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For your first question, I use two ways to increase buoyancy. First, I increase buoyancy by drill holes in the top/back of my baits, and gluing discs from aluminum cans over them, to trap air inside and I cover the discs with a thin coat of bondo, so I can sand the bondo down to follow the bait's contours. When I'm done sanding/shaping, I add a drop or two of runny super glue to strengthen the bondo disc patch area. Second, I actually use the natural buoyancy of the bait's material, because I use either wood or PVC trim board to make my baits from. I shape my baits with a V cross section, like the cross section of a battleship, so there is more buoyant material higher in the bait. That way I can add less ballast and still get a stable bait that is lighter and more active. Plus that shape keeps the bait from rolling or blowing out on a fast retrieve. As to the second question, I've found that the wider the body and the wider the bill, the wider and more exaggerated the wobble. The reverse is also the case. A flatter sided body and narrower bill will have less wobble. That's why most commercial flat sided cranks also have narrower bills. As far as how modifying your bait will affect it, every bait is different. When I modify a bait, I do it one thing at a time, so I can see what works, and know that I will ruin some bait in the process. I also use unpainted cheap knockoff blanks to do my experimenting on, so I'm not out a lot of money if they get ruined. I hope this helps.

I dabbled in making my own lures for a while, and let me tell you, the learning curve can be a doozy!

This is the most awesome colored craw I have ever seen. I doubt you could get any more realistic if you were using live crawfish! I cannot make out what colorants you used. Any chance you'd care to share the recipe?

Welcome aboard new guy! After years of using laminate plates, I bought a dual injector as a Christmas gift to myself. My advice. Go with the best you can afford. Make sure your injectors have locking nozzles. I have the dual from Fat Guys Fishing. It takes a lot of pressure to inject my molds. If they weren't locking, I'm sure they'd shoot right off making a dangerous mess.

what do the quarters look like? sorry

Thank You for the explanation. With that said, what you made is pretty cool.

if you are very , very disciplined on only buying and making baits you would buy .. Just a few colors , a few molds , ( molds can be very costly ) . Buying 5 gallons of plastisol not just a gallon. ( its last a long time cost way less and you will need it ) you can save some money. But 95 % of us can not just do that , we need to get a few new molds a few new colors to experiment with . Before you get your up front cost covered you will need more stuff , It is a fun hobby and its nice to make your own stuff , Now how many $ 4.99 bags do you buy a year ? Do you use the whole bag up or toss the extra a side and try a different color or style ?

1st off , it will be tough to save any money by making your own baits. It is a great hobby, but can get expensive to buy all the neat molds and colors and such . Now to sell -- It is a very tough competitive market . Even tougher now that Facebook has brought in hundreds of new bait makers. Make sure you have a market for your stuff before you start. Be prepared to pay the 10% excise tax + your state sales tax if you are at the retail end . You will get a few more guys to chime in and give you more info on the Pros and Cons. You can make it work but it will take time and money . Good luck on what ever you do .