Custom Baits - Forum

Fishing News and Reports => Fish Pictures and Success Stories => Topic started by: andrewlamberson on 11/27/12 11:36 UTC

Title: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: andrewlamberson on 11/27/12 11:36 UTC
I have been fooling around with pouring the tail section on some baits with softener in them...then pouring the bodies with the HD so they are tough....Works great when you want a two color bait anyway!

It's also kind of a cool way to do worms....the tail floats...and the head sinks...rigged Texas rig minus the bullet sinker...or a shaky ...without the lead head!

 The "no lead shaky" worked  well on Largemouth last couple weekends in our cold water (iced over now!)....nice and slow...it drove them crazy! Plus I didn't get hung up in the branches on the bottom even once with the hook Texas rigged.

I did best on some 4.5" Ribbon tails I made up with the tail in Chartreuse yellow (regular floating with some softener) and the body in X2 watermelon/red flake in HD. They fell at about 1 ft per second (It took a  10 count in 8 ft. of water). I used 2 tablespoons of HD per 4 oz.

I made up a bunch of 4.5" Dragon Tail Finesse worms this way...and boy do they look good in the test mug (I got to get a fish tank!). The ones with just the tail in regular (float) and the bodies in HD had a nice look to them...with the floating tail taking a few extra seconds to settle to the bottom.

Forecast is for high 40's this weekend so maybe I'll get a chance to try them...if I can find an ice free area to launch my boat!
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: t-billy on 11/27/12 13:06 UTC
 Thanks for the insperation Andy. I bought some floating additive last year and never used it. I'm gonna go shoot some carrots with it. I bought some nice shakey head jigs similar to the spot remover pro from a guy on Ebay last spring that I really like. They do a great job of standing up with every bait I've tried on 'em. It should be just about impossible to get one to fall over with a floating 6" skinny carrot screwed on.
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: andrewlamberson on 11/27/12 14:12 UTC
Be VERY careful with the floating additive - I assume it's micro-spheres? They are a significant inhalation hazard.
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: 412BaitCo on 11/27/12 14:24 UTC
Andy you seem to be the man when it comes to thermometers so I have to ask. Do you recommend a decent respirator for what we do?
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: floridagrimp on 11/27/12 14:25 UTC
This is real important thread as Obama's radical EPA will go after lead in hunting and fishing like no admin. ever has. It has already started, they'll be a lot of lobbying and who knows how it'll end..but the very militant EPA is going to make a huge move on this, imo...IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS!!

A lot of well meaning sportsmen are buying into the "save the planet" rhetoric..(I believe in being good stewards of the planet, not worshipping it!!)  lead weights do nothing to the big picture of wildlife's survival, ESP. FISH ...errr, these enviro-nut windmill farms (not against them, just think they should be developed by free enterprise) KILL HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, MAYBE MILLLIONS OF BIRDS, EVEN ENDANGERED ONES, EVERY YEAR!!!!!!!  and that's documented by the gov't. 

