printertom Posted June 7, 2007 Report Share Posted June 7, 2007 hey guy after pour alot for the last six months and pour some for years i have come to realize that hand pour bait are great i have caught lots of fish on them but i can't pour bait that will last more than a fish or two it just not the same as the big guys stuff i used lurecraft. calhouns, and now i use MF which is my personal favorite it is great no softner need very easy to work with i don't really sell my bait but to a very small group of guy in my bass club and they all love the bait they want to help me suport my habit of pour bait but i sell them 10 senko for five dollars and 10 fish later they need more bait they just don't last as good as store bought is it me or does everyone have this prolbem. thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BucketMouth Posted June 7, 2007 Report Share Posted June 7, 2007 I just did my first pour a couple of days ago and noticed the same problem. I caught two fish on my first two frogs and lost the legs on both of them. So far i have only used reclaimed plastic though. I have new plastic on the way so I hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maximusgunn Posted June 7, 2007 Report Share Posted June 7, 2007 I think it is personal preference. My baits are the same way. There are alot of store bought plastics that do the same thing it's the nature of the beast. Not sure which plastic/grade you are using but you could try the mid grade (medium) like lurecraft #502. Or you could add a little hardner. But why change if they like it that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printertom Posted June 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2007 yea i 'm using Mf super soft and some of the 502 from LC for frog and lizards the MF supersoft is a great product I not say any of the plastic i have try are bad The main thing i'm trying to find out is hand pour bait just not made to last or am i doing something wrong. There great for me I don't care if i only get one fish on them or not i wouldn't trade the action for a tougher bait my senko have increatable action and work well but here in maine were the small mouth and chain peckeral are everywere you need about fifty to sixty bait for a 8 hour trip it not rare to cacth fifty smallies in a day on most of the lake i go to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmik26 Posted June 7, 2007 Report Share Posted June 7, 2007 Funny that this is mentioned. I recently ordered some colors from MF and they sent me some plastic (super soft) to try. I made some crawfish baits with it and they averaged 2 fish, sometimes not even one. They would actually break off if I reeled in to fast! I though maybe because I added LC Hardner it messed them up until I read this. Don't want to start a war but this never happened with the LC 536? Either way the plastic was free but it didn't make me switch becuase of this. Maybe its something I did?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dampeoples Posted June 7, 2007 Report Share Posted June 7, 2007 I don't understand, you're buying super soft plastic, and it's too soft, isn't that the point, to offer a more realistic, action filled bait, as opposed to the mass-produced, 'good enough' retail bait? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmik26 Posted June 7, 2007 Report Share Posted June 7, 2007 For me, the craws I make don't have as much action when I make them with just super soft, so I add a little hardner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printertom Posted June 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2007 dampeoples yea i'm buying supersoft for the action and the fact that i adding salt if you used med. or heavy it would fall apart faster i not a very good writer so it proably hard to understand me i have try several plastic from different company and they all are one to two fish bait. Great action and great baits they all make but when you go fishing make sure you bring lots of them and hopefully you have enough of the right one that are getting the fish to bite good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printertom Posted June 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2007 jmik i have try 536 fourmla and it work good for me but i only use about 5 gallons every 4 to 5 months and it seem like the older it got the less quality i got even after stir for a half hour with my drill it don't mix easy i guess that my reason for going with mf and not sticking with LC and Caulon is good product if You like spending money on softner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
printertom Posted June 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2007 no one else has this prolbem of baits not lasting if you don't please tell what i'm doing wrong. thank thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint308 Posted June 8, 2007 Report Share Posted June 8, 2007 Tom: I don't think there is a magic answer. It will always be a trade off between softness and durability. I get about 2-4 fish per stick. It really just depends on the fish. If he comes up and shakes, then I don't care who's stick you have it is going rip. I use SS (4 oz.) as well with 1.5 TBS of salt. That is the formula I have found to be the best trade off. Of course I am fishing very shallow water down here so I do not need a very heavy bait. I hope this helps. Saint. P.S. check your PM and get back to me on your labels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dampeoples Posted June 8, 2007 Report Share Posted June 8, 2007 I still dont' understand....you're using super soft plastic, and adding salt, right? Super soft plastic, is just that, super soft, for action. It's not super durable, or super lasting, it's soft. Salt is for sinking, it doesn't toughen baits up, it makes them weaker, adding something else to the makeup of the plastic bait. It would have to be a ridgid object through the entire bait to shore it up. If the baits don't last long enough, use a harder plastic, or, like a bunch of us, in the case of worms...catch a fish on a 6" worm, bite it...catch a fish on a 5" worm, bite it...catch a fish on a 4" worm, bite that, and so on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Sock Posted June 10, 2007 Report Share Posted June 10, 2007 I use MF also, and while I might only get a fish or two. It's worth it. I would trade a bait for a fish anyday here is the problem (IMO) Manufacturers love the fact that baits only last one or two fish. If they lasted for 5-10 fish think about the decrease in sales from your weekend anglers and average fisherman who don't hit the lakes every weekend or everyday. The average bag of soft plastics runs about 3-4 dollars a bag, and while there are tons of money being sepent on soft plastics, there are also tons of people who make them. The other x factor is salt, enviroment where you are fishing and style of fishing. Salt- obviously the more slat you use, the longer the bait should last under normal fishing conditions, but you trade action and softness for that, maybe make some baits a bit tougher for days when the fish just don't seem to care? who knows Enviroment- fishing clear water with little obstructions no rocks or heavy weeds? baits should last a bit longer fishing where the lakes are loaded with toothy critters? baits will definetly not last long especially those chain pickerel you mentioned. Style, t -rigging your sticks? They should hold up a bit longer, wacky rigging them and they might not even get you a fish before it fly's off and you have a bird's nest. If you are a run and gun fisherman like myself, hitting as many spots as possible, the wear and tear on your baits will increase, if you finesse fish them casting or flipping softly into cover or weedlines, yiour baits might last a bit longer. I don't think your doing anything wrong, but there are too many intangibles to determine if I'm right. I have used the lurecraft plastic and the MF and calhoun now and don't see me changing from MF, even if it is 1 bait per fish, which leads me to a whole new thread. If you ever figure out the perfect blend of softness and durability let me know :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
