GB GONE

The one you linked to is a 2 piece mold (as pictured) and tough to pour more than a single color as the plastic is poured from the nose of the bait. It can be done with practice though. The pictures of Swamps baits are made in a 2 piece mold but the bait is poured from the top and thus easy to pour several colors. Bob has 2 sizes available in the those. On the "linked" swim, Bob will cut you other sizes if you email or call him. I have talked with him about turning that bait also so that we can get some crazy colors going. He may be super busy right now as many of us are with the holidays and year end chores. Give him a shout though and let him make the call... Jim

I have tried both the flat and 3-d eyes and I preferred the 3-d. The fish, however, didn't care either way. Anglers will though as they compare your bait to the others out there and all have the 3-D that I have seen. Jim

Baby-e is that way... See gallery for Swamp's beauties!!! Jim

Ooops.... I was talking about the baby-e myself!!! Sorry!! jim

Looks like the same company is making them for both! I sure am glad I made mine like I did as those companies cannot make them similar to my color schemes. PS The baby bass sure looks weird!!! Jim

I have a solution to that if anybody decides on the mold. I had one and LOVED it!!! Package the bait in a clear box the size of the bait, nose to the top or hanging portion of the box. Take some fishing line and make a loop through the insert and back out. Take both ends of the line out the top of the box and close the box. Put a small piece of tape on the box to secure the ends and trim the excess line. Now you can hang the bait boxes up on pegs and the bait will hang (instead of slide) inside the box. Worked perfect and I have plenty hanging in my boat right now!!! Jim I can photograph if my explanation is not clear!!!

I am soooooo busy, I can not pour enough to keep up with customers so I have halted all baits except the shads, minnows and frogs for now. I have NO desire to duplicate the speed worm on my end. I was just curious how ya'll would feel if the bait is an exact copy (or as close as Del gets) to the french fry but the customer buys the molds and I pour for free. Plus, no sale to the public as I have a great french fry I call a Zombie Digit!!! I think this is the exact reason I have some baits that resemble others. Anglers want them, not because they resemble other baits but because I will do off colors and custom colors that the big companies shun. Heck, I am just like you guys, I'll do 1 bag just for the challenge of getting the color down!!! I also do not take other baits and try to match the colors exactly. I try to make them better by adding other flake colors to get a better response from the fish. Can't wait until spring and my buddy whacks them on these baits in my version of the color he loves!!! Jim

No problem on this one tubeman. Zoom has no rights to the color or bait design, in this case. Just illustrating (not justifying) the need for baits in similar styles to be available to the anglers. Even in similar colors that other companies have. Early on I did my homework and realized that most bigger companies had to limit there color selections. I did not. I offered many basic colors BUT you could add any flake you wanted. Really made for an unlimited color selection. Customized to your desire! No large company could compete with that for sure! Many wanted the colors in styles that were popular so I let the customers tell me where to go with styles. I did a rough estimate of this past 8 weeks. My best selling bait was....Surprise... The 3" wacky bait that I designed for a friend in Michigan. While there are other wacky baits on the market, no one had anything less than 5 1/2" and all were designed symmetrical while mine is asymmetrical. Proves Matt's point to a degree. Best color was green pumpkin with black a close second..... My swims will overtake those baits soon but the originality of the other bait made it popular to anglers due to it being something neither the angler or the fish had seen. Jim

How about this also... The customer wants to have the baits for free but he is buying the mold for me! He is asking I pour the baits just for him (and me if I want some). Now....lets talk gray!!!! Jim

The bait is NOT patented and I already have a french fry bait that is different from everyone elses. He wants something similar to the Zoom french fry. I am sure my bait would work but that is not what he wants as the customer. I could probably get Zoom to do them also but what happens next year and the year after that. More colors get canceled due to low sales and more come to me for them. I am NOT planning on selling them to anyone else, probably will give them to him at no cost also. That is not the point though as even if the baits are free, isn't it wrong to copy the shape somewhat and the color. The gray area just got grayer!! Jim

Here we go guys..... A great friend and fishing buddy called me and said he called Zoom (why could it not have been another company!!) to get some french fry baits in a certain color that works every year on bed bass. They have used this color successfully when nothing else will work. Zoom said "Sorry, the color has been discontinued, have a nice day!" He is beside himself and has 15 of the baits left. Should I copy the baits for him in the color that has been discontinued or tell him sorry, you are out of luck!!!! And the thread goes on................................... Jim

Hey guys, Jim from over on the soft plastics side!! Great thread and read! I have been on TU for a while now and have learned everything I know from TU members. I will say one thing. Every idea is a good one (short of some of the dangerous things I see) and some will spark another idea in a member and it goes on to greatness. New or "old" part of the deal with this forum is to share and learn. It amazes me how new ideas come out all the time and I wonder how in the world I could have not thought of the idea! Good, bad or otherwise, I try to post up things that I am learning and many times a great idea is spawned! I have also found that what comes around does go around. I have been fortunate to have learned a few things in the years I have been pouring and have passed some knowledge along. Now, many of the "students" are becoming the masters and giving me ideas back!! I have "borrrowed" a few hard bait ideas in the past so wanted to say thanks to all that have posted! Jim PS I am 43, live in South Georgia and loving that I am giving those West Coast boyz a run for their $$$ in hand poured soft plastics!!!! :-)

