What do you want and what have you come to rely on in a marten lure?

I like skunk, and a lot of it, in a base that is waterproof and does not freeze. I make my own and it has quite a few other odors, and a base that has a permeating odor of its own, but the skunk in it is powerful enough to smell at 50-100 yards with a human nose. All that being said, I tested a marten lure of Bob Jameson's last year, and it didn't have any skunk I could smell, had a minty, sweet odor to my nose. (the wife certainly liked it better) and it is the only marten lure I have tested that performed as well as my own concoction.

After you get an odor they like, in a form that is waterproof and freezeproof, my next preference is a sticky, smearable lure. I like to take a stick and dip up a gob of lure and smear it on the tree above the box or pot, and have it stick there without running. That is quite a ways behind the other requirements though.

A large chunk of good bait in the box is what works here.
I never use scent lure for marten.
Location of boxes on the travel\dispersal routes is also more important than a scent lure when targeting dispersing juveniles as opposed to resident marten.

Best lure is catching another marten and having it loose it's bladder and glands when it dies. Like Boco said, location is more important.

I agree about location mostly but also a good lure makes a difference IMO.

For years I used Tingley's Black Magic mink lure. Very sweet and mild.
Straight sable oil works great as well.

I do NOT want skunk in my marten lure but I like it in wolverine sets

This is all good input! Keep it comin guys! Thank you all!

For me lure can make a difference. Have had good luck with Mountain Marten n Sable Oil. Good bait is more important tho.

I use Gusto and Sable Oil. I use a dried duck wing and dip the feathers into the bottles. The wing is my attractor and lure holder. I pull the wings at the end of the season and store inside the deep freezer until next season.

I have used Magnum Marten, Mountain Marten, Skunk Junk, etc. But Tim Caven got me into all this trouble so I keep using his Gusto. I prefer it over the other pure skunk and Vasoline lures. I have a ton of bears, so no lure on anything but the wings. The boxes stay at the same location for many years.

Gusto has all the other smells not just skunk and that works for my Marten. My numbers increased after adding Sable Oil. Now those two are all I use for lure. I use them together at every set.

Smearing the Vasoline works great on a Marten trap line if you use footholds and no boxes. Just smear it each trap check and the smell will open up again. But bad idea around bears and boxes.

I am the opposite of White17. I want Skunk in my Marten lure but I do not want skunk anywhere near my Wolverine sets. My wolverine see a lot of traps and know Marten sets better than I do!

My bait is half a duck carcass and has a loud odor inside the box. Mice work the box constantly. Sometimes I will add Sable Oil inside the box, just smear it on the bait just a little.

Okay Mr. Kelley, please make us a killer Marten lure now that you know all our secrets.