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I see this issue come up often. I have this mold and the first time pouring the 1/16 oz. I saw that there are issues with the hook being loose on some of the jig heads that I was pouring. It appears that on the 2 smallest sizes, there is not enough lead surrounding the hook shank just past the bend of the hook So, the hook will sometimes rotate in the head due to the lack of support What I did was create a short collar at the base of the head to help keep the hook from rocking back and forth. I used a ball endmill, and made this mod in a mill, but this should be able to be accomplished with a dremel and the proper bit. With this mod. there is adequate material to support the hook where it exists the back of the head to keep it from rocking side to side The ball diameter is 1/8" and it sticks up 1/16" The z-man material is so soft that pushing the bait tight against the head is not a problem I hope this helps some of you.

I built this lathe to turn my cork handles, out of a $5.00 sewing machine motor, and $6.00 bushings.

I've been really happy with medium from baitplastics.com.

There is a Roumba Wake and a Roumba crank. Both have similar bodies. The Roumba wake dives 0-1'. The Roumba crank goes 1-3'. The bait in your pic looks like a knockoff of the Roumba, not the actual Roumba. The knockoff runs deeper than both of the actual Roumbas. I have the knockoff which does run 3-4'. The knockoff is my bottom pic, sexy chrome color. The lip of the knockoff is steeper than the lip of the actual Roumbas which is why the knockoff dives deeper. The Roumba lip points down more whereas the knockoff lip is angled more towards the line tie. There is probably some variation in diving depth depending on which factory in China is making the knockoff. Some of the knockoffs have a smooth finish. Some have a molded in dimple scale pattern. Some have differences in the gill plate. Any lettering on the bait? What is the length and weight? There are many slightly different knockoffs of the Roumba on Aliexpress. They seem to mostly range from 50 to 75 mm in length.

A stub out, that an excellent idea and I’ll be ordering a few myself.

Yes, but before that it was more yellow brown opaque, and ....... Currently, I kind of like the bone River2Sea uses on their hard baits. But the bone on the Rebels from the early 80's ...... I give up. Even if we made a standardized color chart on TU, or own computers would show it differently so what's the point. I don't even try to offer advice on how to make a color shown on the site anymore. I and my wife have the exact same computer, but different settings, so when she was looking at the same photo as I was some time ago, we could not even agree on what the true colors were.

I vote for the scents as a substitute. Bang will work, Dr. Juice works, lots of them work. Years and years ago I poured my own and did not even know about worm oil. LOL Ignorance was bliss in the early 80's. I still have several of those baits and they are fine. I like the fact that most of the scents seem to actually absorb into the plastic if you use them instead of worm oil.....but I prefer the less expensive worm oil.

RTM, you are so crabby, LOL, but also so right. What I like is when bait companies seem to knock off their own color from year to year...... At the sporting goods store I work at we often have the same SKU, same bait by same company, with the same color, but it is not "the same" as the same bait from last year. It does not happen often, but often enough to notice it. I assume that production companies have specific recipes and great notes, but sometimes subtle differences happen. I also wonder if the different colors that come out that are only slightly different from another color are because someone goofed and added something wrong, so they called it a NEW color and sold off the mistakes Sometimes the mistake become the prefered color. Let's all make a mistake today.

$ 2000 profit or $2000 in sales ?

It looks like a knockoff copy of an Ima Roumba. The lip is different from the Roumba and Ima prints a logo or Roumba on the back of the bait. Here is a link to the unpainted blank. It is out of stock. https://www.wlure.com/collections/blank-crankbait/products/fishing-lures-blank-crankbaits-upc677-br-2-inch-1-4-oz?variant=21056627277942 I have one of the painted knockoffs. Wlure no longer has the painted ones on their site. Here is one link for the painted knockoffs. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32950024121.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.19ba1e1bB8uckh&algo_pvid=699cb027-bf46-4497-80e2-16c3f998088c&algo_expid=699cb027-bf46-4497-80e2-16c3f998088c-40&btsid=0bb0623c16160955974795472e7e77&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_,searchweb201603_

Epoxy resin clouded Turbidity occurs when water enters the mixture, or there is moisture on the treated surface. Therefore, before pouring the epoxy, make sure that the surface is completely clean and dry. Another reason for turbidity is the acceleration of the drying process using a hair dryer.

Thank you very much, i really do appreciate it! Awesome community!

Welcome here, I agree 100% with what Bob said. Those are the three main choices overall, and they can all work really well, but they each have their own issues too. I think it would sell out all over the bait making community if you could come up with a insanely tough, dippable, easy to store, very clear, non yellowing clear coat. UV cure might suit your needs, especially if you are making relatively small lures. Lots of positive reviews overall. Search the form for previous threads, there have been a few good discussions on clear coats. But like we have said, it too has some downfalls. Learn how to use it and get good at it before making any judgements.

DQ = Dairy Queen!

A pex stub out .... brilliant !!!

Dave, I see that the two of us are just never going to agree. Here is the problem, I can and do grind salt for soft plastics. I don't do it often, and I don't do it a lot, but I do and I don't get clumping. I suppose that if the two, of if you include Frank, the three of us, got together in the same room and did it together we would see how our ways differ. I don't think it means one or two of us are doing it wrong, just different. Just because it does not work for you does not mean it doesn't work for me, or others. But, because you and I have some specific difference does not mean I have an agenda. I assume you don't have an agenda either, do you? I don't know how trying to help out has offended you, but for what is is worth, it was never my intention to do so.

Probably because it is a solvent LOL

This is the SLOW I was referring to. Which has absolutely NOTHING to do with how much salt someone uses. You keep trying to make this distinction that because I am a "production guy" (Frank also) as you say that none of the suggestions and tips etc apply to any of these situations, yet I know I have explained to you specifically several times that NOTHING I am doing is any different than what most on here are doing except I am working with larger volumes of plastic. Standard off the shelf equipment that is available to anyone. Hate to tell you this but the biggest difference between mixing and cooking 2 cups and 2 gallons...........2 gallons is easier to work with as any problems that may occur happen slower and you usually have time to adjust unlike smaller volumes. So please, do me a favour and stop making generic assumptions you know nothing about just to suit whatever your agenda is.