Salt Again

[Pop]

Spoke with Cargil who manufactures alot if not most of the salt in this country. According to them, what makes the plastic baits loose their transparancy is the addatives in the salt and not the salt. These addatives are for making the salt flow better. The main free flowing agents are TCP, Sodum Silico Eliminate, Magnesium Carbin and Silicone Dioxide. Don't know if I got the names exact, but; pretty close. Pop Corn salt has one of these addatives. The reason I mention this is I was trying to purchase some popcorn salt when they told me this information. What they recommended was "Fine Flake Alberger Salt". They say this is finer than pop corn salt, has no free flowing agents and the fact that it is a flake will allow it to suspend better in the plastic. There was also another benefit of the flake but I didn't write it down and now don't remember. Am I telling everyone something everyone already knows or maybe someone knows different info and my info is incorrect. I am just not happy with any of the salt I have been using, even grinding it to a powder. Pop

[jm]

Makes sense. The cloudy look of table salt stirred into water is the additives. Pure salt goes completely into solution and is as clear as the water was.

The "solar" salt (cheap stuff) you put into your water softener is also pure salt. It's a little course unless you're making Texas size baits. The fancy stuff usually has some sodium sulfite and sodium bisulfite in it to take care of metals (like iron) in the water.

Flaked salt is preferred in wet chemistry also, because it has a high surface area (the same characteristic that would make it stay in suspension in plastic) and disolves fast.

If you're curious, here's a link to the Alberger Salt Process.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberger_process

here's Cargill's Link

http://www.cargillsalt.com/food/dc_salt_food_fineflake.htm

jm

[lure_learning]

I have used Fine Flake Alberger Salt and it was far from translucent. I don't have too much experience with salts but the baits produced with it are definately less clear than a senko.

[Dave V]

I haven't used Fine Flake Alberger Salt yet, but I am very happy with the results I get from using popcorn salt. non-iodized Table salt and floured salt is out.

I have used sugar flakes as well. They are ok, but for the budget conscious like myself, popcorn salt is the way to go. If Fine Flake Alberger Salt is better and the price is cheaper than popcorn salt, then I'll be looking for that.

Dave V

[borderbasser]

I like to use regular table salt for my sticks. It is a little better in my opinion than popcorn salt for clarity but is a REAL pain to use due to the settling issue. I never use table salt in my one piece molds because in my experience it doesn't matter how much you stirr or how often. You just can't pour those intricate molds fast enough to keep the salt from settling in the cup during the pour.

Overall...I am still very dissatisfied with the clarity of my sticks. I wish I knew Yammy's secret!

TJ

[The Dutchman]

I don't know what the secret of Yamamoto baits is but the whole texture of his Senko is much different than ours. In an interview which I read he stated that his baits are poured with a plastic that is different from those on the market. The salt in his lures is suspended throughout the bait and it also looks like there is air pumped through it. Take some used Senkos and melt them down. It bubbles and smells terrible. You cannot reuse his baits by melting them down. This tells me there is a mixture which he uses that is totally different from other baits. I watched a show that showed the inside of his Senko shop. He stated the plastic was different. They also use curing racks where they hang the Senkos - maybe eight or ten together - on a hook and they hang there for a period of time to cure. I wish I, too, had the answer to his plastic.