Custom Baits - Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: 2XL on 07/20/14 12:13 UTC
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ctom was kind enough to indulge my questions about getting into plastic bait making on another forum and directed me to this forum so I can bug the experts here instead. LOL
I am/have been a big fan of DO-IT jig molds for many years now. Think I am up to 30 or so molds now. I make stuff mostly for myself and a few friends and family. I also give jigs to kids I see fishing nearby if there happen to be any around when I'm out. An investment in the future if you will.
As most of you already know (cost aside) there is just something about catching fish on stuff you yourself have made. Pride ? A sense of satisfaction ? I don't know but it's pretty cool.
Anyhow, I dabbled in soft plastics some years ago trying to duplicate a crappie tube style ( not color) that was discontinued. After some ( a lot of actually LOL) trial and error I was able to produce an OK tube in the end but that was the extent of my plastic bait making. These days I fish walleyes with plastics almost exclusively. There are a LOT of decent store bought plastics out there but again, as most of you already know, I like the flexibility that do it yourself baits offer = Colors, sizes etc. and that is what brings me here.
I have decided to jump in and try my hand at making some plastic baits. I have been reading a TON and have a fairly good idea of which direction to head ( I think) starting out. Here's where you guys come in. My goal is to be smart about what I invest in starting out vs shooting i the dark buying stuff I really don't need. So if you don't mind a lot of dumb questions from me as I find my way making my own baits I would sure appreciate any input you could provide.
I hope to get rolling this fall as life is pretty busy for me right now but who knows, it may be sooner than that.
Thanks for your time, Bryan
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Welcome Byran. Ask away, that's what we're for.
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This is information central Bryan and LOTS of inquiring minds got smarter here by asking. I did. The molds and the components to get yourself set up to inject are all available here. Do-It has been in the front of the industry when lead molds took off and now they are in the same spot in the plastics arena. Basically. you can stop where you're at and get everything you'll need and the advice and help are free. Granted there are a couple here who like to rub fur the wrong direction in jest but we're serious as well as fun....call us serious funny. But we do have the real scoop here. Welcome to the insanity. If you aren't there yet, wait a couple days....
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Welcome aboard Bryan!
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You've come to the right place! Remember there are no dumb questions, we all started with no knowledge, but these guys are experts in the plastic pouring field; so welcome .
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Welcome to the forum.
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Great first post, Bryan. If "smart" is what you're after, I'd stay away from Ctom, Andy, the other Tom (with members), and especially Mo. There are others, but I won't embarrass them now.
Welcome to the forum.
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Welcome aboard - If you're looking to spend money these guys will definately help you spend it!!!!!!!!!!
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Bryan you will have a great time here and they have a great selection to choose from. Can't wait to see what you pick for your first mold.
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Thanks for the welcome everyone.
Denny, In spite of me chasing "smarts" all my life, nobody has ever accused me of being smart so I must be doing something right .. or is it wrong ?
MuskyG, No dumb questions ? You may change your mind after I've been around a while.
Fatman, I have no problem spending money. It's the supply I have on hand or more lack thereof that is the problem.
Walley W, The 4.5 Ring-It-Worm will be my first plastics mold. Ringworms are a real producer here on the river especially in the fall. I have a few color schemes in mind that I know will be killer IF I can whip up the right color recipe.
While we are on the subject of ringworms, is there a laminate plate for that mold? If not, is there a way I could cobble one up ?
Another question is, What is the shelf life of DO-ITs plastisol ?
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Bryan good first bait. I have had a 2.5 gallon box for almost a year and haven't had any trouble with it. Look at the flippin zip I like it because of it's shape. And the walleye's sure like it. 8)
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Bryan, You can make a plate for the ringworm, I like to use thin sheet metal (.008) which I get at the hobby shop. Just cut it to size and cut a recess where you inject the plastic (so you can still get the injector in the nozzle. After injecting, open the mold; take the sheet of metal out; take the plastic out of the side you want the second color in., clean the spru out, close the mold and shoot the second color! Some people use aluminum foil for the plate, if your only shooting a few baits.
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Cool. I am alright with cobbling things like that. My goal is to be able to shoot horizontally two toned baits. Would I be able to do that with a plate or would a plate make a vertically two toned bait?
Yes, I'm getting way ahead of myself. I need to learn the basics first before taking on more advanced things like laminates and such but ....... LOL
Thanks for taking the time to reply.