PS I will also add how important it is to have a person like Matt on our forum!! He is the real deal!!! I would love for him to be able to say "I told you so!" (regarding our designs/products) to many of us that have put our heart and soul into this "hobby". Thanks Matt for giving us a perspective that we cannot have unless we cross over to your side of the fence as successes in the bait business!! Jim

Excellent job Gary!!!!! Like the color combos and the glitter effect!!! Jim

Send me a few guys as I can drink them when I am designing/pouring. You know that time between your 10 hour "real" job, time with your wife and small kids, school trips, cheerleading competitions (no not me, my daughter!!!), church, tournament fishing, and of course bait pouring for others. That would be around 2 am for me as that is the usual time I get in the bed for my nap til 6am. 7 days a week.... I signed up for it so I am not complaining!! This was a great discussion and there are so many good points!! Zoom does have the right, as any of us do, to protect what they have worked so hard for. Big or small, using their (or any) protected names or designs is wrong (both legally and morally to me). They should protect what is theirs! My initial post was meant to give anyone a heads up to prevent some pain and suffering but not to infer that Zoom was wrong for going after the "little" guy or the big guy. OK...how about that beer and some rest!!! Jim

I will chime in and add that many are perceiving baits as knock-offs in some cases but the baits are completely different. I can use my swims as an example. Are they a knock-off of the Basstrix.. Heck no!! I designed a completely different process to make my baits, they are not tubes, not dipped more than once, not scales with paint or an application, more durable and available in color schemes that Basstrix wishes they could do. Did I steal from Basstrix, heck no! Just because they both have a paddle tail does NOT make them the same bait. Are my baits inferior to Basstrix? If you have used both, you can say yes or no. If not, you have no way to know. If we apply some of the former posts logic, all swimbaits must be knock-offs of the first swimbait as they are all swimbaits.....just as all stick baits are senkos and all straight worms are trick worms. PS Has everyone seen the "new" money lures bait that is hollow BUT has slots in the bait for weights thus allowing you to fish the bait without a weighted hook. Immoral and stealing. I don't think so. Innovative and taking a new look at a different way to do something with a bait...Yep. Also, look at the "new" bait that is EXACTLY like a trick worm but contains metal powder (tungsten) to alleviate the need for a weight. Genius!!! Just my ideas... Don't get me started on the companies that have their swimbaits baits poured in Mexico by individuals working in deplorable conditions. Now that is immorality for you!!! Jim Baits that look similar are not necessarily knock offs and they most certainly are not always inferior.

I think the salt after the fact is what I would refrain from but if your baits have salt in them and they are subjected to moisture, the baits will absorb the water and blow your baits up. If you put them in the laminate bags, you can add the salt and scent and not have to worry. I just don't think Tupperware seals well enough. Jim

Not sure what you mean Frank? I never received a letter, a friend did and sent me an email to alert me if I needed it. My "trick worm" is really nothing like Zoom's except it is 6" long. Mine is from a 1 piece mold, much thinner, no salt and a much better fish catcher;)!!! Not to many ways to re-do a worm like that but there are other baits to be designed!!! We will see a lot of them on TU first!! Jim

Now that is something I never would have thought of! Sand!!!!! Good one!!! Jim

Hope you guys understand that Matt's opinion on this one is very valuable and he speaks from a position that many of us are not in. He is a major player in the bait business! One of the big issues I think we face (me included) is that our access to molds is somewhat limited to copies of the popular baits out there. While we can do the work and design a new bait, make the molds and test everything, most will opt to buy what is on the shelf and go forward. In essence, this really is a challenge to all of us to step up and put our "hobby" talents to the test to see if we can make baits that are eventually "borrowed" by a large company. Imitation is the best form of flattery...right!!! I must also say that in know way did I mean to imply that just because a company is big that it makes it right for us to attach ourselves to to their product and rely on that companies marketing, sales reps, etc to push our products forward or to take a slice of their pie. Our abilities to pour baits and design baits set us aside from many of those large companies already (most have an army of individuals that do what each one of us does) so... why should we want to copy them? Get ready to Go Ghost with some new stuff come 2008.... Jim PS The copyright, trademark info did not come from me but Ryan (millsryno). I'll make baits, catch a few ghosts (yes..I have been asked before!!) but no way am I becoming a lawyer!!! My family would starve!!!

I have used sculpey, wood, other baits in pieces, clay, etc. Most things will work if you seal them well prior to molding... Who is it? I can be sure to add a little something "special" in the box! The lack of paint helps the bait stay translucent like many baitfish are!! Jim

Many do use it Coosa. It makes a nice hard mold. Plaster of paris is just cheaper to me though and the results are not that different. Jim

If it was from someone that I did not know, I may have had the same reaction!!! Jim

I forgot to mention the candle molds I have. The aluminum is to thin and the plastic cools real quick. I thought that was my answer as they can be found in many shapes and sizes. Hmmm... Time to get my engineer buddies for some "free baits" and suds (I might need the cans for dipping!!) to brainstorm. Hope we can remember what we think of after we are all finished up!!!! And I hope it has something to do with this issue!!!!! Jim