millsryno

Nova, You can buy table salt either iodized or non-iodized. Wal-mart and my local Albertson's sell it this way. Any other advantage of popcorn salt?

Whitley, I agree with you. I floured my salt for a very long time. The baits come out softer, more durable and are much easier to pour, but they are opaque. I really like the light to be able to shine through my baits and am messing around with different types of salt. Why use popcorn salt over table salt?

I wonder if that is differnt than the 3X. I am not positive, but I think they have flake in their baits. Have you personally used it? Was the final result just like the 3X baits? Did you get the plastic through Del? Thanks.

I did a search and did not find much info on this. This plastic is unbelievable. Has anybody done any research on this plastic? There must be latex or something in it. Anybody know if this is available anywhere? I was playing around with their stick baits at Wal-Mart. I should have purchased some to test. Has anybody used them? I imagine the wiggling action is superior to a senko due to the softness and flexibility of the plastic. Thier prices are high and their selling feature is that they last much longer, which from my experiense with Z toos and lizards, they do. I would guess that thier margins are MUCH higher on these baits than their regular plastic. I bet this plastic formulation is only slightly more expensive.

The only reason I salt them is to replace worm oil. The salt is better IMO. I don't use it for taste or anything like that. It comes off when it hits the water. It keeps the worms from sticking and does not make an oily mess. I use worm oil in the worms I sell because it makes the worms look nicer. It really makes them shiny and brings the color out more.

I salt my worms for my personal use. i usually don't salt the ones I sell only because they don't look as good in the bags. Just get a cookie sheet and pour a bunch of salt onto it. When you take your worm out of the mold, just roll it in the salt.

How does the rack work?

What the heck??? Please explain...

I tried some of the oils, but they were pink in color and changed to colors of almost all the plastics I poured. I think they have some clear scents?

Is there a scent out there that will not change the color of plastic? I tried some Pro-Cure samples and it seemed to change the color. I contacted Pro-Cure about this and asked them about the bait-butter (noticed that has been recommended). I never got a response from them. Has anybody run a test in clear plastic to see if it does anything to it? Thanks, Ryan

If you flour your salt, it is like adding your dyes to white plastic instead of clear plastic, so the color will be off. If you don't flour your salt, you can still get the same color, just add a few extra drops.

Unless you are pouring a laminate, the mold is always put together for the entire pour. I would highly recommend that you master a one color pour before trying laminates. I can pour 8-12 worms after the initial heating. After you get the hang of it, you can just pour it in as fast as you can....pour the second one....top off first one....pour third one....top off second one...etc. etc.

#1 - over pour that baby....make sure plastic is running down the sides of it. As soon as you notice the smallest little dimple over the pour hole, it is starting to suck it back down, this is when you want to top it off. Once it starts to suck it down, it might be too late. Do it before it sucks it down. This is not only allowing it to have more to suck down, but more importantly, I think people are not realizing the real benefit of doing this. What it does it keeps the plastic melted on top. You don't want it to harden on top. If it hardens, the air bubble can't get out. #2 - If it is too cool where you are pouring, it may be drying the top too quickly. This does not allow the bubbles to get all the way to the top. Pour half of the worm, let sit for 15 seconds, pour the rest. Still follow what I typed for #1. #3 - It is possible the plastic could be too hot or too cool. Too cool may not allow the air bubble to escape quickly enough because it dries too fast. Too hot and it is sucking in plastic too fast. You want it as hot as you can get it without curling your glitter. #4 - Make sure you are pouring it exactly down the middle or tilting it to the side. If you are getting plastic all around the opening it will close up and you will be left with a bubble. I like to pour mine straight down, some guys like to pour holding the mold at an angle. #5 - Some guys just can't seem to not get a bubble. Keep a scewer handy and poke it down in there after you pour the bait.

JD, How are you keeping the salt suspended? Are you manually sturring it? How many sticks do you pour before you have to stir it? Are you flouring the salt in it? Thanks, Ryan

Can somebody post a pic? I want to give it a try this weekend and want to make sure I have it set up correctly. Exposed hook?