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You'll get a bait with two colors in the tail as it lays flat...imagine a top and bottom color.
For metal you can go to a hobby lobby and ask for punch metal. I use the tin. They have copper and brass too but $$$$. OR....
....you can try your hand at hand pouring one side of the mold [the side without the vents!] from the head end to just in front of where the tail begins. When I got my worm mold I couldn't wait to get to Hobby Lobby for metal, now I just do the hand pour....quicker. But then I don't get a two-color tail.
The Ring It worm is one of the easiest molds to work with and as you know the worms are dynamic when it comes to cold water waldos. There are lots of options once you get the hang of things. For the hand pour I use a common teaspoon. The spoon affords a ton of control over where that plastic is going and how much is going in the mold. Using the cups for this is a headache.
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Got it.
I figured the ringworm was a pretty strait forward mold to start with. I've caught a pile of fish on them through the years. Looking forward to trying my hand at making them.
Any other favorite plastics for eyes ?
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I received my 4.5" Ring Worm Mold today and just had to run some plastic through it at lunch....and that is one sweet looking bait. To make things a little worse (as far as getting back to work on time!) I had to give it a few casts and that tail action really is nice. I landed one medium sized smallmouth before feeling guilty about being back late from lunch.
A very easy to mold bait. I'm going to make a pile of these!
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Look at the flippin zip I like it because of it's shape.
I couldn't agree more... the Flip n Zip would be my first choice and the Thump Grub would be my second for year round walleye baits.
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I use a lot of the super fry in the fall on the power shot set up and catch 95 % the walleye's on the top hook with a super fry or a 3" glider. 8)
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"feeling guilty about being back late from lunch" Yeah right! JK ;) LOL Yup, the ringworm mold will be the one I cut my plastic making teeth on. Love that bait.
I have tried a similar bait to the flippin zip here but the fish shunned it. Go figure
Another good fall bait for when the bite goes neutral to negative and my standard plastics get ignored is the Super Doo. Two falls ago that was a lights out bait for me. I am looking for a mold akin to that one too.
Thanks for the replies all.
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I have tried a similar bait to the flippin zip here but the fish shunned it.
Where's here?
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I received my 4.5" Ring Worm Mold today and just had to run some plastic through it at lunch....and that is one sweet looking bait. To make things a little worse (as far as getting back to work on time!) I had to give it a few casts and that tail action really is nice. I landed one medium sized smallmouth before feeling guilty about being back late from lunch.
Andy, just curious how far you were from work when you caught your fish... could you walk back to one of the riverside plants (like RTP), or did you have to drive a distance?
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I work at RTP....so it's pretty easy to sneak down at lunch...or launch the boat right after work!
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I figured you had to be close. ;)
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Where's here?
Rock River , Southern WI
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Right on... I have relatives along it in the Northern part of Illinois. I've had my feet in it, but never fished it, so your experience rules there.
I just know the Flippin Zip is my number one bait for walleyes; I've caught them from 8 inches to 8 pounds on it. If the shad run on the Rock with any numbers, then I would think the walleyes should readily gobble it up there as they do on the Big Miss. Actually, I would think walleyes should eat it even without shad present as they readily eat small bass, perch, etc.
Of course, the bottom line with this, or any bait, is confidence. If you have more confidence in the ring-it, then you will fish it better; and any bait fished better will tend to produce more fish. (I typically downsize to a ring worm -or Thump Grub- in high pressure scenarios.)
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I've fished those "other" baits similar to the Flippin Zip during the late fall when the shad are being run thru the dam rollers as the water temps dive. I'll be sport'n the Flippin Zip this fall and think I'll do better with it. That "other" bait has some design issues I just don't care for while the FZ is really well balanced. I tossed a couple of them in a local retention pond a week or so ago on a morning walk and the bass certainly enjoyed hammering them.
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Right on... I have relatives along it in the Northern part of Illinois. I've had my feet in it, but never fished it, so your experience rules there.
I just know the Flippin Zip is my number one bait for walleyes; I've caught them from 8 inches to 8 pounds on it. If the shad run on the Rock with any numbers, then I would think the walleyes should readily gobble it up there as they do on the Big Miss. Actually, I would think walleyes should eat it even without shad present as they readily eat small bass, perch, etc.
Of course, the bottom line with this, or any bait, is confidence. If you have more confidence in the ring-it, then you will fish it better; and any bait fished better will tend to produce more fish. (I typically downsize to a ring worm -or Thump Grub- in high pressure scenarios.)
