squigster Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 Hello everyone, This is my first post. I want to try my hand at making baits myself and have read several articles on here on how to do it. I am curious though whether you really save any money by making them yourself. I want to pour some beaver baits and would like to know if anyone here knows how many 4" beavers you would get from one gallon of plastic? I am trying to determine if it is worth the investment or not. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flippingjig Posted September 24, 2007 Report Share Posted September 24, 2007 Off hand I have no idea really as I don't pour beavers in 4". Someone will chime in and let you know for sure. I'm sure it's way more cost effective. And besides, catching fish on a bait you made is a great feeling. Especially custom colours that no one else may be throwing. Tight lines FJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wannabefishing Posted September 25, 2007 Report Share Posted September 25, 2007 you know, i'm a shorebound angler and when i'm fishin' along side a stranger and they're tossing senko's and i'm tossing my hand pour senko's in a colour that you can't buy and i'm the only one of the 2 of us catching anything, it really makes it worth it, especially when you hand off a few of your baits to the guy Has it saved me money? ALOT i can guarantee that and it's even made me money... if you plan on grabbing a mold and a gallon of plastic and that's it, then it's probably not worth it, but if you plan to keep buying more plastic then you save more and it's easily worth it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squigster Posted September 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2007 I appreciate the response. I will continue to pour if the baits work out well. I figure @ $4.29 a bag for RI Beavers you have got to save something doing them yourself. My only concern is not to mess up the first batch I do since I have never done it before. I am pretty excited about it and have some neat ideas. My brother is a machinist so I can get dropshot style molds made fairly easily. Do you guys have any idea how long the aluminum molds last if you pour fairly often? I just bought some other types of molds from Lurecraft. Are these okay in your opinion? Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Prager Posted September 25, 2007 Report Share Posted September 25, 2007 You can always re-melt the plastic and aluminum molds last forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassnRandy Posted September 25, 2007 Report Share Posted September 25, 2007 The cost of the mold is about your only drag of a cost to start. But like said earlier if you keep pouring you probably can save about 70% in some cases (average over the cost of store bought baits. Aluminum molds hold up for years. The mold I pour my craw Hawg in has just had it's 6000+ pour and works like brand new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squigster Posted September 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2007 Thanks guys, I read that you should not melt store bought baits? Is that correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squigster Posted September 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2007 I read on here somewhere a while ago someone was thinking about publishing a book about how to pour tubes. Do you know if it was ever published? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flippingjig Posted September 25, 2007 Report Share Posted September 25, 2007 squig, most production baits will smoke you out and some will even leave you just a gooey mess (3X baits)... as for the book I don't know but there was a video link from a TU member on how to dip tubes. Quite informative, I'm sure someone can link it to ya. FJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squigster Posted September 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2007 Yeah, I learned about the 3x stuff last year. Mixed them with my other baits and walaaa a gooey wad of garbage. 3x is still great stuff. I want to try and make tubes too. I want to make it all. LOL I am addicted and have not even done it yet. The wife is already chirpin' about another hobby that I added to the 10 I already have. I tell her I am just a well rounded person. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printertom Posted September 25, 2007 Report Share Posted September 25, 2007 if you save money let me know your secret it might seem like your saving money and if you stick to one or two baits an a few colors than yes you'll save money but you have to put a $on your time also your going to be up all night making bait the night before you go fishing this is a very addictive hobby so be careful i about 5 to 6 grand into it i use a lot of bait so i don't have to buy them any more and i sold a little over 1500 dollars this year i m very small time still but i only sell senkos 10 for 5.00 dollars out of my dad barber shop and one bait store ask me to pour 5000 in 10 colors for 25.00 a hundred to match what he was paying to GY i told him these are No GY these are hand pour i weigh every one and touch every one and check for any mistake in the bait i not selling it for Gy price my dad is a GY fan i out fish him bad this spring now he call all the time saying i need some more senko. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squigster Posted September 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2007 Do they shimmy when they fall? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printertom Posted September 25, 2007 Report Share Posted September 25, 2007 they shimmy like no other senko you never fish a good senko till you fish a super soft heavy senko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallie Posted September 25, 2007 Report Share Posted September 25, 2007 Printer Tom - You said Yamamoto wholesales Senko's to distributors for 25.00 per hundred? At 5.99 per 10 pack, a distributor is making 3.49 per pack in profit. Is 25.00 per hundred an accurate number? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted September 26, 2007 Report Share Posted September 26, 2007 I will be listing a 4.2 beaver mold in the classified section tomorrow if interested. You can save some bucks but the amount is minimal if you factor in your time and you pay yourself 1/2 of what you think you are worth... Supplies, etc are not your major cost as with any product...It's the labor IMHO!!!! Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wannabefishing Posted September 26, 2007 Report Share Posted September 26, 2007 am i the only guy that walks into a tackle shop and stays for an hour and buys more than he went there for? lol... it's cheaper just to keep me outta the shop lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubeman Posted September 27, 2007 Report Share Posted September 27, 2007 Hey Jim , me too...its a beaver sale at TU I've got 5 to sell and shippings free Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
