mark poulson

Has anyone modified this mold to take a 30 or 60 degree hook, to use for a swim jig head? http://store.do-itmolds.com/Swimbait-Head-Jig.html

Pick a centipede-type worm the size you want, and add skirt strands to simulate the legs/appendages.

Any floating lure that is taller than it is wide will float on it's side. You need enough ballast to get it to float upright. A smaller, more vertical lip will help it to twitch on the surface, instead of diving. Each bait is different, depending on it's own particular shape. Keep trying different stuff, one change at a time, and write down how each change affects the bait. It will take some doing, but what you learn in the process will stay with you for a lifetime.

Those are the ones I used, the pointy two blade props.

Try Predator Bass Baits.

Try adding some fine black flake, so the thin appendages will still look darker.

If you do, I hope it's with your wife.

They still catch fish.

Thanks for your help guys.

One thing you can do to get a laminate effect in the double cavity side is to pour stripes of your accent color down the sides of the open molds on both sides, and then close them and inject them with the main plastic at 335+- degrees. You'll have to play around with the temps, and the width of the stripes, to see what works for you.

I can't find it, but I did read a lot of interesting stuff. Thanks.

I would love to see a video of Larry making a bait that way. Any chance you have a link?

I use Protec powder. I use a heat gun to get my jigs hot enough to dip in the powder to coat them, and then, when they've cooled enough to handle, I put them in my toaster oven and set it for 350 degrees. I let them cook for thirty minutes from the time I first turn the oven on, no preheat, and then, after the thirty minutes, I turn the oven off, wedge open the door slightly with a piece of aluminum scrap, and let them cool for another thirty minutes. The heads are hard, and I never have any chips.

I use egg sinkers and split shot, pinched onto my trebles, to determine how much ballast my lures need. I like my divers to hand down head first, with a steeper angle on the deeper divers. My maximum angle of hand down is 45 degrees+-. Like Anglinarcher said, I think the ballast point should be somewhere between the front and middle belly hangers, so I would add ballast to both of those hooks until I got the angle I wanted, and then weigh that ballast and add it between those two spots. I think right below your gill lines would be the best location, but, since you have two identical lures, you can try different locations to see which one works best for you.

Does anyone here pour and sell a 3/8 oz swim jig head, with a strong 4/0 hook, similar to the Strike Kind Squadron? I'm looking for a head with a collar for tying on a skirt. A bait keeper would be nice, too, but it's not as critical. I'd like depressions for eyes, too, or at least flat faces so I can glue on eyes, but, again, it's not as critical.

Could you use a twin injector with the same plastic in both sides? That would give you 12 oz. of plastic.

Okay, but not as good as the ES Ripper.

I know of at least one site that tried that. It folded because there weren't enough builders who wanted to sell online, and not enough web traffic to the site to sell what was there. They eventually gave the site away, and it was renamed, but it didn't do any better. I think word of mouth doesn't work on the internet, unless it's on a social media website. We all love what we do, and we come here to learn and to share with other like-minded people, but I don't think the majority of members here are interested in pursuing bait building as a paying venture.

The nature of these shows has changed over the years. It used to be there were tons of vendors with lots of products to sell, and even some outfits that had booths selling discount products and seconds. These shows were the only game in town, and people flocked to them to see the latest and greatest. I looked forward to the Anglers Marine Bass-A-Thon in Anaheim, CA, every year, because I knew there'd be lots of new stuff, and pros to talk and give demonstrations. But Anglers stopped having their show last year, for the first time in 20+ years. I know it was a labor of love for Rick Grover, the owner, so it had to stop making financial sense for him to stop doing it. With computers and the internet, people can go online and find just about anything they need/want, and that has cut way down on the number of vendors at shows. No more little guys. If you aren't a big outfit, with an advertising budget. it's just too expensive for a little guy who is a niche builder.

Good looking......fish! Hahaha

Super Ron, When I dip wiggle warts, I hang them bill down. Any drip leftover is easier to clean off the bill, and to sand off afterwards, without affecting the bait itself.

The nice part of a BBQ rotisserie motor kit is that it comes with mounting brackets that can be adapted to make a lure turner, and a spit that gives you a rotating shaft to build on. Plus, they are designed to turn heavier loads (think turkey or beef roast) as long as the loads are pretty well balanced, but they will turn light, unbalanced loads, like a single bait, easily. And they are available at most hardware stores and building centers.

Me, too!

I think the Little Ripper had a fatter, more shad-like profile. It works.

I am just a hobby pourer, so I don't know if this is true for production. I just keep stirring, to keep the flake mixed evenly, and I'm fine, even with a fluid bed.