Congrats, Matt! Awesome work! Care to share with us little guys your success story? I also noticed your swimbaits at tacklewarehouse. Did you go market your baits, do you know somebody, did they come to you, etc.? What kind of price breaks do you give places like these? I would understand if you don't want to give us too much info, but anythign would be great. It is very inspiring. I remember when you first posted those on the forum in a fish tank.

Mike is that poured with or without salt?

I have seen the finished product and if you are just using them for personal use, go for it. If you are looking to sell them, junk. Just my opinion...

When I pour half the worm and wait for 30 seconds or so before I pour the other half, I am actually not doing nothing. I continue to pour other worms half way, then just circle back around and top them all off. it shouldn't slow ya down

Frank, I sometimes pour my 6" T-Stick half way, let it sit for about 30 seconds and then top it off. It does seem to help like Del mentions.

The reason people will get air bubbles is because they don't fill the "reservoir" on top of the mold and top it off BEFORE it starts to suck back in. As soon as you see it start to dimple, you pour more on top. It will seem like you are wasting it, because it is overpouring, but your worms will come out perfect every time. Remember heat expands and cold contracts. The plastic is hot and is expanded. As it cools it contracts and that is why it sucks in this top part. I use Del's stick molds and the regular stick has a nice sized "reservoir". I don't really have to top off the 4" size and rarely do I have to top off the 5" size. The only time I have to top of the 5" size is if my plastic is super hot. Think about it, the plastic is hotter and so it is expanded more and will contract more, so it sucks more plastic in. The T-Stick is another story. The "reservoir" is very small (I wish it were bigger) and I have to top of every cavity at least once. If the plastic is really hot, I will have to top off twice. I also pour a 6" T-Stick and that requires that I top it off twice and when the plastic is really hot, 3 times. Sorry for rambling on so long, but this was very frustrating to me when I first started pouring sticks and maybe this will help somebody.

Hey there. If you put the salt in a blender (I use a full size one, a lot of guys use the coffee grinder) and blend the crap out of it until it is the consitancy of flour you will eliminate this problem. It will practicly disolve in the plastic. You will still need to stir it, but boy does it suspend better. The disadvantages to doing this though is that it will screw up your color formulas. Basically instead of mixing your dyes into clear plastic (when it is hot it is clear), you are mixing it into white plastic. Also, your worms will be more opaque. In my opinion, the worms come out softer, more durable and are much easier to pour with floured salt. By the way, non-iodized table salt purchased from your local grocery store will do just as good and save you money. It costs me $.44 at Albertson's. If you want to continue using unfloured salt, you are just going to have to get used to mixing it up after each worm you pour. In your case, pouring laminates, you will probably have to mix it in the middle of completing just one worm.

SenkoSam, How much do the flakes cost? What is the weight difference between salt and the flakes? For example, if you have a digital scale and can do this comparison, how much does a 1/4 cup of flakes weigh and how much does a 1/4 cup of regular ol' table salt weigh. Thanks, Ryan

Sloejoe, I blend my salt in a normal sized commercial blender. I blend it and blend it and blend it until there is no doubt it is floured. The salt is actually warm to the touch when I am done with it. I keep mixing in the salt a little at a time into my unheated plastic until I have the amount I want. If you use a normal sized blender don't use the lid. Pour in about 1/3 -1/2 of the pitcher with salt. Turn it on as high as it goes. You will notice that the salt pulls down in the middle and pushes back up the sides as it gets blended. The trick is to use a spoon or a stick and keep pushing the salt on the sides back down into the middle. You will see a crater form. As long as you do this and make sure you have at least 1/3 of the pitcher full of salt you will not make a huge mess. Obviously I never use up all the salt I blend. I put the lid on the blender and let it sit until I am ready to use it again. By this time it has gotten clumpy from a little moisture in the air. No problem, though. Just scrape the sides so it is not sticking to the pitcher. When you add some fresh salt and blend it up it as good as new. SenkoSam, good info. Thanks.

You can definately get more salt in it than a senko. Flour it, use more softner, and make sure it is hot. I can get over 50% salt into my sticks! Here is my question though, when you guys flour your salt are you getting opaque worms? Yamamoto's are still semi see-through if you hold them up to the light.