Cormorant Lures

A buddy of mine that I work with and have known for years hooked me up with a tournament fishermen who also drives truck for a local freight company. I gave him three bags of bait last week to try out in this past weekend's tournament. He didn't place in the top 3, BUT he won biggest fish ($500.00) and limited out only using my baits. He called me on Monday to tell me the good news and wanted to know how well my stix worked for him. He has now jumped on as part of my so-called "Pro-staff" and has been selling my baits to the MASSES!!! My step-dad is a huge tournament fishermen and so is my wife's best friend's step-dad. With all this exposure, it's been hard to keep up with just Pyrex and a microwave. I need to move on to bigger and better equipment. Like I said earlier in the post, I am sure I will end up buying Bear's setup(s), I just wish I could get them sooner!!!

First off, this post is NOT meant to bash any company or product... I called Bear's today looking for a couple complete Presto Pots... I am getting slammed with orders and need the pots as soon as possible... He said he sold 17 pots this week and only had 15 motors in stock!!! If I ordered two pots they would not be sent out until Monday afternoon... I was really hoping they would get sent out today... Odds are I probably don't have any other choice... I know I could make one myself, but I want to make sure they are made correctly so I wanted to buy them from a professional... My question is: Are there other companies out there making complete Presto Pot systems (including the stirring mechanism)?!? I am heavy into pouring Stik Baits and need all the help I can get!!! Thanks!!! King Cormorant

I will second this comment...

I will definately be looking into this material... I wonder how you would cut the stuff?!? Maybe a glass cutter?!? The page says you need to use diamond tipped tooling!!! My wife has re-soaked (vinegar) and re-scrubbed (steel wool) my roof flashing that is already in my divided cups... She also just added a fresh coat of JB Weld... We'll see if this helps... I am starting to think maybe I didn't leave the vinegar on long enough the first time... Either way, I am missing my awesome two color baits I worked so hard on... I was just getting the hang of it when all hell broke loose...

Like the material used for motherboards in computers???

How about coating the metal so it is completely and will stay completely "un-exposed"?!? Like powder coating or something similar?!? Some other posts suggested "high heat" or BBQ spray paint, but I think over a couple pours the paint would begin to flake off... Maybe if you can keep the metal completely "un-exposed" it would not arc?!?

So nobody out there has experimented and found a "successful alternative" divider besides metal?!? I cannot believe the only thing being used for dividers is something that most people would tell you that you're NUTZ to put in the microwave... It's also strange that a complete glass divided measuring cup hasn't already been invented and being manufactured... The only place I haven't checked is CHINA... There has got to be a microwave safe material that can take the heat...

Definately NOT being used in a "food" microwave... I thought about going down to one of the local glass shops and having them try to cut me a couple pieces of glass to fit... Not sure how expensive it would cost... Would like to find possible "cheaper" alternatives... Something that will not warp, crack, explode, and is "non-metal"... Any thoughts?!?

Anyone who has suggestions on a "successful alternative" divider material is more than welcome to chime in... I don't think I could convince my wife that my microwave would not burn up by using the roof flashing after last night's near disaster!!! I would think other materials would be much easier to clean too...

I know some of your instant reactions would be for me to switch to injection, but at this time it is not in my gameplan... I made two divided cups and followed the instructions found in a few posts in this forum... I used roof flashing, dulled in vinegar, scrubbed with steel wool, and fashioned with JB Weld... There was not and is not a spot I forgot to scrub the hell out of... I was proud of my divided cup achievements... My first question is this: How do you keep your divided cups clean?!? After each and every successful pour the plastic sticks to the metal, JB Weld, and is virtually impossible to clean off from those areas!!! Am I the only one that can't keep the plastic from sticking to everything but the glass?!? Anyways... My wife and I made a few pours with each cup and came out with some very nice looking baits, but then tonight all hell broke loose!!! Both cups started sparking and almost caught my microwave on fire!!! I re-soaked in vinegar and re-scrubbed the suspect area(s) with no luck... Instant sparks!!! My wife said I am not longer able to used my divided cups unless I can come up with an alternative divider solution... My second question is this: Are there successful alternatives to using something other than metal as a divider for your cup (what are these alternatives)?!? Do they make a measuring cup that already has two chambers side-by-side?!? Tonight I tried one other method for hand pouring laminates discussed in this forum... I opened up my two-part mold, poured one half of the bait, closed the mold, and then poured the other half... Sorry to say, but they looked like crap... I can't get over how nice they turned out with a divided cup... I know plenty of people would say to warm up the plastic in two separate cups and then pour it into your divided cups chambers... But again, the divided cup has been such a pain in the butt to keep clean... Any help with this topic would be greatly appreciated!!!