Well, If you're not a fair weather fishermen ( No offense intended) then maybe later this fall I might have an open seat in the boat so you can take a poke at a RR eye and or sauger. I fish up until I can't break the ice at the boat launch. Last year I spent 45 minutes busting ice from the area I wanted to fish before giving up. I should have known better as it was one of those days where you can watch the ice form right next to the boat. Glad I didn't lose a trailer light or my transducer. LOL Anyhow, think about it.
ZERO Shad up this way ( Above Janesville) The main forage here are Sheephead from 2 to 4-5". If you check the contents of 100 eyes/saugers %80+ will have little Sheepheads in them. Little Great Whites ( Whitebass) minnows and the occasional perch make up the rest. Well, there was the one year that the powers that be decided to stock small muskies. The walleyes loved em = Num Num. LOL
I was eyeballing the DD Gill mold thinking a certain color would do the trick ( It might) but I've not had much luck with Shad style bodies here.
For sure confidence is a big part of fishing any bait , crank, plastic, whatever but if fishing plastics full time these last 4 years has taught me anything it's that sometimes it pays to get "out of the rut" and try new things. I'm sure glad I did.
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Well, If you're not a fair weather fishermen ( No offense intended) then maybe later this fall I might have an open seat in the boat so you can take a poke at a RR eye and or sauger. I fish up until I can't break the ice at the boat launch.
Sounds like the perfect time to be out!
I can't count the times I've pushed across the ice to get to open water... I even got wet a few of the times doing it, but the fishing is just too good not to keep going. (If a fella wants to keep fishing in these conditions he must always wear his life vest and he must never tell his wife of those "Peter" experiences.) Not only it the fishing good then, but the difficulty factor is a great deterrent to many, so I get lots of hook-ups on quality fish with no prying eyes as with open water. It's tough to beat that time of the year if you like throwing jigs!
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Got it.
I figured the ringworm was a pretty strait forward mold to start with. I've caught a pile of fish on them through the years. Looking forward to trying my hand at making them.
Any other favorite plastics for eyes ?
Welcome aboard Bryan! I've got a lot of friends that fish the Rock! Been meaning to get out there: "Too many ponds, not enough time................." Sigh
The K-Chub Grub is a great shape, I fish it and the 4" PowerBait Pro Grub. Another great one is the new mold: Thump Grub. My buddies on "the Rock" seem to swear by Gulp! so the shape I would try would be the Fat Bottom Shad or at least I would spray any plastics used there with the Gulp! scent.
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A little trick with the Gulp spray....
Put a small cotton pom-pom on the line before you tie the jig on. These little fluff balls come in a lot of colors and the size I like id about 1/2" to 3/8". I use one in a color that will agree with the head color of the jig. I use a needle to get them in the line. Give them a spray and go fish. After a while I squeeze the water out and re-spray. The scenting hangs on a lot longer and stronger and they are cheap by the bagful.
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Thanks Tommy. Some good fishermen around here for sure. Some of the best don't even own a computer so you never hear about those guys. I have learned a TON from a couple of them over the years = lucky me.
Re: Gulp, A lot of guys do well with it here but I've not had much luck fishing gulp products on the Rock. Sure I've caught fish on it but I have had a lot better luck using Trigger X. Truth be told,
I toss 2,3 and 5" Kalin grubs here when the situation is right. The K Chub and Kalins both have the big tail which is what makes the Kalins bait shine IMO. I would bet the K Chub would be a winner too.
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Another Grub Shape that works VERY well for me is the 4" PowerBait Pro Grub. I like to fish the one with the Pumpkinseed body and the Orange tail. It is a "disco'd" color, but Jerry V helped me shoot some glow Orange tails and then we bonded them to the Pumkinseed PowerBait bodies - worked awesome!!!!
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You were molding Do-it plastic to Berkley Powerbait plastic?
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MuskyG, PowerBait plastic is typical oil-based plastisol (I buy it just to blend into some of my mixes...when I can get the right stuff marked down)...the Gulp and Gulp Alive is the water-based stuff.
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You were molding Do-it plastic to Berkley Powerbait plastic?
Yes - We shot the K-Chub Grub in glow orange - cut the body off - and then fused the K-Chub tail to a 4" PowerBait body with a bic lighter. That way i got to use the PowerBait Body with the tail color I wanted.
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Neat, I've never thought about using manufacture baits with home made tails!