Hi all. This is a heed of call to the chaps wh
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Monster firstly my apologies for the comment, I was in a hurry and didn't think the comment through before I hit enter.
In a way I got a bit P'd off because my comments were taken with a pinch of salt (pun intended
)
People often mistake a lack of posts on a forum for a lack of knowledge or vice versa
So to clarify where my knowledge comes from I'll explain.
I have been a tournament angler for 7 years, won several tournaments and was sponsored by XFS who used to be the agents for Norman, Venom, Stanley, Bitters, Wave Worms, Tiki Stiks, Bandit Lures, American Rodsmiths and Falcon rods.
I was also sponsored by Cat's Lures
I owned a Bass Tackle business for 3 years and was an Agent for Strike King Lure company.
I've poured my own spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and jigs for years and actually won tournaments on them, about 2 years ago I started pouring my own soft plastics.
I don't sell any of my own baits, I do it to have an advantage on the water and also just because it's fun.
I stopped competitive angling a year ago as I was too busy building my own boat (check out "Building a Bass Boat" in the DIY section).
So yes I know a little about lures.
To answer your questions:
You are right about the fact that the salt doesn't bond with the Plastisol and although I said the salt turns clear it actually doesn't completely. A bait without salt will be clear and rich in colour, a bait with salt turns slightly opaque and becomes lighter in colour. The more salt you use the more colourant you have to use.
Sand wouldn't work for 2 reasons: no 1, it's too heavy, you battle to keep the fine powdered salt and glitter suspended in the heated plastisol, sand would just sink to the bottom.
No. 2 You could have any colour lure as long as it's brown, it's easy to tint a clear white into other colours, brown's not so easy.
I wish there was a better compound to use than salt, it weakens the bait, discolours it and causes bubbles in the bait if it has any moisture in it, but it's cheap, makes the bait sink faster, doesn't taste awful and doesn't give off toxic fumes when heated to 180c
I've just scratched through my bait packs from Zoom, Yum, Venom, Gary Yamamoto, Slider, Mann's and Berkley. Only 2 of them mention Salt - Yum, front and back of the pack, Venom the back only, but both of these make a big HooHaa about their scenting (Yum LPT technology and Venom Trigger).
As an exercise to prove my point go and cut a few baits apart, specifically a Senko, a Fluke, a Horny Toad and a Trick worm. The Senko is loaded full of salt, the Fluke has some and the Horny toad is just about undetectable, the Trick worm has none, Why? The senko is designed to sink quickly, the Fluke moderately, the Toad slowly and the trick worm very slowly. Or take each one them with no hook in them and throw them in water and watch what happens
Look I'm not saying that salt doesn't have a certain amount of attractive qualities to a bass, what I am saying is that salt is used to alter sink rate. The lure companies have to use it to get different actions out of different baits, put a marketing spin on it and we all think it's the secret to catching more fish
In a way I got a bit P'd off because my comments were taken with a pinch of salt (pun intended
)People often mistake a lack of posts on a forum for a lack of knowledge or vice versa
So to clarify where my knowledge comes from I'll explain.
I have been a tournament angler for 7 years, won several tournaments and was sponsored by XFS who used to be the agents for Norman, Venom, Stanley, Bitters, Wave Worms, Tiki Stiks, Bandit Lures, American Rodsmiths and Falcon rods.
I was also sponsored by Cat's Lures
I owned a Bass Tackle business for 3 years and was an Agent for Strike King Lure company.
I've poured my own spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and jigs for years and actually won tournaments on them, about 2 years ago I started pouring my own soft plastics.
I don't sell any of my own baits, I do it to have an advantage on the water and also just because it's fun.
I stopped competitive angling a year ago as I was too busy building my own boat (check out "Building a Bass Boat" in the DIY section).
So yes I know a little about lures.
To answer your questions:
You are right about the fact that the salt doesn't bond with the Plastisol and although I said the salt turns clear it actually doesn't completely. A bait without salt will be clear and rich in colour, a bait with salt turns slightly opaque and becomes lighter in colour. The more salt you use the more colourant you have to use.
