Leaderboard

A few tips that are strictly from a hand pour perspective: 1) Flakes: I rarely use them but when I do I adhere to the idea of 'less is best'. This helps with issues such as, arching, even flake dispersal and less stirring. I've never had a fish stick it's head up out of the water and tell me the watermelon was perfect but they didn't bite because I didn't have enough flake or wrong color flake. You can always add but you can't subtract and don't get in the habit of adding flakes in reheats, you'll become reliant on the flakes. If you have to in order to achieve the finished bait know that you are because you've curled what you originally put in. The result is usually a "cat turd" rolled in flakes. 2) I use 900W micros on full power, higher wattage micros I have to turn down the power in order to use the same heating sequences. 3) I always stir from the center out in order to disperse the heat as quickly and evenly as possible. 4) Decide how your goal in a finished bait is to be accomplished color wise, meaning either directly with colorant or the influence of flakes. 5) From the start don't do what I did and believe that you're going to remember recipes...you can't. Date each recipe & photo it so you can correspond. 6) Strive for consistency..after all it doesn't serve you to make the immaculate conception if you can't duplicate it. A) Don't question your recipe unless you've changed a colorant supplier, b) don't trust artificial lighting, take the time to walk outside and see it in natural light, it's where the bait is going to be used. 7) "If a fish can see these bubbles it already has a hook in it's mouth", a philosophy I accepted. I wear 4 power glasses to pour as a result I probably see more bubbles than the average bear. I was terribly anal about bubbles when I first started pouring because I was comparing what I made to a machine made. 8 Never forget your humanity, you're not a machine which is why you've chosen to make your own baits to begin with. Individualism, creation & ownership are an extension of your mind, you will have failures and learn from them...you will never be perfect and there's always a next time. 9) No where is it written that you cannot make something, anything is possible until you prove to yourself it isn't. 10) Color is what you say it is, no two people see color alike and is irrelevant because the color only matters to a finned creature with the brain the size of a walnut.

I was never a fan of starter kits because there's always going to be something in it you don't like or never use. I think it's best to pick a few molds, colors, glitter, etc. that YOU use and move on from there.

Well after a long gap in this glitter discussion I thought I would weigh in. I had read the comments back in April and May, got some Hobby Lobby extra fine glitter and had some great success. I have been using a single coat of Bob Smith 30 minute epoxy. After initial mixing, I thin it slightly with denatured alcohol. I Then mix in the glitter, which seems to break up any remaining bubbles and brush it on. It has been coming out great, until last night when I used some Martha Stewart irresdescent sugar cube color (40-34052). It seems to be extra fine, but it left little bumps on the lures. I couldn’t find any I specifications on that particular glitter so I dont know what that’s all about. Any thoughts? Btw, I feel very silly writing about ‘glitter’ and Martha Stewart.

Gave it another go. Not putting as much pressure on the injector seems to be the trick for this mold. Decided to do the color that Mr. Mark mentioned and I must say. I like!