Got tail?

[ctom]

I've been making tail stock. One at a time in the Ukrainian molds.



There are 1.5" baits laid in the row, 2" in a pile to the left and 3" to the right. Pretty simple stuff using the X2 chartreuse colorant at 20 drops per 8 ounce cup of plastic, 5 drops of Bears green chartreuse, a dollop of uv enhancer and a dollop of the same size of blue hi lite. Makes a rich chartreuse for sure. All of what's seen here will get cut back for tails to go with purple, partycrasher glitter and bluegill glitter blend is the same baits size wise. Then I'll start over during free time.

For now I'll be cutting tails off and re-injecting the molds with color and finally getting this bait's box stuffed up for spring. Taking time to put together a work area really bit into plastics making time and after finally getting a heat source that gets the room warm fast now allows me some time in there to get caught up, not only on the plastics but on the lead end as well.

[Muskygary]

Be sure and show us the finished baits later this spring.

[ctom]

I'll be starting the finished baits yet this week. I'd have done some today but the doctors wanted their time with me....damned skin cancer. I started a topical chemo therapy today to remove one of the problem-child cancers that was froze off in December but came right back with a vengeance. 6 to 8 weeks now doing this. Plenty of time playing inside is what the doc's said today so....   Had xrays taken of my shoulder this morning right after getting my other good news. Monday I get to find out what is going on with it.

[WALLEYE WACKER]

Sure hope they get things taken care of Tom. Tails are good and brite had to put the sunglasses on to look at them

[Lines]

Good job on the tails ctom. Asking for God's blessings on the health issues.

[basscatlildave]

Good color. Can't wait to see the end result.

[ctom]

I have finally settled on a chartreuse color for tails and its working good for me. Not an opaque and not quite transparent yet bold enough for real thin parts to bounce good with color. No 4 ounce batches of this either, full cup batches. I make lots of baits just to grab the tails. Tail molds would be sweet but just aren't there so its done this way.

Reheating is an easy chore since the plastic holds plenty of heat, but if I plan to re-melt I add plenty of stabilizer to the last re-heat right after it comes from the microwave and stir it in well, then do whatever injections I need to do before allowing it to cool. That way the stabilizer is in the plastic and I don't have to heat un-protected plastic from the cold state and chance wrecking it. I can get an amazing number of re-heats using the sprues and scrap when doing smaller baits without any assist from stabilizer by heating in 15 second bursts and stirring between each 15 second shot in the oven. About 60% of what is seen here comes from plastic that has been re-heated six times without any appreciable color change and that's a long haul for chartreuse.

[Muskygary]

How much is a dollop?

[ctom]

Slightly more than a small hunk.

[Lines]

That narrows it down tremendously!

[chubs]

c-tom is that the swing impact mold or swing fat mold?

[ctom]

The two and three inch baits come from Impact molds. The 1.5" is a Fat Impact and can be distinguished from the Impact by the slight cut-off on the belly of the bait about 1/4 of the way back from the nose. On the small bait one has a heck of a time telling the two apart and there's virtually no difference in action. I haven't really looked hard but I'm not certain his site even has an Impact at 1.5". The Fat Impact comes in a whole world of sizes and in both multi cavity stone and aluminum as well as single cavity molds. The only difference between the Rippers and Impact series is that the ribbing on the impact tends to be a little deeper and finer, but in using the Keitech baits from local stores right next to the Rippers there's no question the fish don't give a rip as both tear walleyes up real well.

I'll note here that I fish a lot of very early, cold open water for crappies and that the best bait I have found yet is the 1.5" Thump-It with the 2 1/2" Thumper Fry right on its heels. I'm referring to water slightly about the freezing mark and less than 40 degrees. The Thump-It and Thumper Fry will continue to produce numbers of fish as the water begins to take on temperature and these 3 Impacts sizes start to shine at about 44 degrees and continue to challenge the other two early baits all the way through the open water season.

I start and end every day of fishing with a 1.5" Thump-It in purple/chartreuse tail every trip....I have that much confidence in the bait and color. By the time the water is approaching the 46-48 degree mark I switch colors within a bait then the bait and colors itself as the bite dictates. By 50 degrees I  will use just about any panfish plastic I make as long as it gets fish but water temps can play games with the angler too so I carry just about all of my baits all the time when crappie fishing as one never knows.