides i wouldnt want any one to use something that is not good for the fish.

according to fish and game big mouth bass, small mouth bass, rock bass, and other sunfish can and will eat just about anything they can get but is best for them to feed off natural things like bugs, worms, small snakes, crayfish, mice, salamanders, turtles, leeches, and plants. the plants can be but are not limited to aquatic plants. fishing with anything but plastic and rubber is highly recommended.

found this on a fish and game website that gave fishing tips for the state i live in.

captain i hope this helps concerns and thoughts. i will be looking for more info just to let you know. i'm not the type to start studying something and stop when i have just started. i will even be happy to post all the finding i get so that everyone can have the same info.

Cool! It's good to see someone so passionate and committed to the art of angling! Especially a woman! There aren't too many on this site you know!?

lol i learned that when i first got here. but i myself love to fish and hunt and camp as well as many other things so why not care for what you love and the things that are a part of what you love.

Dear bwaldburger
Your husbands a lucky man.

gubahead

he says to tell you thank you.
by the way everyone can call me brandy.

Posted By bwaldburger on 04 Aug 2011 02:46 PM
gubahead

he says to tell you thank you.
by the way everyone can call me brandy.

OK brandy, looks like you stuck to your guns and are in with the "old boys", or at least some of them. My wife can't spend any time fishing that's not walking distance to a bathroom, and port-o-potties and out-houses don't count, although we used to camp with the kids when we were younger.   Welcome!!

i been camping, fishing, hunting and alot of other out door stuff for as long as i can remember and all5 of my kids will be too.

Now i've got a craving for onions...

lol sorry for that lol

rhank i hope you got the fishing tip i sent ya via email and i hope it helps.

Brandy what part of the Country do yall live in ?? Texas here

we live in michigan but i myself was raised in texas, californa, utah, washington, & oregon. he was born and raised here in michigan.

I'm gonna try attach a a piece of onion to a jig, sounds a little crazy but worth trying. Not sure if its legal in tournaments gonna have to check the rules on produce type baits. I'll let you know if it works. Thanks. Scott

never tried for catfish jaysun and i live in MI. i would like to try for catfish but now i have to wait till my 5 month old is a bit older.

I'm game! Living in OK we'll try anything. LOL

OK, this tip has been on here long enough for some of you that said you'd try it to get out there and test the waters. I'm dying to know...anyone catch a fish on an onion yet? 

Okay, so if you can't catch anything and insist on using a lure, put a lil piece of onion on one of the hooks on your lure.... I'm gonna try that tomorrow. Thanks

glad someone is trying it in stead of just making jokes about it.

Ty for the info on using a piece of onion for bass. I have never tried it but I will definitely give it a try next year when the water warms up a bit. I fish out of a belly boat and even tho I have insulated waders the water can get too cold for me to fish. I normally fish with lures but I go fishing to catch fish. If that means I need to use live bait then I will use live bait, or any other bait. When the strip pit I fish turns over in the fall the fish just don't respond as well to lures so I usually switch to minnows. I outfish every other person that fishes this pit. We do have to buy a lease and then pay $5 each trip so I try to maximize my results as much as possible. I also can only fish in the afternoon since we only have one vehicle and my wife needs it for her work. She takes me to the pit during her lunch hour and then picks me up when it gets too dark for me to fish anymore. Also I love onions.  Good fishing and never stop learning.

BTW I do have some disabilities that keep me from working but I can still sit in my belly boat and kick around. The pleasure I get from fishing outweighs the pain involved at this point altho there are times when I do wonder if it is still worth it. I always take an Alleve before I go and always have one with me to take later. Thought I would mention this since it would be logical for people to wonder why my wife works and I don't.

I understand the disabilities part, I like kayaks but can hardly get in and out of one because of my knees (and I am too darn fat). One of these days, if the money is available and right, I would like to try a wavewalk type.

Alright...this tip has been on here since July 2011...has 48 replies...and still not one catch on an onion. Did anyone try it?

Not me...maybe I have the wrong piece of onion on...LOL.