CC's sinking additive may be bigger than we thought...
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: BareKnuckleJigs on 11/27/12 14:32 UTC
Not to ThreadJack, but FloridaG, You're dead-on.  I believe it was last year, I read an article in LA Sportsman, about them trying to ban lead in Fishing and Hunting.  The Hunting Ammo Lead Ban was denied (that time) but the Lead Ban in Fishing Tackle was still under consideration.  A little at a time, Bro, a little at a time.  And roger on being a Good Steward, but not worshipping...there's definitely a difference.  Take care of it, don't bow down to it.
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: floridagrimp on 11/27/12 14:40 UTC
If Romney had won, I was seriously thinking about getting a Tekcast spincaster for pouring jigheads (figured I'd have at least 4 years b/4 EPA brought any changes) ...but wouldn't touch it now...esp. not in Fla!!!
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: Muskygary on 11/27/12 14:49 UTC
Back to the issue; Andy I bet those worms would be killer in our weedy midwest lakes. I can see it slow falling over the weeds and as it gets to the top of them, wham! Mister ,largemouth picks off a easy meal. Besides most guys fish to fast and this will be a hot "slow" presentation.
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: t-billy on 11/27/12 14:57 UTC
 Thanks for the safety tip Andy. Yeah, they're MF microspheres. I wore a respirator. I added 1 tbs to 1/2 cup of plastic and made a dozen 6" skinny carrots. It was too much. It stiffened the baits up a fair bit. Boy do they ever float though. I tried one out in the sink. I couldn't get it to lay over on a shakey head. Not even with the 1/2 oz head and, it has a 4/0 hook. If I push it over by hand it springs right back up. It's just a little too stiff though.  I'll try another batch tommorrow with 1/2 the amount of sphere's. I think I'll have a real winner once I get the ratio right. These carrots have to be just about the most versatile bait out there. 
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: pjmcla on 11/27/12 16:09 UTC
As Andy said - be very careful with the micro-spheres.  They are real rough on the lungs if inhaled as I understand it.  Pulmonary problems are rough. 
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: chase102798 on 11/30/12 22:48 UTC
This is real important thread as Obama's radical EPA will go after lead in hunting and fishing like no admin. ever has. It has already started, they'll be a lot of lobbying and who knows how it'll end..but the very militant EPA is going to make a huge move on this, imo...IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS!!

A lot of well meaning sportsmen are buying into the "save the planet" rhetoric..(I believe in being good stewards of the planet, not worshipping it!!)  lead weights do nothing to the big picture of wildlife's survival, ESP. FISH ...errr, these enviro-nut windmill farms (not against them, just think they should be developed by free enterprise) KILL HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS, MAYBE MILLLIONS OF BIRDS, EVEN ENDANGERED ONES, EVERY YEAR!!!!!!!  and that's documented by the gov't. 

CC's sinking additive may be bigger than we thought...

New York banned lead sinker sales. When we salmon fish, we can only buy glow-in-the-dark tin sinkers. We bring our own from PA.
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: floridagrimp on 12/01/12 00:55 UTC
I think weighted jerk bait hooks are still legal in the states that have banned lead...for now. Tunsten is an alternative for fishing...a very expensive one.
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: BareKnuckleJigs on 12/01/12 06:05 UTC
I've been thinking about gathering a stock of Tin and Zinc.  Neither is heavy as lead, but that's actually an advantage in some cases.  You can use bigger jigheads without all the weight.  If I remember right, it was Zinc and Tin...meltable, and still cheaper than Tungsten (Tungsten can't be melted by most people, the melting point is too high).
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: Jason on 12/01/12 07:53 UTC
Maybe I should experiment with making a mold for soft plastic / hda weights? Thoughts?
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: floridagrimp on 12/01/12 07:59 UTC
I believe it could VERY, VERY, VERY viable...might want to do a "Mission Impossible" ..on these posts as many cruise this site, looking for new ideas. 
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: floridagrimp on 12/01/12 08:05 UTC
Mission Impossible for you younger guys was a show long time ago where instructions on tape would burn up after so many seconds, after given to the team of secret agents. 8)
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: andrewlamberson on 12/01/12 08:50 UTC
A soft plastic bullet weight would be a hit!  The hard nose of a weight or jig has always troubled me.

As anyone experimented with the maximum amount of HD you can put into plastic...and how that density would compare to common weight materials?
Title: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: Justin9j on 12/01/12 10:11 UTC
This sounds like a very good idea.   

Would the line cut through it in cover?   
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: TheDreamer on 12/01/12 10:24 UTC
This would be a sweet Idea, allowing you to color match your weight to your bait or offset the color combination for that shock and awe factor. Being able to have a weight created from plastic would allow so many more color options compared to powder paint.

