woodsac Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 What's happened here : I was introduced to handpours when I 1st started bass fishing. What I liked about them the most was not the colors. For me, it was the fact that each bait was a little different from the one next to it. Just like a school of fish. When they're in a big ball, you can't tell them apart. But one on one, they are all unique. Over the last couple of years, the last 6 months in particular, I've noticed one major goal from handpourers. Uniformity. Isn't that what we were trying to avoid Sure we wanted individual colors and soft, durrable plastic. But all the mass produced baits only have one thing in common, they all look exactly alike. Why is it that I have spent so much time trying to make every pour look identical The fish I'm trying to catch don't know the difference. Why, because that's what other anglers and critics have come to expect. Does anyone realize how much time we spend trying to replicate each tiny 1/16" vein? Making sure that all the colors on each bait are so evenly poured that, we could pass them off as injected baits I've heard everyone say it, including myself, "I use the mess-ups and left overs for myself". : :!: Well if they're good enough for us (the guys that make and test all those wonderful baits before they hit the water) why aren't they good enough for everyone else? I have to ocassionally remind myself that I do not hold the secret and talent of painting soft plastics. I do hand pours Guys like Mattlures, (who is an artist) who paint there baits, have a need for making sure that their images resemble actual fish. But we do colors of fish on worms I'm just babbling here. I just want to try and remind everyone not to be so hard on themselves when pouring. Don't lose sight of why we do this. For the fun of it The only standards that anyone can hold you to are your own! If they don't like it, they can go buy some Creme worms. Remember those...single color worms that have caught hundreds of thousands of fish over the years We never questioned why one bait in the pack had a slightly different color than the rest, as long as it caught fish As anglers, not bait makers, we are creatures of habit and confidence. Once we find a company that makes a worm that catches fish for us consistently, we are convinced that is the best worm on the market Maybe it is? I have intentionally changed plastic recipes, or made slight color changes in my baits that I send out to return customers. I do this just to see if they notice the difference. Not once has anyone noticed. Nor has it stopped them from catching fish because of their confidence in the bait. I know that seems sneeky, but I had to know So, the next time that you make some crazy bait that only your Mother could love, in some crazy color that doesn't resemble anything that a fish would ever eat in the wild on it' own, make sure and show people :!: It's your ability to provide them (the customer) with quality baits that you take pride in. Not the uniformity and perfection of each bait. Leave a little flash. Sale those 'one off' colors Just remember to have a good time while you're slaving away (we know how hard we work) and save some of the 'good pours' for yourself once in awhile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasbass1 Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Amen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sloegoe Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 For all my personal handpours I always try to mix it up. I like adding more plastic to a previous color and add a drop of this and that color just to see what happens, 5 of the same bait is my goal just in case it kills em. My favorite color right now is 3 green pumpkin senkos to one chartruese slimy slug. I haven't found a way to duplicate it from scratch. Conformity sucks!-sloegoe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattlures Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 You are making me blush :oops: For what its worth I do hand pours too. I prety much make all the soft baits for myself and my friends. They look good but not perfect. There are much better pourers than me(a few on this site). Partly because they are just that good and partly because I dont care if they are all uniform because they are for me and I catch fish on them. I imagine if I was to sell them I would strive for perfect pours though. With so many good brands of hand pours out there you pretty much have to make super clean pours just to be competitive. Just look at Robo's. I do agree with you though. They dont have to be perfect to work and when I am out throwing swimbaits they are usualy the ones with minor flaws in them. Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senkosam Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Most of the time fish don't care about the surface details or whether a lure has a certain amount of color or glitter. It's more important to add the right amount of softener for the action the fish may be lured by. As long as the bait has the minimum amount of color or flash to get their attention, the rest is just eye candy for the angler. Fish don't know the difference between one pumpkin and another of the same hue and will bite just as aggressively, regardless. I worry that if I started selling on the scale that some on this site do, lack of perfect uniformity would be my downfall and lead to complaints. The basic shapes and clean cut appearance would be maintained, but the color may be a little bit off from order to order. If a customer wants a lure poured by a machine, in a pretty package, thinking that pretty is better, there's no way I can increase his confidence in a handpour unless he sees it catch fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsac Posted May 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Lots of good points Matt makes a strong issue for my thoughts. Roboworm Too many people try and compare hand pours to Robo's. Roboworms are not poured by hand! Robo's are poured, but by a machine. Anglers that want every hand pour to look like a Robo, need to just buy Robo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basskat Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 I'm sure a fish runs up to a lizard and thinks "that leg is just a fraction shorter than the other, I'm not eating it!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova Posted May 27, 2005 Report Share Posted May 27, 2005 Some years ago I had a customer who wanted 3 spinnerbaits with black skirts and included in these black skirts he wanted 6 strands of red all on the bottom. He told me that if there were not exactly 6 strands of red and 24 strands of black in each shirt he would not take them. I told him to try somewhere else. Point is; some people go way too far with their thinking of what a fish will take and what they won't. Takes all kinds I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charkins Posted May 28, 2005 Report Share Posted May 28, 2005 Woodsac, you got my vote! You hit the nail square on the head. Sometimes we can't see the forest for the trees. It is good to get back to basics. Now what office is it you are running for? :-D Just kiddin! Cal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsworms Posted May 28, 2005 Report Share Posted May 28, 2005 Great thread Jake. Once again, you hit the nail on the head! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted May 29, 2005 Report Share Posted May 29, 2005 More discussion.... While I totally agree about the whole uniformity deal, I have to say that it is also a challenge to be able to make baits that look like they came from a machine and to be able to re-create a color from one batch to another... Part of the fun for me is holding up a bait I poured on Tuesday with a bait I poured on Thursday and saying...ahhhh!!! Perfect match!!! Otherwise, why have a recipe book, just throw that out!!! Or send it to me :-D !!! I know the fish don't care but I actually do...OK, call me a perfectionist. I've been called worse !!! If you are actually trying to may a buck or 2, your really and truly trying to catch anglers, not fish, unfortunately. I was told this by many of TU members in the beginning of my "hobby". My ultimate goal is to give the angler a bait that catches fish but if it looks good also, BONUS!!! Just my side...BTW, I do still pour some baits out of "pop" molds...Now there is a challenge of getting out a good bait!!!! Jim PS I give my wife the seconds, I use "good" baits !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe S. Posted May 31, 2005 Report Share Posted May 31, 2005 I agree with the above were selling to anglers not fish, I do put a disclaimer on my site that some baits may differ slightly in color and thickness due to the hand pouring of ingredients. Using the one piece molds, sometimes a trailer or other baiit might get a little more plastic in it than the next one, I try and pour perfect to reduce trimming time, that's what I like when I pull them out of the mold and there is no trimming neccessary at all. I'm sure the fish wouldn't care about the excess but I know customers would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nova Posted May 31, 2005 Report Share Posted May 31, 2005 I agree that you have to take some care with the over-pours. Neatness does count. As far as the baits themselves go I tell my customers "I guarantee all of my baits; I just can't guarantee the fisherman". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charkins Posted May 31, 2005 Report Share Posted May 31, 2005 Jim, what is a pop mold? Just wonderin. Calvin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB GONE Posted June 1, 2005 Report Share Posted June 1, 2005 Sorry...plaster of paris... Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEE GEE BAITS Posted June 1, 2005 Report Share Posted June 1, 2005 Consistency of a bait is important. What anglers are looking for is a bait that catches fish and if it a certain color has been working for them, they expect the bait to look the same everytime. That's why they call it a "confidence" bait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senkosam Posted June 1, 2005 Report Share Posted June 1, 2005 My ultimate goal is to give the angler a bait that catches fish but if it looks good also, BONUS!!! So true. I don't care if a bait is as ugly as Anna Nicole's rear end, as long as it catches fish! Some of the reheats I've been pouring literally look like s***, but the bass don't mind one bit. I've never thrown a s*** brown soft plastic in my entire life or expected a bass would take one, but over a dozen bass have proven me wrong! Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