Sand wouldn't work for 2 reasons: no 1, it's too heavy, you battle to keep the fine powdered salt and glitter suspended in the heated plastisol, sand would just sink to the bottom.
No. 2 You could have any colour lure as long as it's brown, it's easy to tint a clear white into other colours, brown's not so easy.
I wish there was a better compound to use than salt, it weakens the bait, discolours it and causes bubbles in the bait if it has any moisture in it, but it's cheap, makes the bait sink faster, doesn't taste awful and doesn't give off toxic fumes when heated to 180c
I've just scratched through my bait packs from Zoom, Yum, Venom, Gary Yamamoto, Slider, Mann's and Berkley. Only 2 of them mention Salt - Yum, front and back of the pack, Venom the back only, but both of these make a big HooHaa about their scenting (Yum LPT technology and Venom Trigger).
As an exercise to prove my point go and cut a few baits apart, specifically a Senko, a Fluke, a Horny Toad and a Trick worm. The Senko is loaded full of salt, the Fluke has some and the Horny toad is just about undetectable, the Trick worm has none, Why? The senko is designed to sink quickly, the Fluke moderately, the Toad slowly and the trick worm very slowly. Or take each one them with no hook in them and throw them in water and watch what happens
Look I'm not saying that salt doesn't have a certain amount of attractive qualities to a bass, what I am saying is that salt is used to alter sink rate. The lure companies have to use it to get different actions out of different baits, put a marketing spin on it and we all think it's the secret to catching more fish
Shannon wrote:
Where could i find Plastisol?
Worm oil?
Thanks
hi,Plastisol for lure making can only be imported from the US, there are currently no companies importing the correct formulation for lure making locally.
A good place to start is to get yourself a starter kit from a place like Del-mart or Bear baits.
It's great fun and soon you'll start looking like this
The basic things you will need are as follows
A mould
Plastisol (Soft, medium, hard, depending on the baits being made)
Glitter (You can't use normal glitter it melts or the colour washes off when heating)
Colourants
Worm Oil
Pyrex jug (must be Pyrex, all the others explode)
Microwave
Very fine Powdered salt (table salt doesn't work, it sinks to the bottom too quickly and causes bubbles in the baits)
It's also nice to have Plastisol Softener, Hardener and heat stabilizer
And permission from the wife to use her microwave (or buy yourself one specifically for lures, like I did)
Where could i find Plastisol?
Worm oil?
Thanks
Little Green Fish
Sealiner
Rattlekop, 
I've been trying for years now, the only place I got and get from is from accross the big blue. Online orders and then some weeks for shipping not too mention the $$$$$ you're going to spend, Africa is, well Africa!!
I've been trying for years now, the only place I got and get from is from accross the big blue. Online orders and then some weeks for shipping not too mention the $$$$$ you're going to spend, Africa is, well Africa!!Little Green Fish
Sealiner
I tried a company called Henkel and I think their website is www.henkel.co.za or www.henkel.com anyhows they have two (2) products both called plastisol, a 300 and a 550 if I remember correctly and here's the issue, they claim it won't work for making baits and whats worst is that they are only willing to sell it in 20 000 lt formats, so there goes the local supply.
Little Green Fish
Sealiner
Yeah it's deffs easier but then again you cannot believe what fun and frustration, excitement and utter dissapointment, complete excstassy and mobid all at the same time experience it can be to design and make a lure and it doesn't even do what it was supposed to do when it lands in the water and then it gets chomped by a bus (several times) it's a serious rollercoaster ride, nausia is at the helm all the time but you refuse to get off, it's beyond crazy but worth it at the end I suppose (hope otherwise I going to commit suicide by drinking myself to death)
Billaridoo
Senior Member
I spend some time with the guys from Trima lures. These are the folks who manufacture the kurper species, 3spot barb and bluegill softies here in SA.
They use a synthetic ingredient to help their lures sink. Also mentioned that taste does play a role in bass biting, but have researched the matter and studied captive fish intensely to come to the conclusion that colour and action are the biggest factors in provoking bites.