I think I have hinted or requested help on this subject before, but I am really having trouble matching stick bait colors... Once you add the salt, the colors change and it's beginning to be very discouraging to say the least... I have gone through a couple gallons of plastic and have only come close on a color or two... I think some of you know and are holding back information that I could really use... How come there isn't color recipes in the cook book for sticks?!? My wife who is my partner in this business is ready to throw in the towel... I need her help in everyway, so I can't afford to lose her confidence!!! How do you compensate for salt in your baits when it comes to color formulas?!? What's the secret?!? Cough it up!!! THANKS!!!

Ok, so here is another question all together: What is the finest "non-floured" salt you can find that is readily available without paying extreme shipping costs?!? As I have said before, I am using Morten's Pickling Salt from the green box... I have floured some of it and left some of it as granules... Is this the finest salt available for this application or are there other "local" options I am not aware of?!? I have seen the fine salt from Bear's and Ozark, but shipping costs put a dent in my budget... Can you get fine salt from a local feed mill or grocery store?!?

I've been doing test batches using 2 oz. of plastic, 1 tbs. (1/2 oz.) of floured salt, and 1 tbs. (1/2.) of softener. My step dad fishes almost every weekend. He decided to take some of my baits out today and try them on the lake for the 1st time. He said all my baits got chewed on. He said overall my baits worked pretty darn good. His only complaint was that the baits with more salt in them caught more fish but were less durable, and the baits with less salt in them were more durable but caught less fish. He thinks I should concentrate on making sure my baits are heavily salted. Now I have no idea where he thinks that each one of my baits I gave him have more or less salt in them or if he was simply comparing them to a store bought bait. All I know is that I did not change the formula for each test stick I gave him. Am I not using enough salt? I did cut the mixture down from the original formula because I figured floured salt is more dense and suspends better. I stir the hell out of it but I do tend to get a few small clumps of floured salt on the bottom of my measuring cup. I am using Morten's Pickling Salt and flouring it in a blender. I don't know if I should go back to trying the pickling salt right outta the box or stick with the floured stuff. All I know is my wife is getting upset each time we change our salt formula because then its back to the drawing board when it comes to color mixing. She has had to change color formulas twice already. Is there an easy way to convert color formulas when using more salt or less salt? Thanks in advance for all your help!!!

So my wife was down with me two nights ago when I was attempting my first pours, now she is addicted as I am!!! Anyways, her and her mom (who are both very creative individuals) were in my "lab" yesterday trying to perfect colors while I was at work... I told them to concentrate on perfecting one color before moving onto the next one... They spent FOUR HOURS trying to perfect green pumpkin and watermelon with results that were KIND OF close but not close enough for most PICKY fishermen... When I did my initial material ordering, I even bought LC Green Pumpkin and LC Watermelon thinking it would be as easy as adding a couple drops of each to match their own color... Of course this has not been the case... How come these colors seem like they should be easy to match and they are turning out to be a complete nightmare?!? As I have said before, I am trying to pour stick baits so I am adding salt... I have tried floured salt and smaller granule Morten's Pickling salt... Before I started pouring my own; I normally purchased my stick baits from Alluring Baits... I have been comparing his sticks to mine and noticed his color clarity is AWESOME while mine turns out super cloudy or almost completely solid like... You can't see any light through mine at all... I am also beginning to think that the salt ratio is possibly way off?!? If you look inside his baits, he uses granule type salt... I have been doing 2 oz. test batches using 2oz. plastic, 2 tablespoons salt, and 1-tablespoon softener... Last night I even tried cutting down to 1 tablespoon of salt with the same type of color clarity issues... Is this normal?!? It seems as though my baits are coming out SUPER SOFT... Again, I am using Calhoun's soft plastic and I make sure to rotate my gallon jug before each pouring session (This jug has not been split from a 5 gallon batch, it was purchased as a 1 gallon jug)... I have tried with and without softener... I bought a bag of actual GY senkos to compare my baits to... When you hold both baits at the same time in between your fingers, mine flops lower than his and has extra wiggle (but both baits weigh the same)... I guess I am not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing... Being to soft could mean that my baits are going to rip off the hook after the first fish... I am beginning to wonder if Calhoun's soft is too soft for sticks?!? Is that possible?!? From any earlier comments I have received on my previous posts, I thought that from not using softener my baits would stiffen up a little... This has not been the case... What do you think?!? Thanks again for all the help... I will be doing some searching today for any answers, but if you could help me out that would be just AWESOME!!!

