Soft Plastic ReCon, Anyone?

[BareKnuckleJigs]

I've been fishin' all my life, but I'm just getting into and learning this Soft Plastic thing...although I've been using Soft Plastics my entire life.  I pursued getting into this as SOON as I realized (found out) that You can re-melt and re-use.

Does anyone pass-on to others that these baits can be re-used, and/or to save them when they get torn-up, instead of throwing them away?  Does anyone offer the Service of taking ones' existing Soft Plastics (whether torn-up, old or now-uninteresting), and making more baits for them using the Customers plastic and Your molds/equipment?  If You do it, or would start doing it, how much do/would You charge?  Would You offer to add Soft Plastic Liquid to their mix, and at what charge?  Flake?  Colorant?  Their own Custom Mix, using their plastics as a Base?

I think this is a Good Thing...in the name of Conservation (Conservation can be more than just for the Game), Preservation, and Resourcefullness.  While this wouldn't financially profit the Plastic Manufacturers or Retailers, it would be YET ANOTHER Step in the right direction for Our Cause as Sportsman.

Jason, Bro, please move as you see fit...I may have been better off putting this in "Soft Plastics" instead of "Color CookBook"...sorry 'bout that.

Fire Away!!!

[BassDetective]

Some of the challenges that I have had re-melting have discouraged me from pursuing this type of opportunity.  Some of the plastics used by the majors are just downright awful.  The fumes are the worst.  Some of the plastics don't remelt well at all and the baits they produce are sticky and not what consumers would expect.  There are also varying levels of salt in each bait which make consistency difficult.  There is the color issue.  You won't be able to re-color most baits and you will likely go with a dark blue, black or brown depending on what you throw in the pile. 

I think on a small scale for personal use it works but not a grand scale.

My two cents.   

[andrewlamberson]

I remelt my used CCM plastic baits..darn near 100%. I think I have some 6" carrots that are on there 4th life! So if you use CCM plastic for your injected baits...yes...you can remelt and reuse all you want (you'll need to add some heat stabilizer and it helps to add some virgin plastic).

BD has it right about using remelted commercial baits. They "stink"....pun intended!

[BareKnuckleJigs]

Roger on ALL that, Detective!  The color issue...to avoid an all-in-one, vomit-colored Plastic Gumbo, what about using either 1 (maybe a few) color(s), but all colors have to be "like-colors" if "different" colors or color combo's are used.  This is most of what I've been doing since I got into this.  This morning I took 30 6" Mogambo Grub CurlTails, Pearl White, that had a little greenish-brown "paint" on 1 side (Arkansas Shiner?), re-melted them, but the color was a little on the Gold-ish side, so I threw in the last, maybe 8-10, Solid Bright White Deadley Dudley's I had, to brighten the color a shade.  The End Result was a nice, nearly-standard almost-eggshell Pearl White.  There were about as "sticky" as a usual "dry" bait, but it seems like the only "drawback" to that is they don't drop into the bag real easy.  A little Worm Oil (or other oil) would fix that.

A few days ago I mixed up a few pieces...a pack (10 baits) of "Electric Blue?" (Purple, Blue flake) H&H Original Cocahoes, a half'a pack (6 worms) of JuneBug (Purple, Green flake) YUM 7.5" Ribbontail Worms, a Mix of my own that had a few Pearls in it and a Silver flake (maybe 3 ounces of the Mix), and added 8 oz.s of CCM "Hard" Plastic Liquid.  That End Result was a transparent Purple with a Red-ish Pearl Hue (Hue from the Pearl CurlTails), a nice blend of Green, Blue and Silver flake.  I'm going to be posting pics of this bait as soon as I get back home and my camera is here.  They were impressively dry, and firm enough to stand up (preferred for Saltwater).

I'm going to have to get some experience under my belt like You guys have, but I think this can work, at least as a "supplement/addition" to what one does.  And, in all this, You'd probably usually be working with  one's Favorite Colors, as they'll be using that color.  Keep the knowledge coming, Bro's!!!

[BareKnuckleJigs]

Roger on adding Virgin Plastic, A.L.!  They DO stink!!!...but me personally, I can deal with that...I grew up fishing Inland Saltwater and have grown to almost love the smell of Marsh Mud    ...while not the same smell and totally different facet of the Game, it still, well yeah, stinks.

[Jason]

Roger on adding Virgin Plastic, A.L.!  They DO stink!!!...but me personally, I can deal with that...I grew up fishing Inland Saltwater and have grown to almost love the smell of Marsh Mud    ...while not the same smell and totally different facet of the Game, it still, well yeah, stinks.

Make sure you have good ventilation and a respirator if needed (wearing gloves, etc...).  You need to make sure you are taking care of yourself.  Sorry, the parent in me came out when you were talking about liking the smell - don't smell it (sorry, slipped again  ).

http://www.caneycreekmolds.net/index.php?board=10.0

[andrewlamberson]

Also remember that burning (scorching) plastic is TOXIC!
(fyi...I work for a high tech plastics company).

VENTILATION is an absolute must.

Ditch the mystery plastics...stick to a brand that you know what is in it (you get what you pay for)....and save your used baits by color.

[kipbass]

Some of the challenges that I have had re-melting have discouraged me from pursuing this type of opportunity.  Some of the plastics used by the majors are just downright awful.  The fumes are the worst.  Some of the plastics don't remelt well at all and the baits they produce are sticky and not what consumers would expect.  There are also varying levels of salt in each bait which make consistency difficult.  There is the color issue.  You won't be able to re-color most baits and you will likely go with a dark blue, black or brown depending on what you throw in the pile.  

I think on a small scale for personal use it works but not a grand scale.

My two cents.  

I'm with Bass D on this one. I was given a large gallon bag of OLD plastic lure and the smell was awful before melting. The only good thing that came out of it was I was experimenting with making POP molds. I didn't have to waste my own plastic testing out these molds; they failed by the way. I'm not so cheap enough yet to remelt my own baits for my own use. Call me a sucker I guess. Jason has told me the only thing old plastic is good for are stick baits, something that doesn't have a appendages.

[BareKnuckleJigs]

Jason has told me the only thing old plastic is good for are stick baits, something that doesn't have a appendages.

Maybe that's why I'm having such good success...?...I'm strictly pouring Carrots in 1.75", 2.25" and 2.5".  I believe that 3" Skinny's about to happen, too!!!  Maybe that'll be the only real "regulation"...shoot 'em into Carrots...sounds good to me!

Sorry, the parent in me came out when you were talking about liking the smell - don't smell it (sorry, slipped again  ).

Roger on'nat, my Bro!  Thank Yawl!!!  ...and, so You don't worry too much...lol...I was referring to the smell of Marsh Mud, that I like, not the plastic.