mark poulson

I think having a horizontal line tie would restrict the amount of side to side action in a lure. I use bigger split rings on my walking baits, and smaller ones on my flat sided cranks, for that reason.

I am just a hobby pourer, and only pour for myself and my buddies. Every time I get some new plastic, usually medium, I just try a batch with a small amount of softener, and if isn't soft enough I remelt it and add more. Once I get it right for that bait, I remember how much I added. I use salsa cups to measure.

Thanks Dieter. Good to hear from you again. I was just excited about the underwater camera technology, and how it could make lure testing easier. It would also let an angler see how many fish are actually interested in his lures, so he or she could know if they needed to change lures or presentations.

I just saw this video on Western Bass" http://www.westernbass.com/forum/strike-cam-delta-video-t84931.html I don't know the person/people who made it, but the camera looks like it will be priceless for monitoring lure action underwater.

Hahaha!!! Dave, he caught on to you!

Here's what I've found in my lure building: One joint lures, without a bill, move in a wide S pattern. I thought my first one joint lures, which I made to imitate the Garon, were failures because of their wide, slow S swimming action. Little did I know that it is a great lure action. Butch Brown's one joint trout baits are killer! Two joint lures move with the tail flapping like a flag in the wind. I like these for crappie and bluegill lures, where I burn them on the outside of the weed edge. Three joint lures moves with a fluid motion. If you make the first/head section twice as long as the other three sections, and keep most of the ballast in that head section, the head will be more stable and the swimming motion will be in the last three sections. Never put ballast in the tail, or it will kill the swimming action, and cause the lure to swim tail down. I use three joints for all of my trout lures, because trout keep their heads still when they swim, unless they're being chased. More than three joints and the lure slithers. It's actually really cool to watch in the water. Someone here a while back made a snake with lots of joints, and it did move just like a snake. Hope this helps.

If it works, share it here. Almost everything I know about lure making I learned here on the TU forum, from others willing to share, and so I'm happy to share in return.

Add more belly weight to the first section only.

Very clever!

Very nice! What kind of fabric did you use?

Thanks guys. Adding the blue colorant helped. I think I need a darker shade of blue, but it definately brought back the green. Nova, I'll try less heat, and adding the flake just before I pour. I did try the foil. It looks great. I like how it shimmers in the water.

I did a search, and found I'd asked the same question last year. Doh!!! I still can't figure it out. Drat!

X2

I am trying to get a watermelon/black and red flake. I went to Kosher salt...better. I added the salt and softner before I heated the plastic, and then, when I had it to 335, I added the flake, stirred it in, reheated to bring it back up to 335, and poured. What was a green plastic came out with a more brown tinge, and the red flake looks orange. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks. That's what I was worried about.

Is it okay to use table salt in plastics?

For me, a hobby builder who likes to fish what he builds, PVC and Solarez have translated into being able to build a lure, paint it, topcoat it, and fish it the same day.

I'm going to try some other salt. I have used HD additive, and it does work, but it does cloud the baits, too.

TJ, I tried it that way, but I still can't get the color back to what I want. I'm thinking about cutting back on the salt, but I was thinking maybe a coarser salt would help. I was hoping someone here had run across this problem, and had the solution.

I am trying to pour some Ika knockoffs, and want to add enough salt to match their weight. My problem is, whenever I get the color right, adding the salt changes it, making it lighter. I am using Bear's super fine salt. Should I be using a coarser salt, or is there another secret that I'm missing?

Drywall guys use mixers on 1/2hp drills to mix their mud in 5 gallon buckets. It is a pretty stout mixer, which could probably be extended so it's long enough to mix a 55 gallon drum of plastic. Plastisol is a lot thinner than drywall mud.

Just don't use anything that you can't clean out before you try and glue in the lip.

It's getting so I have to read DOH! in all capitols before I understand it anymore. Hahaha

Pat, Have you thought about puting drain holes in the bottom of each compartment? I know it's a lot of drilling, and sealing, but that way you wouldn't have to worry about water sitting down there, especially if you put some kind of holes near the top to allow air movement. I made a plywood dry storage box/deck extension for my boat. It finishes out at front deck height, so it makes it easier for my old knees to move from the front to the back, without having to step down too far. I put it up on four 1/2" plywood legs, and drilled drain holes in the bottom, just in case water gets in, but my lid overhangs at least 1/2" all the way around. Water hasn't gotten in so far, and the box is five years old.