Thank you all for the replies!!! Alright, so I just went down and looked again at the baits I poured last night... Four majors issues, three of which I think I can figure out on my own and one that I need your help on... I just noticed that after my wife cut off my sprues, my stick baits are HOLLOW from the top to about 1 1/2" down!!! I am using basstackles 4" and 5" stick bait molds... What could be my problem?!?

I do have an infrared thermometer... Are we talking 360 degrees?!? I never did get a clear answer on temperature from earlier... Here's another question... I have printed off quite a few of the recipes found on Del's and the cookbook on here... Only problem is, I have noticed almost all of them have not been modified for salt being added... Being a beginner and only having limited supplies, I would like to cut down on experimental coloring until I get down the basics... Any chance you guys can point me in the right direction for salt added recipes?!? Thanks!!!

So tonight I came back from a wonderful camping weekend and just had to try out my new hobby for the first time!!! My first batch came out terrible... I used the Morten's Pickling Salt right outta the box and even with constant stirring, it did not seem to dissolve.... The next batch came out better but it seems like I am getting air bubbles in my plastic... I am using Calhoun’s soft, Morten's Pickling Salt (blended in a blender), M-F Plastic Softener, Pyrex, a microwave, and a butter knife for a mixer... I have tried adding the salt before and after cooking... Not sure what is wrong... My baits seem like they are full of air bubbles on the inside... I am shaking the gallon of Calhoun’s before I pour into the pyrex... Could that be an issue?!? Another issue is that my plastic seems to harden very quickly out of the microwave... I stir it right away and add a drop or two of color and by that time I have to put it back in the microwave for a re-heat otherwise its to slow to pour... Right now I only have (1) 4" and (1) 5" senko mold so I am only mixing 2 oz. batches of plastic... Problem is by the time I get to my second mold; again my plastic seems to get to slow to pour... In my beginning stages I am trying to get my colors right, so its hard for me to justify wasting more plastic than I have to... Let me know what you think... Thanks again!!!

Another question: When de-molding, do you just lay your baits on like a cookie sheet or put them in water?!? I have heard people say you should wait 24 hours before bagging. When pouring worms into an aluminum 2-piece mold, do you have to use some form of oil for de-molding purposes?!? Sorry for all the questions... I haven't started pouring yet but I want to make sure I have the knowledge going into my first pour... Thanks!!!

I have purchased LC "Lunker Lotion" for scenting my baits... My question is this: Do I still need to use worm oil when putting my worms in plastic bags or will the scent do the trick?!? Can I use a generic household substitute like olive or vegetable oil?!? I have read that your baits will stick together in the bag so I am trying to avoid this from happening... Thanks!!!

Here's my problem... In the midst of all my ordering, I totally forgot to order softener!!! I will be using Calhoun's soft from Bear's and my initial molds are going to be 4" and 5" stick baits a long with (2) 4" centipede molds... I am not necessarily in a money crunch, but it's hard for me to convince my wife that I should pay extra shipping just for one item... Is there anyone that pours sticks without softener or do you think its a dire necessity? Do you add the softener prior to heating? Thanks!!!

Hey guys... I am still in the process of waiting for my supplies to get here... In the meantime, here is a question or two that could use a few opinions... 1. What temperature do you heat your plastic to in the microwave? (360 degrees sound about right)? 2. Do you always use 30 second intervals or do you only use them until you get comfortable with your microwave? 3. When pulling your plastic from the microwave, how long do you have to stir in colors and salt before the plastic starts to lose to much heat? Once I get comfortable with my color recipes, I will start adding the color before heating if this is going to be an issue. 4. When making stick baits using "soft plastic" plastisol formulas, is using softener a must or just a personal preference? If I think of anymore, I'll post them this afternoon... Thanks!!!

Let's say I wanted to order some M-F plastic from Zeiner's... They also look like they have a very nice color selection... How do you know what colors to buy if they do not have an example of each color on their website?

Still have not decided on what brand of plastic to buy... But anyways... Here's a question for you: I have allowed in my budget for myself to buy about 7 or so different colors and possibly 5 or 6 different glitters... What are the most popular or needed colors I should start with (including colors of glitter) and where should I purchase them? Question #2: Let's say you buy your plastic from supplier "A" and let's say for example you pay $8.00 to ship it... Do you buy your colors, glitters, etc. from the same supplier to save on shipping costs? Let me know what ya'll think... Thanks!!! *TubeJig*

Hey ethan3 and Fishing Boyz Lures, My email is hotnstock@hotmail.com Please send me an email and let me know how much you want for your molds. Fishin Boyz, I am interested in both of your molds for sure... Let me know how much... Thanks!!!

LOL!!! Sorry, I should have added the "non iodized" wording to my post... Thanks!!! *TubeJig*