LOOKING TO GET STARTED NEED ADVICE

[fasteddyc]

Once you get your supplies check out the Articles and Videos section of the forum. You will find valuable instructions and demos. I know it helped me immeasurably being able to see a video showing me what to do. There's even a video posted by Jeff Little right on topic for you.  It shows him making a 5 inch wutzit using a laminate plate. Good luck, have fun, and don't rush, be safe.

[Snyder61]

Thanks for all the replies guys my stuff should be here tomorow!

[Mantase]

It looks like you may have all your current questions answered but, I have taken the time to put a newbie starter guide and gather all the starter kits I could find on my site, it lists everything you need.

[ctom]

Snyder...

Your question, "Still curious on a rough estimate of how many baits I will be able to make with a gallon", has some variables to it. Since you are beginning, allow for some mess-ups. And until you get a good grip on re-melting your trim and scrap, I'd think you should be able to get 4 to 5 hundred from a gallon, but I may be rich in this estimate. Once you have re-melting down pat your gallons will go a whole lot further. Keep your scrap sorted and separated by color so that as you get accustomed to working with plastic you can incorporate it back into usable baits.

I'll suggest this too. When you encounter one of the blooper batches, just let the plastic cool out in the cup and then bag it up....don't throw it. Then if you decide to try a new technique or maybe need to figure something out with a mold you can simply re-melt this junk plastic and not waste the good. This hobby has a million tricks to it and many surround saving money. If you're not certain about doing something but want to try, use the crap plastic first and on that same line, those colors you begin with can often jump up further down the road when you want to do some color matching or creating so don't just toss them out. I keep my color scrap in gallon ziplock and store them in a few milk crates. It never ceases to amaze me how often I find myself digging thru those crates.

[smalljaw]

Congrats on starting this hobby and these guys will give you a lot of help on your way, I'm now going add something that I think you should know and it isn't meant to scare you off or cast doubt but instead help you in the long run. I'm not a plastics guy, I'm doing this on the lead and wire side but it is still tackle making and I talk to a lot of plastics guys and here is my advise to you. If you are starting this hobby on the sole basis of saving money, well it can be done but it will take some time to recoup it and you may end up not liking it because there is a learning curve. If you end up liking it, which sounds like you are going to, well you may end up saving some money but ultimately you will get into making some with new colors or holographic effects and then it will be new baits so you'll be getting more molds and then glitters and then custom colors and dual injectors, laminate plates and the list goes on and on. What I'm saying is the money you save will go right back into making baits and don't worry, it is a good thing because to me, there is no better or more rewarding hobby than making fishing lures. The feeling you will get when your first good set of pours is finished and they look like you pulled them from a bag you got at Bass Pro Shops will be one filled with pride and the first time you catch a fish on what you made is going to be incredible and that is when the addiction sets in. You will be asking questions about  other molds and colors and then it won't be long before you are helping someone else that is just starting out, what I'm trying to say is that if you end up spending more than you save, well it isn't a bad thing because you will be in a place of peace and contentment like you never felt before and now with the internet and this website you will be part of a brotherhood of tackle makers that share knowledge and wisdom along with humor and friendship that you just can't get with anything else, welcome to our world!!!!!

[sim]

I was curious, and bored, so I ran a 12oz batch -

10 3.5" carrots
12 2.5" wutzits
8 1.75" frogs
9 dragonfly nymphs
10 3.5" K-Grubs
6 3.5" Swim Shads
7 Baby Brush Hogs
4 3.75" Mud Bugs
10 2.5" Kodiac Craw Trailers
3 'crappie" baits (this is a mold I got off ebay, about a 2"  swimbait iwth a crappie/bluegill profile)

Like SmallJaw said - don't 'start' this hobby to save money - you won't  - the initial outlay is kinda pricey (especially if you get addicted) - once you get set up - you'll not spend near as much - but you'll be able to create what you want when you want.

This was a run of 'Smoke Purple Red' - a particular favorite from zoom I like, but now I can make it in the baits I want it made in.

[ctom]

'Smoke Purple'

That Zoom purple smoke is one that I have done several times in a bunch of crappie baits and love it. Adding more or less of the hi lite can give some wicked nice results and by adding a little glitter things really start to pop.

If you want to venture into a new territory Sim, mix up a medium smoke but don't add any stabilizer or glitter or hi lites to it. Cook this smoke "a little too long" so that it yellows just slightly. Then when it has yellowed some, whip in the hi lite and your glitter. The smoke will come off as an eerie sort of green, but not really green. Its hard to describe, but you'll end up with a bait color never seen anywhere before. I've done crappie and walleye baits doing this and have had some very good fishing using this color.

[sim]

Thanks cTom - I'll try that - and not just 'smoke purple' - smoke purple RED - this was/is a special run zoom color that the bass will just light up around here 'at times' - problem was - it would be hard to come by - and now I have carrots! (insert evil laugh)



4oz plastic
1 drop ccm black for smoke
1/8 tsp small red glitter
1/8 tsp medium purple glitter

[ctom]

Not the same color as I thought, but this one is nice.