Bait Cloud good or gimmick?

[Loforna]

Santa put a couple packs of bait cloud in my stocking this year. Just wondering if anyone has tried them before and if so with any luck? I'm always skeptical of products like this but willing to try them out.

[Fisherman]

You can always make your own. Mash up some dead minnows, freeze a couple of small 1 1/2 inch stones, roll the stones in the minnow mash and freeze until you get a nice lump. Drop them down the hole and there you go.

[Fishin fan]

They will light your sonar up for sure. Had a few given to me at the sportsman show. Dropped down the hole and it was like Christmas on the flasher. Lots of bubbles. Whether they attract fish, I don’t know.

Dave

[xiaolu]

The last time I heard of this so-called "bait cloud", it is basically you spend some cold and hard cash to get it, and then drop it down the water column, and it just scares any and all of fish down there who will run away from you as fast as they could.

[Jerkbaiter]

Yep, it's pretty hefty price for a 5 minute bubbles. I've heard mixed opinions on this but did not use personally.
The old trick of putting a bunch of minnows in a clear bottle or jar on the bottom works better or using a rattle vib lure to call fish in.

[nocod]

The boys from the west side used to make there own bait balls,I think they work

[Tommy_Niagara]

Gimmicky.

Although I like the concept, it just doesn't hold fish in the area like chum would.

[chadtbo]

I say gimmick as well.

Used a couple sleeves last year. ZERO results.

Like the Chum ball idea! Might try that. Thanks Fisherman

[BlackCrowe13]

The Bait Cloud people sent me a few packs yesterday to test out.
Walleye, Predator, and Trout...

No idea as to how they will work, but am happy to give them a shot to see what they can do.

[Disco]

My friend brought one out a couple of years ago. It scared ever single fish away when we used it.

It was an experiment for us as we were on perch for about an hour and wanted to see the effects of what the bait ball would do when fish were already present. It sucked.

A few tests on u tube showed the same results.

[thrillhouse]

I threw one down the hole while perch fishing then watched it on an underwater camera. It scared most of the fish away, lasted maybe 5 minutes. Only once it stopped producing bubbles did the fish return. I won't be using them again, ever.

[kingphoenix]

I dont think you want it right under you on a day when fish are around. But i think the idea would work best when no fish are around and you want to try to get some curious fish to come over to look at the disturbance. Just like when you smash the bottom to kick up dust to attract fish. And maybe throw it 10 feet away so you can get fish in the area.

[Rabbit90]

I've used them a few times in fresh water, it definitely lights up the area but doesn't last long. I would rather fish with live bait or chum. However I plan on using the one you drag behind your boat when I go salt water fishing this April, hoping to see a difference.

[fishfood]

Like mentioned I think its a gimmick. Tried out fishing for Whitties had fish coming into the areas every few minutes. Put it down to see if i could creat a little frenzy. Never marked a fish after that and had to move.

I took the rest i had walleye fishing i was going to toss everything i the river but forgot. Still in the trunk now .

[WILSON]

I had a few sleeves given to me by the rep down here in Windsor, brought them up with me this past weekend on Simcoe to test them out first one down appeared to work as I had bubbles coming up my hole, next two not sure, Sunday I dropped down the second sleeve of 3 at once, one out of the three produced the other two were duds as I could see them on the bottom doing nothing, my findings say it's a gimmick, they helped in no way...