Calhoun's Medium Vs Lurecraft 502

[412BaitCo]

I know these plastic threads have been beat to death but I also know the formulas also change so I'm going to ask. By no means do I want a my plastic is better arguement but I would like from people who have experience with both their opinions on both. Which they prefer and why if possible?

 

Thanks everyone and have a good day.

[daveh]

I have bee using 502 for years.About 4 years ago i bought a 5 of calhouns med.It was bubble city.Went back to 502 and that`s all i use.

 

[412BaitCo]

Those bubbles have become my little micro friends lol. Thanks for the reply this is exactly the info I'm looking for. Are they simular as far as stiffness once cured? I would love to lose some bubbles but I do like the finished consistancy of Calhouns.

[yoda]

412 like Dave my first 5 gallons was 502 and loved it both for the level of softness and lack of bubbles, that being said if you don't pour often it will tend to settle out if you pour infrequently it will hardpack and that is a royal pain in the hootnanny but it's good stuff overall.

[412BaitCo]

Calhoun's hard packs also and I've learned to deal with it so that's not so much an issue. My major concerns are micro bubbles and how close they are in softness. Medium Calhoun's has a nice soft finished product compared to the other medium I've tried and it's actually about perfect for my application. If the 502 has less microbubble issues and has a close to same softness I'm going to give it a try.

[MonteSS]

I like Calhouns. It does everything I need it to. I get 5 gals from Johnny on this site VERY cheap. No bubbles at all. No hard pack at all. Does not burn easy. Not as clear as others I think.

 

Only other plastic I tried was Caney Creek and that was very good.

 

....Bill

[412BaitCo]

Me too actually lol. I messaged him but it says he hasn't been on since 01/05/2013 so I was checking other options. CCM is amazing but 40-50 in savings on 5 gallons is worth a little extra work and it's not too much harder once you work out a system to get around the quirks. That and I like that it's softer then CCM regular.

[Uma62]

I started with 502 and ended up with calhouns med.The customers I sell to say they catch 3 to 5 bass per stick bait.And love the action.I havent tried Caney Creek yet.So I have stayed with Cahouns.

[alsworms]

I never had a bubble issue with LC or MF plastic.  Can't say the same for all the other brands I tried.  Calhoun sometimes bubbled, sometimes didn't.  I always thought that was really strange.  Same texture every time, but you had to deal with the occasional bubbles.  Maybe a formulation issue??

 

If you had to decide between the 2, I guess it basically comes down to how much the bubbles effect your pouring.  Calhoun soft and medium were almost identical to LC's 536 and 502, but LC was much more expensive.  (Can't speak for today's prices).

 

Best thing to do is call the good folks at Lure Craft and ask for a sample; then give it a try and see what you think.

[412BaitCo]

Lurecraft is basically the same price as Calhouns. The bubbles are simple to get rid of. After I mix in my colorant I just let the cup sit for a while before I heat an I have no issues anymore. It's a pain at first until you learn to plan for it.

[ipt]

ive tried everything except ccm which i hear is great but they wont send me samples so i guess they dont want my business.

 

not to get off topic here, but LC is superior to calhouns in my opinion, and LC's customer support is worth the small extra $ they might charge.

 

on a side note, MF is my favorite even if its a little more expensive.

 

I started with 502 and ended up with calhouns med.The customers I sell to say they catch 3 to 5 bass per stick bait.And love the action.I havent tried Caney Creek yet.So I have stayed with Cahouns.

 

you use 502 for sticks, do you use softener? ive found better action with 536 versus 502 with softener, and its cheaper not to use softener.

[Bass4Me]

_{Let me get this straight. Calhuns makes more bubbles. I want to make large 12 - 15 plus inch floating snakes. If I do not use micro-bubbles, Would the bubbles in the plastic be a good thing to help float my snakes higher on the surface? These are for personal use so I'm not really worried about a very smooth appearance on the outside of the snakes.}

[412BaitCo]

If you shake the jug and mix your plastic quickly without letting it sit trust me you will have a ton of micro bubbles so in theory yes it would help for sure. Depending on your hook size/weight is what may make it actually float or just sink a lot slower.

[MonteSS]

I heard about the bubble prob and was skeptical to try the Calhouns. I think they may have had a prob in the past and that may have turned people away from buying it again. This is understandable.

 

Been using Calhouns medium over a year. Never had any bubbles at all. I get a 5 gallon bucket for under $100 with shipping. I pour it into gallon milk jugs. I turn the jug upside down a couple times and pour it into my pyrex cup. Never had any hardpack in the 5 gal bucket or the gallon jug.

 

....Bill