Spinnerbaits

[Groucho]

Can you use straight wire in the spinnerbait molds then after you pour put in the R bend using the little blue bender. This way the wire doesn't  lay back over the mold when you close it. It looks to me then you can  pour all your sizes at once. What am I not seeing. Thanks

[21xdc]

Yes, If you ladle pour... I made a lot of 1-2oz spinnerbaits for a musky fisherman with straight wire.  He owned a musky lure company and didn't pour lead, But could bend wire like a champ.  I personally think bending the wire afterwards is not consistent and not worth the aggravation for the benefit your trying to accomplish.  

[dynamite]

Groucho, I do the exact thing you are saying for several of my molded heads.  I bought a coil of .024 wire and cut them in lengths of about an inch and a quarter.  On one end I bend about an 1/8"  90 degree bend.  I put the wire and hook in the mold then lay the wire on the mold with the bent end inside the bait. I prefer to have it on the top of the bait.  Depending on the mold and the hook, the mold should close with the extra wire or need just a slight filing to allow for the extra wire.  Once the bait is painted and ready for the skirt I will slide needle nose pliers under the wire up to where I want the bend.  I only bend it about half way with the pliers.  I then finish the bend the rest of the way with my fingers.  Reason for that is it keeps the sharp crease.   If you try to go all the way with the pliers it tends to roll the bend.  I then snip the excess to desired length. 

[smalljaw]

You can but you need to use a round nose pliers to bend the wire.  Now if you use an extra long wire you could probably do that on the bender but then you'll have an abnormally long length of wire in front of the head.