gordon

You can't get those. I do know you can get 4 Spro BZZ style swimbait blanks on Ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Jointed-4-sections-UNPAINTED-BBZ-1-Type-SwimBait-4-25-9-oz-Lure-Blanks-/300634461139?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45ff35d3d3

I think the sinking stuff is the Outdoor board used for decks in the yard, I have not used that yet. I have used the white PVC board most commonly used for baseboards and trim - floats like a cork., good stuff to work with, beats working with wood for me. I know wood baits are great and they have their own appeal, but I would rather use PVC any time.

It sounds like this got blown out of context if what they are doing is sponsoring conservation projects, as afisherman I am all for conservation. The "Anti" part comes from the talk of closing some areas to all fishing. This was prcaticed with great success in a few reef areas around New Zealand, the then fisheries minister was a bit of a pioneer in this area. Reefs rebounded very quickly to former natural stocks. It is a sad reflection on the state of some of our formerly great fisheries if this now has to be considered. It is also a shame that the recreational angler gets caught up with this. In the UK where I am from, I have witnessed a Charter Skipper force an angler to throw back a 20lb plus cod, becuase he would face a $30,000 fine if caught with it on his boat. We all knew the cod was dead as it had been winched up from the deep, we all watched it as it floated away on the tide. We have had many Cod bans and bans on catching sea bass too. I still don't see why the pleasure angler has to get cought up in this though.

I don't know if this has been posted before?

Strange - they still Sponser FLW??

I just want to thank you all for putting me onto the PVC stuff, it is a joy to work with. I managed to produce my first good working prototype (well it worked in the bath :-)). For now I decided to stick with a Lexan lipped swimbait as this seems the best option for some lure action whilst I am busy working out my process, carving, balancing and everything else. There is a lot to this swimbait making, I now understand why they charge the money they do for store bought ones. Once I have completed it, I will post it up in the gallery. Cheers

Thanks for the feedback, I am off to home depot for a look.

I am new to hardbait making. I have now carved 2 wooden swimbaits with some moderate success. I keep seeing refernces in the Gallery section to "PVC Swimbaits" but I can't find any info when I search the Forums. Are these baits that are cast in PVC, or have they been carved from PVC? Where do you obtain these materials? Thanks in advance.

Drop an POP mold on the floor and you can make another one for pennys! If you don't drop it on the floor it will last for ages. I would guess my current Senko POP mold has knocked out around 500 baits so far - no sign of wear. As far as doing it right - My homemade Senkos look identical to the real thing, sink as well as the real thing and catch as many fish as the real thing. I am in the process of making a number of other molds for Worms, craws ect. If I were to use Aluminum each time I could end up spending upwards of $500! - That is a S%*t load of plastic. Unless you are staring a commercial operation, stick to POP. Just MHO.

I have heard that Resin can shrink one made, have you seen any issues like this?

You do not need to spend money on an Aluminum mold. A Plaster of paris 2 piece mold made correctly will do the job and last a long time. Here are a few points; Mix the PoP slowly and make sure it is quite runny - this will aid getting rid of bubbles Puor your bottom half into a greased plastic container - tap this for a few minutes to agitate bubbles out Add your Senko's to copy, along with pouring channels (cut up senko), and mold guides (i use some small balls like ping pong balls) Allow to cure for a day or 2 Remove the mold guides Grease thoroughly with vasaline Pour the top half Wait 2 days and remove the mold from the plastic container and split it Carefully hollow out the pouring channels if they need it and widen them at the top. Leave the 2 halves to dry for at least 4 or 5 days Make up some 2 part epoxy glue in a small jar and thin it down with Acetone. Apply this to the 2 halves of the mold, at least 3 times. This will give you a very shiny surface to your bait, the mold will now be rock hard and shiny like china and very durable. I made a 4 senko mold like this over 1 year ago and it is still going strong. I knocked out over 100 Senkos with this mold last week in about 3 hours work. You can buy a lot of plastic with $100!