I'm sorry but fishing with an onion is just lame. Be a sportsman! Using artificial lures or even a night crawler would be better than produce! Its not just about catching a fish for a free meal, as some people do exclusively, it is about enticing a fish to strike using advanced fishing methods and tactics. Fishing is about using skill! Anybody can toss out a random ingredient and maybe catch a fish. a REAL fisherman puts in time and effort into their craft to figure out how to target, hunt and catch a fish! Just one man's opinion though!

Posted By Captain Quantum on 22 Apr 2012 04:53 AM
  Fishing is about using skill!

I would guess getting a bass to hit a piece of onion would take some skill...lol...I just can't see this technique working.

I think it would take a miracle for a bass to hit an onion.

Some folks around here don't get it, they make disparaging posts then wonder why no-one wants to talk with them or respond to their posts. Think about it and you will know who I am refering to.

OK for you hardcore disbelievers why do they sell garlic scented plastics is not a onion and garlic related .
For you lure users you could easily rub the onion on your lure to mask your human scent .
Just because something sounds far fetched to you dose not make it a false statement .

OK RT...if you're a "believer"...get out there and catch me a fish on an onion! I have tried it, and it worked about as good as I thought it would, but I'm still all ears for some other reports.
                                    

P.S.  Almost forgot...I may have been fishing a contaminated onion...it was from a McDonald's Quarter Pounder...my bad!

IM not saying im a believer but im not saying im a disbeliever either . I am just saying i have heard of some strange things that work for some species of fish . egg white, bacon , and now the new coffee scented plastics ,corn ,  some one used a small piece of beef jerky to catch trout at a  set up trout pound  at Cabelas  yes i witnessed it first hand  they added it to the fly,   soap, black licorice , gummy worms , Ben gay , to name a few .

The scents themselves aren't what attract the fish. They are just scents to cover up the "human smell" most of the time. Onion obviously has a strong odor, so does garlic as well as coffee, that is why they are used on soft plastics.

RT,
  You're right, all those things you mentioned, they have attracted fish. I have used soap for catfish successfully, and in a minnow trap as well. I've caught many bass with garlic and coffee scented plastics too, but what I'm so skeptical about is the appliction this thread was started about. The author didn't say "rub onion on as an attractant"...she said "put a 1/2 inch square on a hook"...and bass will eat it! Now my guess is that the odds of this happening are about as good as a carp running down a buzzbait and busting it! All in all...this has been a very entertaining thread...but still...nobody commenting has claimed success.
                                                                          

I think mo65 might have better luck catching something on that Quarter Pounder than just an onion! At least there's meat on that!

This topic has been quite entertaining...it has raised more of a debate on scent issues, rather than the original poised question or topic "a trick that never fails when all else fails". I've never heard of an onion being used as bait for bass..then again, I don't bass fish much. But I can say with certainty, when fishing with BAIT, not lures or soft plastics..you want the best or freshest bait you can find. Scent, does attract fish. Scent can work in your favor and against you. Just about every lure company makes some sort of fishing scent/attractant to add to your soft plastics and live or chunk bait. They also make scent removers such as fishermens soap to remove the human scent. Think about scent and predator fish: A shark can smell a drop of blood for miles. Now back to the onion... When I go to the lake this summer to get my bassin' on..I'm going to put out a rod with a nice chunk of fresh onion, probably a Vandalia or Spanish onion as they are the sweetiest, while I'm fishing the traditional way of using artificials. We'll see what happens...

I think any success generated by a scent product is more a factor of the confidence it may give the angler. I have yet to notice a difference in catch rate when using them or not. I do firmly believe that certain scents will repel fish, things like sunscreen and insect repellent. It has been proven that fish avoid acids. I think this is where the old superstition of spitting on your bait may have some basis as saliva is a base ph substance and will to a degree neutralize weak acids.

I'm going out to try it right now! I will post my results.

Ha Ha Ha! Threads like this kill me. "You should only fish artificials for bass!!!" You know why artificials hold sway over livebait? Primarily commercialism. Secondarily laziness. And third is convenience.

