WD-40: attractant, repellent?

I have some salmon lures upon which I generously squirted some smelly jelly, fished with them, and at the end of the salmon season put them in a plastic ziplock and stored them.  The smelly jelly turned to a sort of sticky varnish.  It smells bad, is not removable with soap and water, rubbing alcohol, nor olive oil.  It is removable with ethanol, but at this time I have no cheap vodka, and it is removable with WD-40. 

In the past I have heard people used WD-40 as an attractant probably because of the myth that WD-40 contains fish oil.  In any case I would like to scrub the lures with WD-40, then rinse and scrub with detergent and water.  However, if this treatment will render the lures repellent I should just toss them and replace them. 

Comments, suggestions?

I use to spray cut plug herring with WD-40 and catch silvers in the sound years and years ago. Im pretty sure it wont repel salmon but other fish not too sure....

I used WD-40 on my DR ball, flasher, swivels, and leader 1 time last season as a cover scent experiment since I was told about it working as an attractant. After hearing/reading over and over how human scent is 3rd only to bear and dogs as a salmon repellent, and it was a new DR ball that had no doubt been fondled dozens of times while on the shelf I figured it couldn't hurt. To make a long story short, I caught my only king of the season that day. Not sure if the WD-40 had anything to do with that, but it obviously didn't hurt. I plan to try it a bit more frequently this season. I sprayed it on, and wiped it off with a dry paper towel so it wasn't soaked with the stuff, but it still made a little oily rainbow when I dropped my gear.

I've used WD40 on several occasions on bait for halibut, salmon, and kokanee.  I've also used it on trout and other lures when storing them.  The lures still catch fish just fine.

I can tell you there have been times at Wikiup kok fishing where we could fish for hours and hours with no bites.  Spritz on some wd40 on the baitand you'll have a limit in an hour can't keep fish off your hook. 

I've had similar similar results with halibut and salmon on herring.  Where baits literally 10 feet apart and the ones without WD get nothing.  Sure with halibut there's a lot of luck on the drop.  But when running down riggers for silvers at 15 feet and regardless of side of boat only the WD bait gets hit well you it is what it is. 

Attractant?  In some cases definitely.

Deterrent?  In some cases quite possibly.

Do I like using WD40 on the water without truly knowing what's in it?   Not really

but it still made a little oily rainbow when I dropped my gear.

The impression I get is that the stuff isn't water soluble at all, hence the rainbow.  Water displacement 40 and all.  From what I understand it's not so much imparting a scent of its own so much as getting rid of the people scent the fish don't like, especially if it just slicks off whenever you submerge it. 

Not sure if it helps but I have personally witnessed more than a dozen kings get caught within minutes of bait/lure getting doused with wd40. A friend swore by it and he caught fish  It definitely does NOT repel kings.

Isnt there some kind of leagal issues involved with putting WD-40 on your lures?

There is no law saying you can't use WD40.  Use it to clean you lures and if you dont like the smell wash them with dish soap most people like Lemon Joy.  I wouldn't be afraid of WD40 smell on my lures though.

I was fishing perygin lake this spring and not doing too well (about 30 minutes between bites).  I then sprayed my white Berkley power eggs with WD40 and caught 5 fish within 20 minutes.....

Worked for me this time anyway.

Gary

We use it on cutplug herring, it does attract the kings.  Also spray it on my flashers/hoochies.  Invaluable, and a lot cheaper than herring oil or gel.

I have been told by many of the fisherman that I know that WD-40 is more about masking the human sent than a attractor. I use to use it all the time when I was sturgeon fishing by Meldrum Bar on the Willamette. I caught quite a few fish so I guess it did not hurt.

If you're after masking human scent these things are flat awesome!!!  GDF is based in Salem too.