GB GONE

I find it much easier to mold these worm baits with distinct tails or other unique features differently. Pour your DWP or plaster into the container, gently push the bait halfway into the DWP or pop. Dry as before. Remove the bait and coat the top portion of the mold with a thin coat of vaseline. Replace the bait into the cavity you removed it from. Mix DWP or pop as before, pour slowly over the bait starting at the front and sloooowly working your way over the bait. Let dry and carefully remove the mold. It helps to turn the mold container over and gently press on the bottom of the container to help force the mold out. (If you used glass, you have to tap the container). Divide the 2 halves and wipe any access vaseline out. Allow mold halves to dry further. Coat with your preference of coating...Devcon, Elmer's glue mix, e-tex, etc. I find the 2 piece will pick up the full detail of the bait and allow for a fuller bait when poured. I have molded the flirt before and the tail does come out well in a 2 piece, no venting is needed. Jim PS Also consider using something as a sprue (pour hole) as making one after the fact can ruin the good mold.

Yes it does....Where POP may cure within 24 hours (with heat or other curing), adding UltraCal 30 may increase the drying time to several days. Maybe not the best for a quick mold but for the final deal, it helps harden it up real well. Jim

I use UltraCal 30 in with my POP to give the mold some stiffness when making larger molds. Works great but does increase the drying times significantly. Jim

Frogs seem to roll when the bait is not rigged completely straight or, as mentioned, the hook is to large for the bait. While I do not use this particular frog, I frog fish a whole lot. I use a Carrot Stix 7'2" Hvy rod with a fast tip and a REVO 7.2:1 reel filled with FireLine Crystal. I burn mine as the bait is great at getting reaction strikes. The only time I have an issue with the frog running right is when I rig it off center (hook point is not aligned with where the hook went in near the head) or whent he frog is not rigged straight horizontally. As you fish the, the frog body will slip on the hook unless you place something there to prevent the slippage. If the body bends or is not straight, the frog flips over and may even roll, especially at HIGH speeds!!! Jim PS I fish frogs made with super soft plastic up to saltwater plastic. The plastic formula does not seem to make a significant change in the way the paddle tail frogs run. It may, however, with this type of frog.

I personally am like Chris and others, the softer, the better AND the more fish I catch. A tiny twitch of the rod makes a super soft bait go CRAZY!!! Tougher baits require more effort to make the bait look real. All that being said, if I made a customer a batch of frogs out of super soft plastic, they would want their hard earned $$$ back because the baits would tear on the cast. It is difficult to pour for all conditions across the country as some that fish a lot of open water can use baits that are softer. When we flip down in FL in the slop, a soft bait would tear trying to get through the vegitation (sometimes a 1 3/8oz weight is required to get through!!). I started to customize my baits by bait type and what the angler is going to be using them for to decide if teh bait will be super soft or not. Still is very hard and touchy to get things right. Example is, my larger worms are getting a touch of "regular" plastic in the super soft to help them stay on the hook better. Finesse baits are always super soft. Frogs are regular with a touch of saltwater plastic. Still can't please everyone but I am getting closer to a happy medium by getting feedback from the customers AND, most importantly, THE FISH!!!! Jim

Mike: You can put a weight on your hook shaft easily after rigging your bait up with a regular hook. Just take a rubber core sinker or a barrel weight. With the rubber core sinker, take the rubber out and attached it to your hook and crimp it on. With a barrel weight, cut the wire out, drill the center of the weight so it fits on your hook shank and then slit one side of the weight with a hack saw. The weight can be put onto your hook shank and then pinched closed. Jim PS These paddle tail swims have to have a weighted hook to swim properly! With an un-weighted hook, the bait will list to one side and eventually spin.