Commercialism. Some of the first bass tournaments were sponsored by bait manufacturers. They wanted to make sure that supporting tournaments had a high likelihood of promoting sales of their artificial baits. They also didn't want to risk being beaten by minnows or night crawlers or live frogs. Here's the rub. Uncle Josh was also one of the first bass tournament sponsors, so they changed that really quickly to say all artificials... um... and pork rinds. I'ld be willing to bet if Joe's Worm Ranch was an early bass tournament sponsor that it would have read all artificials, pork rinds, and Joe's hybrid hand wrangled nightcrawlers.

Laziness? You might think I am kidding, but I am not. I know that most of the time I can plunk a big old threadfin shad in front of a bass and he will eat it. Not always, but often enough that if I could catch shad every time I went out I might never have learned to fish anything else. Almost certainly when it has a hook through its nose causing it to swim erratically. It seems pretty easy on the face of it. You still have to find the bass and learn to put the bait where it belongs. The key is you can't always catch bait, and in many parts of the country its hard to find stores that sell decent live minnow anymore. In addition the more hardy store bought minnows don't always produce as well as the fragile common bait species you can catch wild. So, you have to catch your own, and you have to have a system that keeps them alive long enough to use them. If it takes a while you might find that you used up your whole day catching bait and never got to fish.

Convenience. Hey, if you are no good at catching bait you can always go down to the store and buy a package of rubber worms. If you don't use them all or you buy extras you don't even have to go to the store next time. They keep. Crankbaits don't go bad in your tacklebox, and you don't have to aerate them and feed them like minnows. You don't even have to take them off the line.

And... skill in finding and catching fish trumps either. I fished a derby series one year that allowed any legal method. I threw mostly (remember that word) artificials, but a lot of guys would use tilapia or bluegill for bait going after toads. I won two out of six in the series, and took checks in a couple more. I finished 3rd in their fishoff, and I got a check and a trophy for 2nd overall for the series. Every fish I caught was on artificials, and the guy who took first also threw all artificials.

Now for the amusing anecdote. In one derby in the series I decided to try some minnows. I bought a bunch of shiners and set up a bait bucket to float in my livewell. I had a couple spots where I knew big fish hung out. I set up split shot rigs and balloon rigs for shiner fishing, and I set out to drift or slow retrieve baits along a couple key brush lines. I spent an hour on one and half an hour on another before I picked up a flipping stick with a big old creature bait tied on. In about 10 flips I put a 2 pounder in the boat. In the next half an hour I caught a 5.6, 4.7, and a 3.9 along with a couple more 2+ fish. It was a 3 fish limit for the derby. Those three fish won the derby for me. I didn't have big bass, but the guy who did fishing livebait only had a 6 for his big fish and a couple barely keepers.

Inspite of the fact that I had some good fish in the livewell I was a little frustrated with having gone out and bought shiners that never produced a fish. Towards the end of the day I headed for a spot that holds numbers of small bass where you can almost always catch a few. I rigged up a split shot rig and a shiner. I tossed it up past where I could see several bucks swimming around in the shade of a tree and slowly brought the minnow into their comfort zone. They ignored it. I did that several times, even twitching and crawling the bait like I might a Texas rig or a Carolina rig. One little bass finally got tired of me irritating him and he struck with a vengance when I tried to provoke a reaction strike by jerking the bait away from him. He absolutely knocked the bejeebers out of the split shot. I reeled him half way to the boat clamped down on that sinker with my shiner trailing behind.

So, you can say what you like in a superior huff about fishing with artifiicials, but livebait fishing is not necessarily easier or guaranteed to put fish in the boat. You still have to fish, and you still have to get them in the boat. If somebody out fishes you then they out fished you. Period. If that bothers you then up your game.

interesting..... i sorta dont believe it! :p

hmm take a photo of the fish you caught on the onion in his mouth,like to see that one,you must be fishing in a pond, rivers and lakes might be hard to do that.
gotta find the bass first

this is very interesting!