After my time with them I realised how much effort,research and trail&error goes into the design and manufacture of these lures and other brands of lures. I understand now that if a cheap machine manufactured lure is used correctly, it can be just as effective as the most expensive hand poured lure. The same goes for a self made lure.
LGF and Shannon both go through their own trail and error to come up with a lure that can fit and suit their specific needs. What ends up working for them might not be the lure for you and that is what happens to us all with commercial lures. We can only try to use it like the designer intented.
Like Monster I also fiddle with the idea of self manufactured lures and I think that if more folks went through trail and error and designed lures for their own regions, we would all catch more fish. Imagine having a privately made "magic" lure for every body of water in SA???????
2c
They use a synthetic ingredient to help their lures sink. Also mentioned that taste does play a role in bass biting, but have researched the matter and studied captive fish intensely to come to the conclusion that colour and action are the biggest factors in provoking bites.
After my time with them I realised how much effort,research and trail&error goes into the design and manufacture of these lures and other brands of lures. I understand now that if a cheap machine manufactured lure is used correctly, it can be just as effective as the most expensive hand poured lure. The same goes for a self made lure.
LGF and Shannon both go through their own trail and error to come up with a lure that can fit and suit their specific needs. What ends up working for them might not be the lure for you and that is what happens to us all with commercial lures. We can only try to use it like the designer intented.
Like Monster I also fiddle with the idea of self manufactured lures and I think that if more folks went through trail and error and designed lures for their own regions, we would all catch more fish. Imagine having a privately made "magic" lure for every body of water in SA???????
2c
Little Green Fish
Sealiner
Billaridoo wrote:
Ies truu, when it comes to commercial lures, everybody is trying to make a buck and it's sometimes difficult to immagine what the designers of any lure had in mind when they started making them.
Now here's the thing with the two species and two variants of each of the swimbaits I make, I will give anybody, and I mean anybody one of these lures to cast into the water at Bass-lake and some dams around KZN and the Cape, and I will garuantee that there will be fish caught on it. Yes it's a bold statement, but proven on the previous field test.
Now how will anybody be able to get fish on them, well easy, how many people do you know that can cast something into the water? Further to this how many people can retrieve such casted lure? These are all the people that will be able to catch, cause that's how simple the "action" (that the fisherman/woman has to apply to the lure to get reaction of any type from the fish themselves) has become due to the nature of the lures itself, being realism and swimming action on one of each version of the two species currently in production.
I'm planning to go out on a field-test tomorrow and thursday and will hopefully be able to capture some video of these (with the cellphone unfortunately) and will then try and post it somewhere. I have to take video of the tactic I refer to as "bass-calling" as there where some doubt about it here on sealine.
So do watch this space
I spend some time with the guys from Trima lures. These are the folks who manufacture the kurper species, 3spot barb and bluegill softies here in SA.
They use a synthetic ingredient to help their lures sink. Also mentioned that taste does play a role in bass biting, but have researched the matter and studied captive fish intensely to come to the conclusion that colour and action are the biggest factors in provoking bites.
After my time with them I realised how much effort,research and trail&error goes into the design and manufacture of these lures and other brands of lures. I understand now that if a cheap machine manufactured lure is used correctly, it can be just as effective as the most expensive hand poured lure. The same goes for a self made lure.
LGF and Shannon both go through their own trail and error to come up with a lure that can fit and suit their specific needs. What ends up working for them might not be the lure for you and that is what happens to us all with commercial lures. We can only try to use it like the designer intented.
Like Monster I also fiddle with the idea of self manufactured lures and I think that if more folks went through trail and error and designed lures for their own regions, we would all catch more fish. Imagine having a privately made "magic" lure for every body of water in SA???????
2c
Ies truu, when it comes to commercial lures, everybody is trying to make a buck and it's sometimes difficult to immagine what the designers of any lure had in mind when they started making them.
Now here's the thing with the two species and two variants of each of the swimbaits I make, I will give anybody, and I mean anybody one of these lures to cast into the water at Bass-lake and some dams around KZN and the Cape, and I will garuantee that there will be fish caught on it. Yes it's a bold statement, but proven on the previous field test.