Guess I should be happy I only loose my socks when I go near the washing machine... Seriously though, palm sander is a good idea... Jim

I have access to some interesting medical supplies and found some mesh that is used in helping to repair skin. Very durable, flexible and heat resistant. I am sure it is very expensive but the samples I have will last me a lifetime... Jim

Not sure how old this is (not to old I am sure) but it was called a Wiggl stick. Seems it is made of some type of clear resin. As you can see from the picture, the bait has a hole from top to bottom for running your line through and attaching a treble hook. I continue to wear the smallies out in Wisconsin with this bait but am down to 2 left. Sometimes the pike will snip them off.... Any ideas on mold materials and bait material? I would guess the mold could be made of silicone but I am really just stumped on this one.

I use clear alot to dip my paddle tail swims and they must be without bubbles. My method is to cook my plastic in the microwave just to when it clears and there is a small spot of white plastic still on the bottom of the pyrex cup in the center. I remove the cup, stir (with metal butter knife) and cook for 15-20 seconds. Longer if I have a larger cup of plastic. My plastic clears perfectly and the bubbles are cooked out. If there are a few bubbles, I will stir and cook for another 15 seconds. This will give you bubble free, clear plastic. This is all conducted with M-F plastic in all types, medium, super soft and saltwater. Jim

Chris said it right. Talk with any very successful tournament anglers, like Elite series anglers and look in their boat. They don't have everything under the sun and 40 different shades of green or brown baits, they have "light" colors and "dark" colors. Black will catch fish anywhere! Green pumpkin will catch fish anywhere! Color matters to the angler, presentation matters to the fish. All that being said, I won big bass $$$ ($175) in a tourney this past weekend in Florida on a junebug/red flake chartreuse tailed worm. So much for BLACK!!!! Jim

Sounds like a classic case of under mixed plastic. I have used Ozark before and it did tend to seperate after a while. I would give it a better mix job and run more baits. I have heard some "stick" guys swear by Ozark plastic for their baits. Jim

Are they small, medium or large? I have seen all sizes and smal is just to small for many of my hooks. Thanks... Jim

They all seem to have slightly different characteristics. I use M-F saltwater plastic for some baits I am doing for the toothy critters and I like it compared to the LC 500. Much tougher and far more durable. Jim

Beyond Del-mart, LC does on their site as well. M-F will take a paypal debit/credit card but you are not prompted to use paypal from your account directly. Don't forget Bob at www.ozarktackle.com. Good plastisol, bags and flake.... Jim

Ditto that!!! Top notch service at LC!!! Kim is the BEST!! Jim

My buddy jim has this all worked out... StayNCharge by Retrotec Most Pros have these installed and he gets to go do the installs he wants. He knows so many top women and men anglers it is not funny!! Great idea and system!! Jim

M-F is the BEST plastic for the swims to me. Try a mix between regular and super soft, about 1/2 and 1/2. Jim

Send me your $$$$ Richard!! I have some in the shop!! Jim

Here is one a guy caught on one of my 3.5 split tails (beavers) and a football jig head... He caught plenty over 7 that day as well... WOW! He knew he was close to the record but knew KVD's brother had it at over 9.. Jim Mack Hammrick's Lake Erie Smallie!!! 8.7lbs...22 1/4 inches long with a 19" girth. Caught on a 3.5 split tail rigged on a football head jig!!!

Windal....Bob will not see your post here.. You will have to contact him directly from his site.... Jim

Yep....I use the mold from Bob. He also designed me a larger version as well... ZACH IS THE MAN!!!! Bob isn't to shabby either!!! They make a great team and can bring your bait concepts to reality in a reasonable amount of time!!! Jim

I wanted to make some changes to an existing bait but could not convey the changes exactly to my mold maker so i looked back over posts and got an idea from Jerry... I poured wax into my 2 piece aluminum mold and let it harden. Put the mold into the freezer for a little while. Took the mold out, popped the wax bait out and went to work on the mods I wanted..... When I finished up, I heated my mold up to be sure all teh wax was out of the vent lines.. Worked like a charm!!! Thanks for turning on the light bulb Jerry!!! Jim