Senkosam

That's a good idea Z. I would sell premixed colors, except the eye sees things differently when it comes to color. I will send out favorite combos in mixed samples to see the response. (ie. kelly green/marigold/ black flake; Margarita : chartreuse, Kelly green, black; black/ blue; violet/ green (june bug) etc. These combos go into specific plastic colors, but the imagination has no bounds. Sam

Senkos come in a large flake/ clear/ salt combo that is amazing in reduced light. The combo a partner gave me to try was: .062 black flake .062 gold flake in non-color plastic Sam

body laminate of motor oil and chartreuse with chartreuse tail .008 glitter: chartreuse marigold black combo has done well in sticks also except .040 flakes are used in the laminate Sam

My first stick mold was from Lurecraft last year and I wasn't pleased about the flat side and slimmer bait, that no way compared to a Senko in shape or final weight (as was suggested by Dave). Not wanting to ditch the molds, I made the two sizes in different colors and salt concentrations. My first year of hand pouring yielded great catchesof shallow water bass and pickerel. In N.Y., we had above normal rain all last year, so the shallow bite held up from April to November and the soft stick ruled the weed beds. Slim/one sided or fatter sticks did well period! Fish didn't care one way or the other about the details of the lure, but only the horizontal/vertical fall or tail-wag in the horizontal swim. I even tried Slugos in the same locations, but got bit only with flat sided or round baits. The biggest advantage to using Del's molds is the fat, round profile and prefectly smooth surface texture you can't get with silicone unless you oil the cavity before pouring. The larger plastic can contain more salt and therefore, weighs more- (the key to making a Senko copy); perfectly round sticks have a hydrodynamic quality flat baits can't. Flat sided grubs and reapers work just a well as those from 2 pc. molds, so the advantage is nonexistent. I know of a few guys that have dumped or sold all of their LC molds and replaced them with totally-round worm molds (most likely to increase sales), but for my money, both have their value. There is no advantage in using a fatter stick in shallow-water jerking, especially when the slimmer design excels. The same applies to split shotting or C-rigging a 4" slim stick in deeper water. You want more floatation, not less. I think in terms of a horizontal-vertical or a horizontal-horizontal presentation. The former is a dropping/deadstick technique, working the water column from top-to-bottom; the latter works the top or the bottom over a horizontal distance. Each stick has it's advantages over the other. As usual, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, not the fish's! Sam

Mojo, I got a chart-blue sample direct but never priced buying larger quantities for resale (which I'm considering adding to the glitter assortment.) I'm very impressed by the visual affect of various concentrations in clear plastic and I'm amazed at the irridescent affect internally. Before Riverside went belly up, they (and presently Zoom) have a firetiger that uses yellow pearl, green pearl and a mix of black and green flake to create a superb laminate. I've duplicated the combo using LC's pearl powder and found that no worm color is needed, except a tiny bit of LC's yam. Clear plastic is the key. Sam

Englehard Industries also sells mica powder that's much cheaper than pearl powder and that comes in fantasic colors. Worm dye is not needed since the internal reflection of colored pearl, colors the entire plastic and gives off an internal, colored flash throughout clear plastic (just like a mailbox reflector or reflector tape). Salt can be added, but the pearl-affect is muted. I'd be interested in the pigments Mojo introduced. Wonder if local craft stores carry it and does it weigh as much as salt? Sam

Z, you got that right. But I've noticed that with better plastic, less of a problem. Salt and large flakes don't do well in a production pot and temps seem to fluctuate more.Sam

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/downloads/pg.45-47.pdf Cheaper and from a company you can count on to make things right! Sam

The bad thing about pots is that you can't see what's going on near the bottom or through the melted plastic. This applies when using salt and larger flakes of glitter. I doesn't take much to clog the spout or not have a uniform mix of salt and glitter pouring into the mold. For plastics with only color or fine glitter, they're great for mass production and keep a nice uniform temp. Stirring is still necessary, but what you see come out at the bottom, is what you get. Microwaving requires frequent short zaps and stirring. A steady zap of 60 seconds or more is not recommended because the plastic (like food) heats unevenly. One area may be 300 degrees, while another is only 200. The hottest part will scorch faster and become discolored. Small stove tops requires constant attention to prevent overcooking and take far more electricity than microwaves. Mass producing baits this way cuts into your profits fast. Sam

Al's right! LC's motor oil is brown only and may be given a motor oil sheen by adding flor. chartreuse. Even then, it's a poor substitute for the real thing that has an irridescence of gold-green-amber. Sam

Weighted plastics are not the easiest to produce consistently. Salt settles and may not be evenly distributed throughout the plastic. If the % of salt-to-plastic is to high, you get a hard plastic with poor action; too little, and the fall rate is worse than Stik-Os. Senko copies require the most precise salt % as well as softener. Calhoun's plastic gives you the best of both worlds - softness and resilience. It is tolerant of more salt than you can add to LC's plastic without adding softener. My next 5 gallons will come from Del. Sam

