Salt Content

[Stratos67]

Has anyone out there weighed the Senko and matched the salt content by weight? If so, what is the ratio?

[bass100]

I don't know about the salt to plastic ratio but I have weighed a 5" Yamamoto Senko and it weighs 169.9 Grains.

[Jig Man]

I was reading the other day, I think on this site and they gave a formula for senkos and salt.

[thelatrobe33]

I was reading the other day, I think on this site and they gave a formula for senkos and salt.

I typically use 1 cup MF Super Soft and just shy of 1/2 cup salt. It's pretty darn close! If you use a harder plastisol you may need a bit of softener to counteract the salt content.

[BBK]

1 cup med plastic

1/4 cup softener

1/2 cup salt ground to a powder

That is the basic formula, I like to use 1 cup super soft and 1/3 cup salt.

[docirv]

Has anyone out there weighed the Senko and matched the salt content by weight? If so, what is the ratio?

Which size Senko?

[Stratos67]

Which size Senko?

5"

[mainbutter]

My 5'' stickbait just weighed in at 10-11 grams, which is roughly ~150-170 grains. I don't have enough scale accuracy to go beyond that.

I use the basic formula a few posts above with LC 502 and LC's softener and very fine salt from bear's baits. It's a great basic forumula.

Edited March 5, 2010 by mainbutter

[BBC]

Check out MF's sinking plastic. I use their soft sinking plastic for all Senko style baits. The plastic will sink slowly without salt whereas other soft plastics will float. I can get away with using very little salt in the sinking plastic to get the proper sink rate and do not have to add softener resulting in a much stronger and clearer bait. Do a search on TU. There are a few discussions about it as well.

Eric

[FLYguy]

Is there a test to detect if there is salt in a soft plastic bait?

[SHK]

Bite it, if it tastes like salt, it probably has salt LOL

[smallmouthaholic]

Is there a test to detect if there is salt in a soft plastic bait?

Any salted baits usually sink

[gone2long]

Bite it, if it tastes like salt, it probably has salt LOL

Now that right there was funny

[MonteSS]

Might sound funny but it is true.

.....Bill

[davefarley98]

Is there a test to detect if there is salt in a soft plastic bait?

Tear one open. You should be able to see the salt in it.

[bodfish]

Hey Guys,

In my book the reason Gary's baits are so effective is not just their high salt content but how soft the bait is which gives it it's great wobbling fall. So just using a sinking plastisol (stiffer?) may or may not be an advantage. Also the different size salt granules he uses helps as well, in my experience if you use too fine a grain it clouds the colors, too coarse and it inhibits the wobble. I usually use a mix 3 to 2, (coarse to fine). Unfortunately because they are so soft they don't last to long and tear easily. Oh well. Just need to make plenty!

bodfish

[Dr. BassLove]

I want to start pouring plastics and I figure Senkos are a safe place to start. Like the OP, I am trying to figure out what I need to start in regards to salt content and such. I have decided on MF plastisol, but am having a really hard time deciding on which one. Yes, I'd love to get a bunch of different types and experiment, but I don't have the funds for that.

I tried using the search function and have read hundreds of threads, but haven't found a satisfactory answer. My question: Which type of MF plastic would you guys recommend for stick baits? The three types I am looking at are: Medium + softener, Super Soft, and Soft Sinking.

I've seen these mentioned together numerous times, but I never read direct comparisons. I think I want a really soft plastic for maximum action over durability.

Seems like the most go-to route is Medium+Softener, but I am wondering if people recommend that because the medium is versatile for other lures as well, or if that happens to be the closest consistency to a Yamasenko?

Super Soft with salt sounds like what I am looking for, but how does it compare with the Soft Sinking? Is the Super Soft softer (I'm guessing it is)?

I know the Sinking is good for less salt and more translucency, but I'm mostly concerned about the right fall rate and action. If I get the Sinking, will I need some softener as well?

Please, if anyone has experience and has some advice I would be more than happy to listen. I've been holding off from pulling the trigger for the last 2 months because I can't decide!!! LOL.

Thanks!

[SHK]

I would try 1/3 cup bears super fine salt to 1 cup supersoft

Edited May 26, 2012 by SHK

[Dr. BassLove]

Thanks for the response SHK. So you'd recommend going with Bear's plastic instead of MF?

Oh wait... tried look up Bear's plastic, but didn't see anything. Then I re-read that. Do you mean Bear's salt and MF Super Soft? Is there a big difference between Bear's salt and MF's? I would just like to save on shipping costs if I can.

