User review, Arctic char fishing

Nice feedback from Arnt Holger Jensen who has been testing Gobble Sticky since before it came to the market.

For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about angling—a trait that is perhaps unsurprising, given that I come from a lineage of fishermen. From my earliest days with a homemade rod and worm, to my first casting setup with a simple reel, I have always regarded my fishing equipment as something nearly sacred.

I vividly recall the arrival of the first equipment catalogs and issues of Villmarksliv; to a young angler, they were essentially a form of obsession. I spent countless hours studying gear and dreaming of the trophy fish I would land once I could finally afford the latest tackle. Today, my approach is more systematic, refined by years of experience in determining which techniques and tools truly yield results.

The industry is in a constant state of evolution. While some developments represent genuine progress, others are little more than "the emperor’s new clothes." Occasionally, however, an innovation appears that piques my curiosity and demands a field test. One such area is the use of olfactory attractants. I have experimented with a wide array of varieties, ranging from concentrated oils to water-soluble powders.

Most anglers understand that nearly all fish species rely heavily on their sense of smell, alongside their other senses, when foraging. It is a logical progression to assume that a high-quality attractant can increase the probability of a strike. After several years of testing, my assessment is that these scents undeniably make a difference. Even when the fish are not actively feeding, my observations indicate that gear treated with odorants consistently attracts the most interest.

Lately, I have been evaluating various scents and flavors from Gobble Bait. Unlike many products I have tested previously, Gobble Sticky—as the name implies—really sticks to the hook.

My primary passion remains char fishing, largely because the Arctic char can be such an enigmatic and challenging species. Since I began incorporating Gobble into my repertoire, I have rarely returned from a trip empty-handed.

It is always a particularly rewarding experience to be out with others and consistently landing fish while a companion—who remains skeptical that bait quality matters—fails to get a single bite. Of course, no bait or piece of equipment can guarantee a catch every time; fortunately, if it could, the excitement of the sport would vanish. However, what I am certain of is that using an attractant like Gobble significantly enhances your chances. Often, it provides that necessary edge to entice a strike on days when the fish are otherwise lethargic.

A compelling illustration of this occurred at a notoriously difficult body of water where, over the course of twenty ice-fishing trips, I had only managed to fool a single char. Having recently acquired Gobble, I decided to put it to the test. I rigged a rod with a lead weight, flashing lights, and maggots, then smeared a strip of Gobble directly onto the lead. After setting the line and attaching an alarm bell to the rod, I moved away to drill a second hole.

Before I could even deploy the next line, the bell began to ring. I sprinted back and grabbed the rod, certain I had a fish, but the line was slack. Puzzled, I lowered the rig again, only for the same thing to happen immediately. Looking down, I saw the flashing lights darting from side to side beneath the ice and realized the fish were actually targeting the lead smeared with Gobble rather than the baited hook.

I quickly returned to the other hole, baited the hook with maggots, and applied Gobble both on and between them. As the line descended, it took only seconds before—BANG!—the rod doubled over and the line began tearing out. Shortly after, I landed a beautiful 1.3 kg char. I caught three more during that single session, and subsequent trips to the same water yielded far better results than I had ever experienced before. On one occasion, I even landed two char on the same hook simultaneously.

I have no doubt that this success is due to Gobble. That is why I never head out on a fishing trip without it.