I believe this to be true. Maybe not so much that the pike scent actually stays on the lure, because I have caught walleye, pike, and perch on the same lure with the same perch eye on it for bait. But that being said, I have caught pike and tried using their eyes for bait, and no fish, not even pike, will hit it. I believe that because pike are such voracious predators, fish don't associate their scent with prey.