New molds

[ctom]

A pair of new molds arrived at the door this morning from Do-It . One is the 3.75" Zipper Worm Dropshot and the other is the 3" Glider. I've shot both of them already and like what I see. Before I get too rambunctious I'm making lam plates for each of them and if things go according to Hoyle I'll have some pictures available in a couple days. With the lake levels being brought back up to winter pool levels on the lake just north of town I took a glider and worm out and fished some rip-rap that smallies like in cold water and sure enough, they were there and the baits both got a fish.

Actually I have gotten some questions asked about these two baits from several people including a couple bait shops with reference to walleye plastics. I don't like to say much about something if I haven't had it on a line to try myself and today gets that out of the way. Now I'll squirt some waldo colors for samples and get some pictures for here. The garage is a balmy 37 degrees this afternoon so my shooting times have ben brief. These already show signs of being a good move to expand my walleye bait realm...if smallies dine on them, so will walter.

Both molds shoot like a dream. I'm looking forward to some play time with these molds.

[Muskygary]

When you get some time; tell us a little bit more about the molds... how many cavities, type of tail on the zipper. etc.

[Shane]

 It will be interesting to see what you do with the glider.  I have underutilized that bait I'm sure.

[andrewlamberson]

I have caught a LOT of walleyes and smallmouth on the 3" glider. Put those on a darter jig and hang on!

[ctom]

The molds are both 4 bait molds. Very easy shooting and thus far no denting at all with the heavier-bodied Glider. If dents were going to occur, they should have been apparent in the cold garage with cold molds.

The glider I see as having a lot of possibilities for multiple color shots especially with a plate of some sort but hand pours will be tried too. Tail colors will be a snap. I'm just about certain that the worm can be manipulated to allow tail colors and a thin plate should make for some nice two-color body stuff. I'll be working these two hard the next few days.

Both baits have paddle-type tails. The worm's paddle is quite thin and sports a small "pin" at the end, a little different but if people don't care for it being there a snip is all it takes to make it pin-less. The paddle on the glider has a couple of ridges that run from side to side on one of the flats. I think they are there to help keep the " flat" controllable. The real beauty of the glider is being able to mount the plastic with the paddle vertical or horizontal. Vertical allows for a swimming action and fairly quick drop rate white horizontally mounting the plastic does slow the drop rate significantly. I can see this bait being super on current seams when jigging vertically for walleyes. I've used the sting ray baits for years jigging walleyes in this fashion but the sting rays have a pretty sturdy plastic in them and cold water seems to tighten up the tail action at times. The webbing between the body section and the paddle on the glider is less bulky so medium plastic should let the paddle tail perform like a ballet star.

I only fished for ten minutes with each bait and caught five smallies. Three on the worms, two on the glider. The glider got the larger fish, but nothing under 14 inches was caught with the pig sitting at about 4 pounds. I did a simple hand-pour to make split color baits, orange belly, black remainder on both baits and the bass didn't appear to not like them. Pretty sure that those bass are dining on craws right now.

I'll get some pics up when I work more with these molds. I have to get a series of sample colors shot for a pair of bait shops too and I'll likely use those to show here. I'll just have to wait and see how things turn out. There could be surprises but I don't anticipate any.

[MO QWACK]

A smallie  trip like that on a bait test trip??? I'm on my way !!! 

[ctom]

This lake has a very predictable smallie bite right at and for a couple weeks after ice out and again when the water chills down to 36-37 degrees in the fall. The area I fished is a unique spot in that there is an incoming current that runs smack into a shoreline of rip-rap with 9 to 10 foot water. The current splits where it his shore with half of it peeling off and running into a large bay where it eventually vents back into the main flow a couple hundred yards upstream again. The other half of the current runs along the rock shore and continues on downstream.. Tons of food and craw fish are found in those rocks where the water stays well aerated and the smallies and crappies just lay up along the rocks. If the weather is a mess the fish usually won't do much, but right now we are finding just a modicum of stability and today they played with me.

[WALLEYE WACKER]

Tom I have got 22 walleye on one 3" glider before I had to put another one on. 3.75 zipper looks like a killer bait for tear drop jig. I don't have this mold but the bass will eat it up and my be the walleye to. mike 

[ctom]

I just finished with all of my grinding. I'm waiting to stuff everything until tomorrow. Maybe I'll get a bit of time to play with these new blocks to day. They are saying up to maybe 50 degrees but I'm not holding my breath on that number.

[ctom]

Ok, I played a little but Ma got her thumbs into me before I could do another color.



3" Glider. Shot once for the Do-It X2 chartreuse tails. The belly got a simple fairly clear with some random colors of .015 Do-It glitters.

The top of the body is 4 drops of Do-It X2 Motor Oil in 4 oz of plastic, 040 black glitter, green and red are .015. Red Hi Lite is also in the mix.

The bubble you see on the middle bait is water from after dipping the eyes.

Man, the sun low in the sky really lights that chartreuse up, almost too much for a good picture.

That motor oil is a great color.

The mold shoots flawlessly and the baits are super easy to play with. Maybe tomorrow I'll get a four color done. Maybe. I have another idea too that I want to try.

[Shane]

there it is!!!!  I knew you would do awesome things with that bait

[MO QWACK]

Dear Mr Tom,
  I want to eat your bait!
  Sincerely, Walleye

[sim]

You say "new molds" - is that new to you or new that your testing? i've been eyeballing that glider mold.

[Billmo]

Tom,
That 3' glider is one of my favorite inshore saltwater baits i make now.. You can catch anything on a glider.

[Jerry V]

It IS a fish catching bait and you can't go wrong with the 3" version when you're looking for some action.  I don't know that I've ever seen them with eyeballs before... Lookin' good Mr. Tom, nice work.