I saw Randy Blaukat mention roughing up soft plastics. He demonstrated it, and said that he gets more bites with it because it allows more salt/scent to enter the water.

 

Anyone do this and find that it helps?

When Berkley Power Bait worm 1st came out around the early 80’s everyone was sanding the worms to release more scent. The sanding faded out in a few years and don’t know anyone still doing that.

Tom

I rough up Senkos...and that's about it. 

I’ll rough up a yomomoto double tail trailer on the tips and front section of body a bit to change its look and hue a bit. I can’t remember where I saw that, probably Randy, but it was just to create minor realism and color breakup. Like a textured look instead of smooth “fresh” plastic. Also a little bit with a senko occasionally 

When I used Z brand, I used to stretch and snap them like an elasticc before I used them

Where I fish I have to let the bass tell me what they want.  Sometimes the bass want craws and creatures right out of the bag.  If the bait is missing an appendage it won't get bit.  On the flip side of that, I have caught bass on a plastic worm when the only thing holding it together was the hook running through it.

I scrunch up zoom speedcraws due to their shine.   

I roll and stretch my TRD's to get them to float a bit better. It does change the color a bit.

Since when does Randy Blaukat fish?!

Randy is a local guy and no question he is still a stick on Table Rock. 
With that said , does it matter ? I kinda doubt it . But it won’t hurt .

37 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

Since when does Randy Blaukat fish?!

Exactly.

 

When did he quit ?

I let the fish rough them up for me usually!

@rangerjockey I was being sarcastic because I’ve never actually seen him near water. Whenever his videos show up on my feed, he’s sitting in his car whining about something. 
 

Sorry OP, didn’t mean to derail anything. 

I remove them from their home in the store, stick them with a hook, cast them in to a very dangerous environment, and complain if they do not get bit by a bass.  I feel no need to cause them any more stress and pain by roughing them up.

I prefer to verbally threaten mine before use.  

3 hours ago, Jar11591 said:

Since when does Randy Blaukat fish?!

He’s a legend in his own mind lol so good he won’t even practice an event anymore.. but he is a family man nowadays.. maybe that’s why. 

Unless I specifically want them to float, on Elaztec I stretch them out and rubber band them and it will release salts aiding in a faster sink rate..

21 hours ago, WRB-2.0 said:

When Berkley Power Bait worm 1st came out around the early 80’s everyone was sanding the worms to release more scent. The sanding faded out in a few years and don’t know anyone still doing that.

Tom

There’s still a few diehards scuffing them. 
 

Now that you mention it, I remember an article in either WON or Arizona Hunter and Angler stating that sanding was mandatory to fully realize the benefits of the Power Worm. 

I feel this sort of stuff is best left to the pros. I'm also not going to take a knife and rough up the finish on a new lure. I doubt it would get me one more bite in a month of Saturdays. But I'm not on the water 300 days a year. 

5 hours ago, F14A-B said:

He’s a legend in his own mind lol so good he won’t even practice an event anymore.. but he is a family man nowadays.. maybe that’s why. 

Unless I specifically want them to float, on Elaztec I stretch them out and rubber band them and it will release salts aiding in a faster sink rate..

Well he had 2 MLF top 10’s in ‘24 . I believe he was 3rd on Table Rock.

He has found a niche on you tube. I don’t agree with all of his opinions but he seems to be making a living . 
 

5 hours ago, F14A-B said:

He’s a legend in his own mind lol so good he won’t even practice an event anymore.. but he is a family man nowadays.. maybe that’s why. 

Unless I specifically want them to float, on Elaztec I stretch them out and rubber band them and it will release salts aiding in a faster sink rate..

I am subscribed to him. He puts out about 3 10-12 minute videos a day. Most are hating on FFS, which I agree with. Many have sensational thumbnails like "You'll never fish a Senko the same way after watching this" or "Double your catch with this one trick". If that worked I'd be catching 30+ every time out. He seems to have a vendetta against the Whopper Plopper.

On 9/17/2025 at 1:15 PM, Bazoo said:

 he gets more bites with it because it allows more salt/scent to enter the water.

 

10 hours ago, F14A-B said:

and it will release salts aiding in a faster sink rate..

I am confused.  I thought that bass could not taste salt, or if even if they can, salt in the water isn't likely to attract bass to a lure... but that it was added to increase sink rate and weight.

Or as some cynics suggest, salt is cheaper than plastisol, with the added 'benefit' of decreased durability 

By abrading the bait and allowing salt to dissolve away from the bait it will allow the elaztec to float or slow the sink rate. Doing that has nothing to do with trying to appeal to a fishes sense of taste.. @Choporoz

I've been doing this for years with plastics impregnated with salt. Not so much to attract more bites, or change the sink rate, etc., but I feel the fish hold on to the bait longer before rejecting it ( if they ever do). 

I rough up tubes. It seems to me  the more tore up a tube is the better, so I give them a head start.