mmontelongo
Member
I wanted to share an experiment I’m planning and see if anyone’s tried something similar or has thoughts.
I’ve been getting hit with way too many Gafftop Sailcats lately, especially when soaking cut mullet. While they’re fun to fight and pretty in their own way, they’re not what I’m out there chasing. So I’ve been thinking—what if I could deter them chemically?
Here’s my idea: I’m going to try applying capsaicin (aka the active component in hot peppers) to one of two identical rigs. Both will be soaking the same size cut mullet in the same spot, but one will have a light coating of Tabasco or pepper sauce on the bait. The other will be plain as a control.
The reason I think this might work is because Gafftop, like other catfish, rely heavily on their barbels (the whisker-like feelers around their mouths) to detect food through chemoreception—essentially tasting and smelling the water. These barbels are extremely sensitive and packed with taste buds, helping them locate bait even in murky conditions.
If capsaicin irritates their barbels—or at least overwhelms their taste receptors—they might avoid the bait entirely. There’s some anecdotal and lab-based evidence that fish without highly developed barbels (like trout or redfish) don’t respond to capsaicin at all. In fact, capsaicin is often used in some animal repellents because many non-mammals simply don’t react to it.
So if I still get action on the spicy line but it’s all reds and specs instead of slime missiles, we might be onto something.
I’ll report back with results after the trip, but I’m curious—anyone tried using flavor or scent aversion to steer clear of unwanted species before? Would love to hear your thoughts or if you think I’m just gonna make my bait taste like spicy trash.
Tight lines,
Michael M.
I’ve been getting hit with way too many Gafftop Sailcats lately, especially when soaking cut mullet. While they’re fun to fight and pretty in their own way, they’re not what I’m out there chasing. So I’ve been thinking—what if I could deter them chemically?
Here’s my idea: I’m going to try applying capsaicin (aka the active component in hot peppers) to one of two identical rigs. Both will be soaking the same size cut mullet in the same spot, but one will have a light coating of Tabasco or pepper sauce on the bait. The other will be plain as a control.
The reason I think this might work is because Gafftop, like other catfish, rely heavily on their barbels (the whisker-like feelers around their mouths) to detect food through chemoreception—essentially tasting and smelling the water. These barbels are extremely sensitive and packed with taste buds, helping them locate bait even in murky conditions.
If capsaicin irritates their barbels—or at least overwhelms their taste receptors—they might avoid the bait entirely. There’s some anecdotal and lab-based evidence that fish without highly developed barbels (like trout or redfish) don’t respond to capsaicin at all. In fact, capsaicin is often used in some animal repellents because many non-mammals simply don’t react to it.
So if I still get action on the spicy line but it’s all reds and specs instead of slime missiles, we might be onto something.
I’ll report back with results after the trip, but I’m curious—anyone tried using flavor or scent aversion to steer clear of unwanted species before? Would love to hear your thoughts or if you think I’m just gonna make my bait taste like spicy trash.
Tight lines,
Michael M.