Now how will anybody be able to get fish on them, well easy, how many people do you know that can cast something into the water? Further to this how many people can retrieve such casted lure? These are all the people that will be able to catch, cause that's how simple the "action" (that the fisherman/woman has to apply to the lure to get reaction of any type from the fish themselves) has become due to the nature of the lures itself, being realism and swimming action on one of each version of the two species currently in production.
I'm planning to go out on a field-test tomorrow and thursday and will hopefully be able to capture some video of these (with the cellphone unfortunately) and will then try and post it somewhere. I have to take video of the tactic I refer to as "bass-calling" as there where some doubt about it here on sealine.
So do watch this space
Billaridoo
Senior Member
If you have a spot, I have a broadcast camera and a full editing suite at home. I'll make you an ad.
Wish more folks would do this DIY.
LGF, I have a spot near Piet Retief with monsters. Think it'll work. They took Berkley frogs like hotcakes the last time I fished there. Better yet, lets go test it together.....
Wish more folks would do this DIY.
LGF, I have a spot near Piet Retief with monsters. Think it'll work. They took Berkley frogs like hotcakes the last time I fished there. Better yet, lets go test it together.....
Little Green Fish
Sealiner
Your ON, now I'll have to get pouring my B-Hind Off, It WILL work of that I have no doubt, will try and post some pics still tonight or during the day tomorrow, then you tell me.
Billaridoo
Senior Member
This is starting to sound like a monster hunting expidition!
Little Green Fish
Sealiner
Ok so I'm not finished, tried another way of painting the lures (this was some serious challenge, reverse airbrushing, yes paint the mold and then inject the plastisol) so no pics yet, but I feel a cold/flu/runny-tummy/or something coming on so I won't be able to go to work tomorrow (i think) and then I can spend some useful time in the weasel-worx finishing the paint on some of the lures....
Andre Laas
Sealiner
Hi guys
How do you color soft plastics white? I want to melt up some old soft plastics (variety of colors) to try my own creations, but I want the end product to be white (the brighter the better). Any ideas?
How do you color soft plastics white? I want to melt up some old soft plastics (variety of colors) to try my own creations, but I want the end product to be white (the brighter the better). Any ideas?
Little Green Fish
Sealiner
Critter
There's several ways in doing this, I use specialised soft plastic paint, now the other methods are cheaper and more easily available which is crayons (the white ones obviously), white glitter not the holographic ones just the pure white ones and microballoons (nitrogen-filled-glass-beads, microscopic in size Realy) these will all turn the colour white if you're using clear soft plastic, now if you're using old lures that already had colour pigments added to them I'm not too sure what the outcome will be.
You could also buy some white lures (zoom flukes) and melt those down but then again it's going to become costly. not that the microbaloons are cheap neither but at least you'll end up with bright white soft lures.
There's several ways in doing this, I use specialised soft plastic paint, now the other methods are cheaper and more easily available which is crayons (the white ones obviously), white glitter not the holographic ones just the pure white ones and microballoons (nitrogen-filled-glass-beads, microscopic in size Realy) these will all turn the colour white if you're using clear soft plastic, now if you're using old lures that already had colour pigments added to them I'm not too sure what the outcome will be.
You could also buy some white lures (zoom flukes) and melt those down but then again it's going to become costly. not that the microbaloons are cheap neither but at least you'll end up with bright white soft lures.
johnrhodes
New member
Hey all
I've been pouring for a couple of month’s now mainly re-melting old plastic. I managed to get some plastisol and have been using crayons to colour it with good success. I manly use a plastic syringe to inject, reason being baits has long curly tails etc. But have been struggling a bit with hollow heads. Anyone got any ideas?
I've been pouring for a couple of month’s now mainly re-melting old plastic. I managed to get some plastisol and have been using crayons to colour it with good success. I manly use a plastic syringe to inject, reason being baits has long curly tails etc. But have been struggling a bit with hollow heads. Anyone got any ideas?