Drew
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: floridagrimp on 12/01/12 10:42 UTC
guess Jason will have it out by Jan 1...or sooner. Caney explodes to a whole new level!!! :o :-\
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: andrewlamberson on 12/01/12 11:32 UTC
I'm betting that the HD additive will make it tough enough....if not.some chopped glass fiber would!
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: Jason on 12/01/12 12:54 UTC
I'll give it a go with hard, may need to add hardener as well.  I think size could become the biggest issue.  We'll see...
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: superharmonix on 12/01/12 15:10 UTC
This is not me freaking out, it's me keeping me eyes open with anticipation:

 :o



Great idea, can't wait to see the results.
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: t-billy on 12/01/12 20:08 UTC
I'll give it a go with hard, may need to add hardener as well.  I think size could become the biggest issue.  We'll see...
Scorching could become an issue with too much hardner. I tried making some extra hard plastic last year. I wanted to dip a steel rod into an exra hard plastic formula to make a tube then, cut it into rings to go around wacky worms in an effort to increase durability. I don't like using o-rings. The horizontal hook position snags a lot more weeds. Anyway, when I tried adding a lot of hardner to the plastisol it would scorch before I could get it up to temp no matter how slow I heated it or how much I stirred.   I was adding a LOT of hardner though. I made a few attempts with a 50%plastic/50% hardner mix first, then cut it to 75/25 still no go. I gave up there. I figured anything less wasn't going to give me the result I was looking for anyway. Just something to look out for. You have an interesting idea. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.----Tim.
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: andrewlamberson on 12/01/12 20:46 UTC
I made up some 3" Super Smooth Tubes, with the body's 100% full (not hollow),  this am with the 2 tablespoons of HD to 4 oz of plastic and then took them over to the sand pit to test....and they sure sank FAST!

I'm trying to figure out how to make a 3' (or more) clear tube that is at least 3" in diameter to test sink rate. Anybody have any ideas on a clear tube this wide...and long???
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: pjmcla on 12/01/12 21:30 UTC
Swimming pool.
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: Denny Welch on 12/01/12 22:24 UTC
Necessity is the mother of invention.  My crystal ball and tarot cards are telling me it won't be too much longer and lead will be a thing of the past.  The absence of lead will leave a huge gap in our sport that will have to be filled.  It is waaaayyyy beyond my skills or analytical capabilities to guess whether the HD additive will be able to fill that gap, but I'm encouraged by the way some of you are talking.  Besides, I'm still busy trying to get catfish teeth out of my knuckles.
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: siscojj on 12/03/12 11:29 UTC
I KNOW YOU CAN GET PVC PIPE THAT IS CLEAR BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS AND I'M SURE YOU'D HAVE TO ORDER IT.I WORK AT A DUPONT SITE AND WE'VE USED IT HERE BEFORE.
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: pjmcla on 12/03/12 11:57 UTC
As I understand it Tungsten is hard to work with ( temperature and toxics ) and costly.  That is why the tungsten worm weights are so expensive.
Bismuth is not to bad to work with but expensive compared to lead.  Tin is light, easy to work with; but also expensive.  Steel is tough to work with.  Look at the lead shot for duck hunting ban and this is probably where we are headed.       
Title: Re: No lead...shaky...with the HD Additive
Post by: BareKnuckleJigs on 12/03/12 12:30 UTC
For metals, this will be the deal for those who pour their own.  I'm curious to see the HDA Weights.

Just for comparison, I dug up some weights of common metals, each is in Pounds of 1 cubic foot...and their Melting Points...

Aluminum 168.48 / 1220 degrees
Antimony 419.99 / 1170 degrees
Bismuth 611.00 / 520 degrees
Cadmium 540.00 / 610 degrees
Lead 707.96 / 621 degrees
Stainless Steel (18-8) 494.21 / 2750 degrees
Tin 455.67 / 450 degrees
Tungsten 1204.41 / 6150 degrees
Zinc 445.30 / 787 degrees

Not all are useable for most of us due to the High Melting Point.  Zinc and Tin are useable...meltable.