DaBehr

I would agree that the Essential plastic from Do-it is very "durable" and "tough". And low odor. Likewise, MF plastic floats and is also a good all around plastic. (I use it for all my drop shot baits) If you want an additive that makes any plastic more durable and sink...the Do-it additive is super. But it affects the color (you can get a great watermelon brown...but forget about a really transparent watermelon red flake! Everything has its pluses and minuses and there is no perfect plastic for everything!

2x on the locking pin! The Basstackle injector is excellent.

Good survey!

I bought mine from Dennys at BelieveBaits. Good bait on a jig head Great bait on a Midwest Finesse (Ned rig) Super bait on the drop shot!

BassTackle is excellent to deal with. Very good molds and fast shipping. I have that Swim bait and it is excellent. The BT treat worms are also excellent. BT typically ships on the next day. Nobody makes a better mold than Bob...but he is really busy so be prepared to wait. I ordered 4 molds from him this year and they all took a month or so. Worth it though!

As I mentioned in another post, I think the big advantage of the swing jigs is that it's harder for the fish to throw the swing jig. The swing wire really dampens the force the head has to act on the fulcrum of the hook to weight. It would be interesting to see the same test with a big paddle tail swimbait to see if there is a noticeable change in the swing left to right or up and down. Keep those videos coming!!!

I use the Swing Jig football and Poison Tail jigs extensively and watching them in the water with a variety of baits I don't think the baits make a significant improvement in the swing back and forth. However, if you watch Skimpy's water tank testing video and the baits in clear water what you do see is a significant improvement in the "tail up" with many baits. I have landed well over a 100 bass on the football and Poison tail swing jigs (up to 6.5 lbs) and what I have noticed is that there is a SIGNIFICANT decrease in the bass's ability to leverage the weight and throw the hook/bait. The leverage is decreased in the "Swing" wire. I won't say I didn't loose any fish....but I don't remember loosing any! Watch his aquarium video and see if you agree. Especially the Mad Dad 3xl at the end!

They make a great chatterbait! Great video. Now, hook your rod up to a scale and see what the maximum force you could put on a fish (it's shockingly low!) and you will really feel confident! Keep up the great videos!

A+ on the Lure Colour Studio stencils. Remember that his prices are in Australian $... so they are actually very competitively priced. Fast delivery to the US. Watch his videos on Youtube...he's amazing!

I mold the Do-it tubes and just got the new Squiggle Spline which has fantastic action. https://store.do-itmolds.com/Tube-Molds_c_291.html Maybe it's just me, but I've never been happy with any of the tube cutters....injection is the way to go unless you need really large quantities (selling them).

That's a great idea!

Approximately how many $$ ? Within reason for a hobbyist?

I can't imagine why I would buy a tube mold where I had to cut the tails! Cutting tails is a major pain in the butt!....no matter how you do it.

I have 4 of them...they shoot well and make a perfect bait. I make them hollow and with the thicker head for Texas rigging. When you first start shooting the mold rub a little worm oil on the spline to help the legs to fill completely. After it gets hot you don't need to do this. To shoot a 2 color bait, shoot the tail color first. LEAVE IT ON THE SPLINE. Then cut the body off just above the legs. Put it back in the mold and shoot the body color. Spiffy!

I've ordered from BTW numerous times..slow but worth it.

Here is a link to some ultra minnow chatter baits I made from the Ultra Minnow spinnerbait. http://custombaits.com/index.php?topic=8557.msg65827#msg65827 JLS is right about the longer shank hook..no need for a trailer hook for short strikers.

Arkie is #1...the Snootie is my #2 because it has a great hook up %...and runs straight.

Sure... http://www.lakemichiganangler.com/tips/salmon_eggs Or.. I collect some crayfish and dead minnows from the bait store. I chop them up really fine and put them into a small container (with a lid!) Along with some worm oil and let it soak. After a day or so I would add the plastic bait. If I use the mix for catfish I leave it outside in the sun! For bass/walleye baits I put the container in a brown bag (so my wife doesn't see what it is!!!!!!!) And store it in the refrigerator. Or...just buy some scent at the store!

Me too! I don'the know that it was made from PVC, but probably. PVC has been around since the mid 1930's . It's cheap and easy to modify and process.

Here is a post I did on the custombaits.com a few years ago: The primary ingredient in our soft plastic is PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) which is everywhere in our lives. When you add a plasticizer you get a "soft" PVC that are used in children's toys, teething rings etc. You can also find it on the cage of your dishwasher and other places that might make you nervous if you knew what it was! Due to the low melt point...it is not used in any cooking containers...plus there is a significant issue with burning PVC (see below). If you add enough plasticizer...you get "soft plastic baits". The good news is that SOME plastic are phthalate free. Phthalates have been linked to cancer and disruptions of the hormone system. If you are using a plastic that has pthalates (only a few are phthalate free because phthalate is a cheap plasticizer) I would REALLY not use it around the kids. If you read the MSDS or talk to an Industrial Safety person or Chemical Engineer they won't be especially concerned about PVC....but... BUT ...that's the end of the good news! The BAD news is that when PVC starts to burn it releases VERY toxic fumes in the form of chlorine (PVC is approximately 50% chlorine) and dioxin which are very...very toxic. When the chlorine from burning PVC reaches your lungs (or eyes) it forms hydrochloric acid (as in the stuff they used to gas enemy troops in WW1 !!!!). If PVC is burning you have a "toxic event" and you need to clear the area! This is also why you need to wear a Respirator when heating PVC...because if you goof up (and we all do !) and the stuff starts to smoke and burn.....YOU HAVE A TOXIC EVENT! Burning PVC (like in carpet, toys, luggage, toys, packaging, siding on the house, wires, etc. etc) is one of the reasons why Firemen wear oxygen masks

With fast Internet speeds, and significantly lower costs of file storage the "web" is now a graphics intensive media. Especially if file sizes are managed, there is no technical reason not to allow pictures in posts. Many people are visual learners.

I have both the Essential Series and the CNC mold and I prefer the finish on the Essential series. For the price of a CNC mold you can buy 3 Essential molds ...and have 12 cavities ...or 3 different baits! But....I really don't think the fish care either way on the finish!

I have the 3" and it's a smallmouth killer. It's a perfect size match for the craw in my area. The little 2" 702 is bass Candy! Big panfish love it too. Fyi...try rigging them with the claws up and down for a very effective swimbait!

The Bass Tackle "kit" produces a super bait http://www.basstackle.com/FatBoy_Kit_p/902-1-3.htm I weld the tail to the body with a flat blade on my soldering iron. All black or black body w blue flake and a dark blue shirt has been my best colors.

I put a stainless steel nut in every new bottle and that will really help in mixing the ingredients completely. I use a small flat head screwdriver to breakup and stir the really tough ones...but sometimes it's best to just buy a new bottle!