I have heard the idea all my life that we should always vary lures on the line. With trapping being more for fun these days I'm thinking about just using one home brewed bait and one lure on a whole section of my line just to see what happens. It's hard to change my normal habits, but it would save on record keeping, which I always fail at anyway. But the question is: do you think it would really change the catch at all? Or is the whole overusing lure thing pretty much a myth for these animals?

Can’t speak for all critters but I use one lure for reds. The numbers haven’t really changed but having just one has eliminated the “what to put in this hole” pause.

I always would use one everywhere and then as time or lack of interest then I would just change every where. Particularly warm weather, cool weather and colder weather.

You all are boring. Lol, just kidding. I always gotta try a new lure and use a variety, but then I usually lose track of what is where any way. It should be interesting. Still will probably vary them in a couple spots. I really want to give my own lure a good test.

Test in October before season
Not during
I'm using no lure this season.
Trailing scents are a different story

No you can't use a lure too often and you can't use too much of it. If a little bit is good a whole lot is a lot better.

what adc said. if your lure isnt working its not because you didnt use your reloading scale to weigh out the exact amount. critters like it or they dont. simple as that.

Agree but I also think using an untested lure or bait and nothing else wont tell you much. Might consider using an untested one and a solid performer in the second set instead of the same smell ten feet away. Be pretty easy to keep track of put the untested on the first set and the known one one the second. No need to think about it at the set and not hard to remember which set you put in first so record keeping is easy.

Just my opinion.

Your experiment sounds like fun.

That's a good idea.

Ok, but I wasn't asking about the amount of lure per set. From what I've seen, a dab is enough if it's a stout lure

Not sure about that. Are you a lure seller?
Was more speaking of using the same at every set.

Ive come to the notion never to trap with a lure ive never tested. Plenty of time before season to test it. Kind of like sighting in your rifle on deer during the season. Lol

Over using lure is a myth. the animals that don't work it later, don't work it for the same reason they didn't the first time. THAT lure doesn't interest them. No lure is attractive to every animal that finds it. If you find or create one that is at 90-95% your on to something.

If your not catching the animals that work the scent that could change.

Maybe the myth came from people using lures that only interested 30% of the animals.

Oh, I've tested it a bit. Just not on a whole bunch of sets.

That's why I said you can't use it too often.

... mostly I said it because I figured a bunch of people would jump all over it and call me stupid, thus drawing more attention to your post. Trying to help out.

I will use skunky bait or lure for my comment, yes I think the over use or maybe its not actually over use yet believe lots of poor sets or bad trap preparation with extensive use of ONE product in ONE area can teach an animal that smell is bad or trouble. When I travelled out of my home area that same bait a proven one at that "Hiawatha" did great and I have since bought more

Amount of lure at sets you probably can't add too much as far as the animals are concerned. But too much is just a waste of lure. One EXCEPTION though - the skunky/LD lures. They are made to put NEAR sets to call the animals in. At ACTUAL SETS only ONE or two drops down in dirt hole is the amount to use. Just how it works for me

Hahaha...kinda like!