mark poulson

I seal holes in plastic lures with bondo. I drill the holes in the top of the lures, so the filler won't affect the movement of the ballast or rattles I add. Then I spread some bondo evenly on the sticky side of blue painters tape, and put it over the hole, smoothing it down as much as I can while it's soft, but not going crazy. With the bondo sticking to the tape's adhesive, I can keep the bait sitting upright, with the loose balls away from the bondo, until it sets. Then I remove the tape, sand down the bondo until only the round plug in the hole is left, wipe it down with acetone to clean the plastic, and add a drop of crazy glue to the bondo to make it stronger, and help it really stick to the sides of the hole. If I do it right, there's very little bondo exposed below the level of the bait's plastic body, but it doesn't seem to matter if there is a small bump inside, since it's on the top, away from the moving balls. I've done dozens of baits using this method, and I haven't had a failure. Another advantage to having the filler in the back/top is that the darker part of the paint scheme is usually on the back, and it hides the bondo.

Hahaha!!!

Use rubber gloves, the heavy kind like we use for concrete work, when you use strippers. Paint strippers, that is. And be sure to have good ventilation. The chemicals that evaporate wind up in the air you breathe. Paint stripping is something I've always done outdoors.

I have one POP mold that makes bubbles in the same place unless I fill it really slowly. There is a detail on the belly with some sharp edges that seems to cause the bubbles. Filling it slowly eliminates the bubbles.

I paint mostly 2/0 and 3/0 light wire jigs, so my needle nose pliers, which are cheap aluminum pliers with aluminum jaws, are just the right size. Plus, from years of painting, the grooves in the jaws are almost smooth, with a slight circular impression from built-up powder paint around where the eye goes.

Amen.

I use this method, with a pair of needle nose pliers. It is the easiest way I've found. Just be sure and clean out any excess that gets into the hook eye before you heat cure the jigs.

I don't build lures for toothy critters, but I have built successful PVC salt water swimbaits that I top coated with a waterproof urethane. They held up fine, but did scratch from the teeth. It seems to me that a clear that's tough, but not hard, would be a perfect top coat for PVC lures, which are harder than wood, but totally waterproof.

Are they glued in, or are there wires inside that anchor the tails, or thru pins?

Ben, Is there a trick to getting the foil to follow the contours of the lure, or is it just keep cutting until it lays down?

Brn, That is a pretty lure! You do beautiful work. The "gold" foil is terrific.

How do the tails attach?

A digital thermometer will make your life much easier. No more guessing about plastisol temperatures. Harbor Freight has them for sale at a good price.

Will closing the R bend with loops of braid and super glue, to keep it from opening when a fish is on, help the wire last longer?

Erik, I get my bodies and blades here: http://www.barlowstackle.com/-Shakee-Jig-Heads--P1525C190.aspx

John, Before you invest a lot of time and money making an injector, try looking online for a BBQ flavoring injector, like is used for marinades. I know Aussie's love to BBQ! Might save you some time.

Dude, I think you're gonna need a bigger boat! Hahaha

Great link! Thanks for sharing.

I started because the soft plastic tails for my swimbaits were too expensive to buy, and the colors were limited. I like being able to pour the colors I want, with the salt content and softness I want, instead of having to use what everyone else is using.

You're right about that! I recently made the mistake of carving some detail for an hour with a thin handled exacto knife. My hands hurt for a week!

I've had it get caught and tangled in the blades and split rings of regular spinnerbaits. I just clip it off until it doesn't tangle any more. It's very effective, so I still use it, even though it's a pain sometimes. But I only use it for my personal lures. I don't sell.

If you're in doubt, contact the company that made your molds and ask if there is a problem selling the stuff you make with their molds, like Cadman said he did.

Me, too. http://www.texaswoodcarvers.com/Tool_Catalog/Adhesives.htm#Epoxy Glue

I guess we carpenters aren't as smart as we think we are. Hahaha