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Subvisser7

Looking for an inexpensive but high quality equipment

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Well I can’t help much because I’m just getting started as well. Everyone here has been great and very helpful. I ordered 3 different blends of plastisol, a bunch of colors, an open pour epic pud mold, just ordered an injector and a 10 cavity core shot senko mold. I have almost $500 invested and I barely have anything. It’s expensive to start for sure. Your best bet is buying second hand CNC aluminum molds. I’m not on Facebook but I have read that there are a lot of soft bait making groups that specifically sell second hand gear. Plus there is a classified section here on the website as well. Good luck! 

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microwave, pyrex cups, gloves, digital thermometer, plastisol, colorant & glitter  & molds for your absolute favorite baits will definitely get you going pretty good. Medium plastisol would be the best bet to start with until you  learn & know what you like. It's also hard to beat bait plastics brands for price on plastisol.

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Injection molds are the most expensive part of your search. When I started, I trolled the classifieds here, on the doit forum, eBay has some gently used molds that pop up. Figure out what you want and just keep an eye out. It’s how I bought a lot of molds when starting this hobby. Cavity count is important and that takes time. Second hand shops for a micro. Pyrex isn’t all that expensive new. Good luck....

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I’ve got several molds from them of good quality so far. However don’t be in a rush for anything from them. They are a Ukrainian company so shipping takes forever but a reasonable price. This is not a cheap hobby unless you don’t go hog wild. it’s a fun and rewarding one though. I haven’t bought a bag of any Commercial baits in 8 years.
  As mentioned above get what molds you use the most. Small cavity count is the cheapest but will take forever to make a couple of bags .Same can be said about color and glitter as well. Smaller amounts is cheaper but you pay in the long run I have multiple small bottles of colorant but the ones I use the most I have quart bottles of because it’s cheaper in the long run. Start small if your not sure you’ll like it. There is allot of hidden cost like PPE and microwaves . Welcome back to the fray!
 

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I do have a microwave. I'll check out the seller on Facebook as well as ebay. I need to save up anyway, but I'm looking around. 

I mostly fish for trout using worms, salmon eggs and the like, but I am wanting to go into the realm of panfish and bass. So I'm trying to learn how to fish plastics as well as I don't have much experience. Any ad use and resources there would be great as well.

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What helped me was to buy a couple of bags of what style of bait you want and try them out.when you find a winner then you find a mold. If fishing for bass I would highly recommend a Senko/stick bait style mold that’s the one that got me started. Im sure most folks here who bass fish would agree.

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I live on the Virginia coast . Our winters can be mild to horrible. Depending on the year I’ll bass fish. During the winter months I’ll usually fish the Chickahominy River which is tidal but it’s considered fresh water. Good bass fishing in the winter.i usually make runs of baits in the winter. I have a presto pot I use to make myself 350 to 500 stick worms for the next year.The smaller batches like a bag or four of what ever I will use a microwave. For stuff like laminate baits I’ll do it either way. I would wait on a laminate injector.You can pour 1/2 a mold and then inject other 1/2. Get all you mechanics down and when your ready go for it. There’s a lot going on when doing lams.

 

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+1 on what Wally says. A good stickbait Mold to get started. I have a 10 cavity I picked up used and it makes plenty of baits quick. I don’t like a single cavity of anything except maybe a large swimbait. Pretty sure you can get a four or five cavity stickbait mold fairly reasonable. Do It has one in the essential series too.

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This is awesome! Thank you guys so much! I’m still trying to figure out what type of mold to get. I’m seeing a lot of 5 inch worms and those feel huge to me considering I’m a trout angler most of the time. Do bass really take something that large? What is the biggest thing you’ve had them take? Also, what’s the smallest thing you’ve had them take?

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2 hours ago, Subvisser7 said:

This is awesome! Thank you guys so much! I’m still trying to figure out what type of mold to get. I’m seeing a lot of 5 inch worms and those feel huge to me considering I’m a trout angler most of the time. Do bass really take something that large? What is the biggest thing you’ve had them take? Also, what’s the smallest thing you’ve had them take?

Smallest 3 in fluke Jr style drop shot to a 12 inch worm and everything in between and 5 inch stick worms till the cows come home as long as it’s green pumpkin:-)

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4 minutes ago, wallyc14 said:

Smallest 3 in fluke Jr style drop shot to a 12 inch worm and everything in between and 5 inch stick worms till the cows come home as long as it’s green pumpkin:-)

Why green pumpkin? Or is it just because the area that you’re in? I still don’t know how to select my colors either. I know lighter for clearer and darker for stained/muddy. Or I think I know? Now I’m second guessing myself. 

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Something I might recommend is starting with open pour molds rather than injection.  When you mentioned injection molds, my first thought was there goes a HUGE chunk of money.  Open pours are affordable and you learn a thing or two along the way.  Then if you feel it's something you want to dive deeper into, injection could be something for the future.  Just food for thought.

Good luck! 

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Just take your time & slowly buy what molds that will make the lures you'll use constantly. For me it was a basstsackle brush hog style mold, next two delmart shz molds (super hogs), several aluminium & artificial stone  molds for several different types of jig trailer molds, worm molds  & a couple fluke style molds from enforcer, & a tube mold & a hula grub mold from angling ai. Now i have about 30 molds & still not done. If you take some  time it won't get to overwhelming & it will become a very addictive, but enjoyable hobby. Then there's the catching all of your fish on stuff that you made yourself. :yay:

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18 hours ago, Subvisser7 said:

Awesome! I’m excited to get started. I’m a bit nervous about mixing colors.

I would start by trying to match a commercial bait that works for you. 

I read here that you can use mineral oil/worm oil to test you color mixing, before you try to color your plastic.  I have never done it, but it sounds like it would work.

I think green pumpkin works because most fish and crawdads have that color, or something close, in them.  It probably has to do with living in grass or moss.

Start out by adding less color.  It's easier to darken a color by adding a few more drops than to have add more plastisol to lighten it.

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That makes sense. I've been watching a ton of videos on YouTube from world's worst fishing and I've been learning a lot there.

What do you guys use for storage of your equipment and then finished baits? 

What do you use worm oil for?

Do any of you add scent to your hair as you're mixing, or do you soak it after the fact?

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