Edited May 26, 2012 by Dr. BassLove

[mark poulson]

Hey Guys,

In my book the reason Gary's baits are so effective is not just their high salt content but how soft the bait is which gives it it's great wobbling fall. So just using a sinking plastisol (stiffer?) may or may not be an advantage. Also the different size salt granules he uses helps as well, in my experience if you use too fine a grain it clouds the colors, too coarse and it inhibits the wobble. I usually use a mix 3 to 2, (coarse to fine). Unfortunately because they are so soft they don't last to long and tear easily. Oh well. Just need to make plenty!

bodfish

bodfish,

The softness and action may be the reason they get bit, but the large amount of salt is the reason the fish hold onto them so long.

Fish bite baits with action, but they eat baits with salt. I've had too many gut hooked fish with senkos and Ikas to doubt it.

And since I've switched to trailer with salt, fish hold my jigs a lot longer, so I can use a reel down and swing hookset.

[MonteSS]

IMO salt is weight (ballast) and nothing more. I dont feel it helps fish hold on. Fish can smell but dont neccesarily taste.

To the OP, stick are not a very good way to start making soft plastics. The salt make it more difficult to inject consistantly and making proper colors with the reccomended amount is very frustrating. Get used to your plastic, temps, colors, injecting speed etc first.

I used 1 cup of Calhouns (Bears) medium and add 4 heaping tablespooms (little more than 1/4 cup) of bears salt, and 1/4 cup of softener. I feel these are similar in sink and softness to GYBC Senko. A friend who always fishes 5" Senkos says mine fall faster than the real deal.

I cant imagine putting 1/2 cup of salt to 1 cup of plastic. That really sounds like alot and of course the bait would be very weak.

....Bill

[SHK]

I cant imagine putting 1/2 cup of salt to 1 cup of plastic. That really sounds like alot and of course the bait would be very weak.

....Bill

i find running a super fine salt makes them tougher than a yami, also adding even as little salt as you did to a med plastic will make it stiffer than a yami. i have managed to just about match yami's flexability and weight (weighed on a digital scale) using 3 cups Calhoun soft, 1 cup super fine salt, 1/4 cup softener.

[gone2long]

Bite it, if it tastes like salt, it probably has salt LOL

Might sound funny but it is true.

.....Bill

Now that right there was funny

Yeah that and a mouthful of phthalates

Edited May 28, 2012 by mrbilky

[mark poulson]

Just what are the dangers from phthalates? I've heard they are bad, but just what do they do?

[bobv]

There is a lot of info online..............

Phthalates, called “plasticizers,” are a group of industrial chemicals used to make plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) more flexible or resilient and also as solvents. Phthalates are nearly ubiquitous in modern society, found in, among other things, toys, food packaging, hoses, raincoats, shower curtains, vinyl flooring, wall coverings, lubricants, adhesives, detergents, nail polish, hair spray and shampoo.

Phthalates have been found to disrupt the endocrine system. Several phthalate compounds have caused reduced sperm counts, testicular atrophy and structural abnormalities in the reproductive systems of male test animals, and some studies also link phthalates to liver cancer, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control’s 2005 National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. Though the CDC contends the health hazards of phthalates to humans have not been definitively established, for some years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has regulated phthalates as water and air pollutants.

The Environmental Working Group has focused on phthalates since 1998, when EWG reported that dibutyl phthalate found in 37 nail polishes was also present in the bodies of every single American tested. A 2000 EWG analysis of CDC data, called Beauty Secrets, found that dibutyl phthalate was present in the bodies of every single person tested for industrial pollutants.

In 2003, EWG published its seminal Body Burden study, finding 210 industrial and consumer product chemical, among them, a half-dozen phthalates, in nine adult Americans who had agreed to submit their blood and urine to laboratory analysis. In 2007 EWG published a Parents Buying Guide, a safety guide to help parents find children’s personal care products that are free of phthalates and other potentially dangerous chemicals.

In July 2008, as a result of pressure from EWG and other health groups, the U.S. Congress passed legislation banning six phthalates from children’s toys and cosmetics. Legislators in Washington, Vermont and California have restricted phthalate use in children’s goods, and several major retailers, including Wal-Mart, Toys-R-Us, Lego, Evenflo and Gerber say they will phase out phthalate-laden toys.

EWG advocates a cumulative assessment of the human health risks, especially to infants, of phthalates. As well, EWG is working for passage of a new federal Kid-Safe Chemicals Act to reform the nation’s toxic chemical law to assure that chemicals are safe for babies, children and other vulnerable groups before they are allowed on the market.