I started using the powder dip and really like the results. I not a big one for painting jighead for grubs, but recently I've been tying jigs with hair and Krystal flash. The florescent chartreuse head gets their attention in green water and targets the body. I think the bobbing dot pisses them off. The black is good for black matching bodies and to extend the baits profile. The stuff is brittle and can chip on rocks, but easy to reapply with a candle and needle nose pliers. No fuss no muss and with a cold water bath, the paint cools and sets in seconds. I sometimes us two coats. Sam

Appendages or antenae that are on the same plane as the body can be accomplished without an injection mold. The photo shown is a bait created in a plaster 2-part mold. The process is no different than making the thin, curl-tail of a grub in a one or two part mold. FrankM

Tm, the monitor color would not do the colors justice, but I'll try to scan them and post. But here is a description of each: Steel gray is like a sparking chrome (a darker gray sparkle). Steel blue is like sparkling gun-metal with a blue tint Almond is a sparkling, light tan tint. I've put in an order for 11 pounds each of bright purple sparkle (.040), orange-copper (.015), emerald green(.040) and silver flakes (.025). What comes to mind would be a laminate of steel blue with gold flake or copper flake belly; steel gray mixed with or laminated to blue steel with orange flakes. Something different. Frank

Thanks Z I've found some unique colors that will amaze - blue slate, almond silver, and bright yellow flake. Will send samples to all that have ordered, for your feedback. Lure color variety is the major spice that holds a big interest for many anglers and can be a primary confidence factor. Giving your valued customers a few samples of unique colors or combos in lures that they have purchased before, and it's like getting the bait for the first time. Look at Senkos -a million colors and new ones all the time. People still pay premium prices for the new winning color. (A good thing for all of you in the business!) Frank

Tm, glitter from craft stores does work, but when you figure the price per oz., it isn't a good deal. Walmart glitter is also alright except limited in sizes and colors in 4 oz. bottles. Aluminum coated and aluminum flakes can scorch and catch fire in the microwave, as well as smoke and ruin a plastic batch. I sent back 11 lbs. of .062 holographic glitter because the supplier never told me about metallic elements in it. I will purchase it from someone else. Some glitter also folds or even melts at 250 degrees, the lowest operating temperature we pour at and the safest when it comes to flakes. Frank

Nathan, most orders are from 4 oz. to 1/2 lb. They won't fit into those small containers. Plastic snap lock snack jars seem to be a better option, but will add to overall expense. The guys who have ordered have their own glass jars to transfer glitter to from no-weight plastic bags. $3.85 for 3-day priority postage for up to a pound is dirt cheap and even less for lesser amounts. I just about break even, which is fine because I really enjoy pouring and helping those who get the same kick as me. I've gotten samples from guys in appreciation to the alternative. That's primarily the reason I have 11 lbs. of different colors on hand and lesser amounts of other most used colors. If you want an inventory, pm me. Frank

Powder paint - the kind used for coating jigheads? I tried it once, the results were not good. Frank

LC's purple which is dark grape or a bright purple, like fuscia?

TM, If I can find cheap snap-on-lid type bottles in small - medium sizes, you wouldn't mind paying extra for the container or weight? I know of some generic brands and wouldn't mind. Food storage containers by Zip Lock and Glad are a little pricier, but that's the idea. The salt idea is one I'll try, plus spraying the bag first with Static Guard. I have 11 lbs. of red, not much left of orange and will restock a few other colors tomorrow. Frank

Chris, $1.30 per oz. One of my clients suggested flat-rate envelopes at $3.85 regardless of weight. A great idea which save him a lot on a pound (total for 5 colors) to Calif. and priority 3 day shipping! Manila envelopes go by cents/ounce, postal rate - much cheaper for smaller amounts. 4 oz. for example would cost a buck to ship - period; 8 oz. - 2 bucks. Boy do I hate paying high S&H on small orders. I will inventory more colors and sizes if the demand rises. Frank

In stock: black 4 oz -.062, 11 lbs -.090; 10 lbs. .015 and .040 hex blue 11 lbs.-.040; 16 oz - .015 bronze 4 oz - .015; 16 oz - .040 chartreuse 8 oz -.040 hex; 1 lb - .015 copper 8 oz - .04 hex; 10 lbs - .015 emerald grn 1 lb - .040 hex fuscia 11 lbs .040; 1 lb .025; gold 13 oz - .040; 16 oz - .015 - fine hologram 9 oz-.062 sq; 16 oz - .015 kelly green 16oz - .04 orange 16 oz - .015 purple 11 lbs. - .035(a maroon-purple sparkle) red 11 lbs. .040; 1 lb .025 silver 11 lbs - .090; 10 lbs. - .015 Frank Frank

Someone e-mailed me about string glitter and holo dust. If you read this, could you e-mail me again? My pc went down, had to format and I lost the correspondences in my e-mail. If not, I'll bulk e-mail everyone on my list that was burned onto a cd. Frank

Most Pyrex instructions caution against using any glass over direct heat. Explosions can occur! Metal measuring cups are your best option for burners, but care must be taken not to sear or overheat. Heat stabilizer is almost a must.

Have you tried LC? If not, Delw can make a metal one or you can make your own from plaster or RV silicone. The lure shouldn't come out too different.