Hobby or Business

[siebler_custom_baits]

I have a friend that has been giving me a bad time about baits i make saying they arnt worth crap and that they dont sell and all that stuff. I try to tell him it isnt about money it is about making baits and the feeling you get when you or a friend catches a fish on somthing YOU made over something you bought. What are your thoughts on this? Why did you start? Please comment.

[alsworms]

Looks like the "Because I Enjoy It" option has it so far.

Honestly, I started because I was too picky about colors and quality, so I decided to make my own so I wouldn't have anyone to blame when I blanked in tournaments.

Chris

P.S. Take your friend fishing and hand him nothing but mass-produced injected baits and see if he still feels the same way at the end of the day.

[Tm Customs]

To me catching a nice fish on one of my baits or any bait that some one from TU made or a friend made is way better than catching fish on storebought lures. I can have a better day fishing one of my new lures if I only catch 1 fish rather than 10 on something else. I have not used any plastics except for my own and a few other customs (tubes) for quite a while now. And I seem to catch more fish than I used to. Every time I go out I get to experiment with a new color or something else that I could never to with a store bought lure.

[chirmy]

I have always enjoyed making baits, nothing like catching a fish on worm you actually dreamed up and carfted the mold that poured it.

I got involved in a different way. Fishing the Pro/am's as a non boater out west, I drew a pro who handed me a worm to use and it worked all day. At the end of the day I asked who made it and his reply was "I dont know". I thought he had some secret and went to the power of the internet. After taking a picture and emailing it to 30+ sites, a majority of the replies was that it was a California Hand pour. Huh?

The rest is simple, I got my first MS kit and learned how to do resin molds. Now I pour a few colors in a few of my creations but thanks to others on this site, Al's, Ratz, Nathan, Celticav, Coley and others, I am stocked with Proven fish catching baits.

[Mr B]

I started making lures about 14 years ago for a few different reasons. I was in a bass club, doing alot of fishing and alot of loosing of lures. My first reason for building was to cut down on price. The initial investment didnt cost me much. My family gave me some of the tools as gifts.

Then I was able to do custom colors not available in stores.

I altered my molds to take larger hooks and used better quality hooks, Owners, Gammis. My Football molds take Owners up to 5/0, same with my Spinnerbait molds. My Arkies take a larger hook also which is one of the biggest complaints from fishermen about mass produced baits (too Small Hooks).

I turned all this into a business and had them in a large tackel store in the North Bay Area. After that I decided I just wanted to do custom orders. So now that is what I do. I build for myself and custom orders for individuals.

There is nothing better that having someone call you and tell you that they just caught the largest bass of their life on one of your lures

Well except maybe catching it yourself

Mr B

[Nathan]

I guess I cast the odd vote here,I do make a little money on my lures.To be honest,that is not the driving force though.I get a real thrill from emails from angelers who have caught fish on my lures.

My mom was always big on "making memories"...I guess in a round about way,I help in making that memory!!..Nathan

[Mr B]

Dont get me wrong. I do make a good mark up / profit from my baits. I just prefer to do the custom orders over retail.

Mr B

[siebler_custom_baits]

yea chris,

he preffers big mass produced stuff. i told him he just doesnt get the feeling because he didnt make it. i figure when i get a fish on my baits it isnt just the i made it factor, i know all those burns from plastic and hard hours messing with molds was worth even the little 10" fish.