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I use either stencil material (from craft stores) or an "erasing guide" (also from craft store). Make sure you use a fairly thick stencil film with a matte finish...makes it easier to draw on your pattern. The erasing guide is a little sheet of metal film with a variety of shapes punched in it. The ones I use are from Hobby Lobby (technical drawing/drafting sort of area) and are about 3"x4" or so. Lots of good shapes...circles of various sizes, ovals, gill type semi-ovals, etc. Just mask off the ones you don't want to use and spray the ones you do for any given job.

Re: Salt Have been having great results (pouring and catching) with my del-mart stik molds. Think most people are afraid to use enough salt. Am using RIDICULOUS amounts of salt in mine...just the plain old grocery store non-iodized kind.

You are the man! About time somebody found some of the stuff.

Just finished making some "mother" or "master" molds for some RTV molds I wanted to reproduce. Used Smooth-On's 2 part pourable resin, with excellent results. Basically, I formed an aluminum foil bowl or container around my original RTV molds, leaving just a little space around the edges of the molds. Then I just mixed up the resin and poured it in, starting by filling the cavities and then working out towards the edges. Took about 15 minutes to get fully cured and cooled, then just peeled the foil and popped out the RTV mold. What is left behind is a resin "box" with resin pours of the cavities molded into the bottom. I used a dremel to smooth up the edges of the box a bit. Before pouring the RTV I sprayed a couple of coats of Smooth On's mold release in the resin "mother" mold. Once the RTV is cured, you just need to peel back a corner or side, and gently separate the RTV from the sides of the "mother", and peel it out. BAMMO...you have just reproduced your original mold. This is a MUCH better way of reproducing molds (esp compared to pinning/gluing and pouring over multiple baits. Have made about 6 so far using the "mother" molds and there is NO variation mold to mold. Eliminates all the fumbling around with foil/tupperware types of mold boxes. Also cuts back on RTV waste because it is much easier to estimate the volume of the mold container (could also trim excess RTV from the original mold before the casting the "mother" to further decrease waste: such as trimming around a large curl tail). Have made them for 4" (zoom type) finesse worms, big flipping grubs, and 3" grubs so far...think there might be some issues on ribbed/zipper type baits (related to mold release). In sort of a time crunch this week...packing to leave for Table Rock Sunday night...but will try to get some pics of this process/these items up ASAP. It works so well, I thought I needed to get the info out ASAP. It could really make buying commercial molds cost-effective. I have made LOTS and LOTS of molds, from all materials (except aluminum I guess) and this is by far the fastest and easiest method I have ever used for replicating your original.

Definitely pyrex if you are actually pouring by hand. I have poured THOUSANDS of baits with 1 and 2 cup pyrex cups...still use 2 cup and larger to heat and mix colors before transferring to the hot pots. Only problem I ever have is burning myself on the handles of the cups, learned to prevent that by taping my fingers/thumbs with coahes tape (also prevents burns from spills). Am mostly hot pot pouring now, except for a few larger molds that do not pour well with the pots. Try to use a microwave with more power...it will last longer and heat larger volumes of plastic faster. I would also suggest moving up the hot pots. Once you get used to them they are much faster and easier.

Injected baits are great for ponds, fun fishing, etc. When you are throwing plastics, and REALLY need one more bite, the color, softness, & floatation (if un-salted) of hand pours make a big difference. Think the most obvious place it shows is on carolina rigs, where the flotaion makes a tremendous difference. For flipping/pitching and other reaction presentations, injected baits are probably ok.

Here's my createx link...Dixie Art also has it, but I find fewer backorder issues here: http://www.aatriceco.com/index.htm Good, fast, problem free on-line service. Have (as far as I can tell) all the Createx paints, pigments, and mediums.

Have been using a snap with a rounded loop...duo-lock type. Have tried regular split rings and the oval rings from BPS. Not a huge problem, maybe 1-2 out of 10 baits would be hard to tune if using the rings vs maybe 1 out of 10 with the snap. Might be just one of those things, little buggers catch fish at least.

Have some new plastic baits I am working with...seem to run better with a snap than a split ring. Have never been entirely ok with snaps, like the security of a ring. Any ideas on why a bait would run better with the snap?

Working on a tube version (flipping density) of a creature bait. Putting together the parts, will post pics when I have some.

Will have to try it. Another good one is the blue hi-lite in both sides of Tequila (black + blue hi-lite & purple + blue hi-lite). A little blue HL in a "medium" smoke poured over another med smoke/flake (choose your color) is a good drop shot color.

Check out the Createx chameleon colors, awesome when sprayed alone, or over a background color. Also available in their Auto Air line. Oh, I guess I'm not Red. Sorry.

Ok, so there I was at Table Rock on Friday, in a snowshower (can't call me smart), throwing some painted crankbaits and rogues and had this thought: are these baits more effective because of the paint jobs or the changes in lure action caused by the aded weight? Have known painted rogues suspend more easily, but was kind of surprised by the added depth my cranks seemed to be getting...probably a good 1-2 feet deeper than factory "old" warts. This was backed up by the fact that I had to keep poking my baits out of rocks with the handy dandy telescoping lure retreiver (better get one), when I can normally poke a factory bait out with the rod. The flex coat finish really performed well also...some fine dings and scratches, but no real loss of color showing thru, and no scratches all the way thru the clearcoat. Actually, most of the scratches were hook marks, and damage done by the aforementioned lure retreiver. These were baits I threw most of the day, for 3 days running.

I use all of the hi-lites for various effects. It is something you just have to play with in small batches to get used to. I use the "blue" hi-lite mixed heavily in clear plastic for my pearl grubs, chunks, etc. You have to keep adding the powder until your plastic is milky looking. Don't mix it with any white or similar liquid color, as most of those are opaques and will dull the iridescence. A little watermelon (green WM) mixed with the green hi-lite is AWESOME when poured as a vein with an opaque green pumpkin base (various flakes). Sweet potato mixed with the orange hi-lite is also a winner, especially for jig chunks for dirty water.

Great...like I didn't have enough bookmarks already . Glad to see all the regulars here, plus a few new folks it seems.