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I do the same as Cadman. I only emptied mine when I got bad lead and since that time it has been full.

Or make some wood plugs from scrap wood you have sitting around, just sand it with a fine sandpaper before painting. I got some cheap plastic blanks from aliexpress to practice on some don’t swim bad either.

I keep mine full about an 1" from the top. I thought I read that it was better for the pot to be full than 1/2 or 3/4 full. But don't quote me. Also keeping it full keeps the inner liner from rusting more on the sides. JMO

I wanted to do the same thing. Didn't want to have something custom machined, so I tried to make my own mold out of Vac Master 50. Went over the instructions and watched the videos over and over, but it just did not work for me at all. I used an absurd amount of mold release too. Tried making two different molds and both were a disaster. I will never bother with it again. I don't know what kind of plastic you're using, but the medium plastisol I got from Alumilite was the same way. It could just be that you're not stirring it enough though. If you want to be original and also produce real quantity, it's probably just best to bite the bullet and get a custom mold. Or better yet, just do what Apdriver said.

Bait plastics mentions shipping internationally but request contact fist. https://baitplastics.com

X2 clear dip. The plastic will continue to extrude its compounds over time to some degree thus causing the adhesive to fail.

I have made some molds out of platinum cure silicone for full round straight tailed baits with the masters oriented vertically in a row suspended off the bottom with fine gauge wire . You can put a big sprue at the top of the mold for ease in hand pouring and removing the bait . after cooling the baits pull straight out due to the give of the mold and bait and no flashing to contend with . The cured Platinum cure silicone is transparent so you can see the plastic when pouring in too. The Platinum cure silicone is expensive but so are machined aluminum molds

If you just want to practice painting, you can also use PVC pipe, if you have some kicking around the house

Day or night, I don't use a trailer hook on a spinnerbait most of the time. Very rarely there is a day where the fish just nip at it and I use a trailer hook then. That doesn't seem to happen at night at all. At night, I find the fish seem to fully commit when they strike. Night time strikes right at the boat can be heart stopping.

Anyone use a stinger hook at night to help with hookups? I stopped using one during the day because I find it to be un-needed most of the time, but maybe at night it would be helpful?

I made a bunch of 3/4 ounce night time spinnerbaits with the lurecraft heavy duty frames & put extra number 6 deep cup colorado blades on them & they worked great. Done good slow rolling & worked real good yoyoing them. The smallmouth eventually tore them up too buit it was fun while they were & caught some pigs on them too.

I have a d i y heavy duty press fashioned after the lurecraft press & put a piece of 2x6 under it but think i'll give Leonards idea a try the next time i'm at walmart.

Not much better in Canada the only advantages is the US is close enough to order from

I use wood filler on shallow scratches or filling bubbles in resin lures without issues. A little supper glue over it after it’s dry though

A couple of updates, I tried printing a mold and yes I could get it to fit together quite nice getting the wire harness in and the mold closed was way to fiddly for my taste. So I tried printing a mold of a mold, it looks to have worked quite well. The only issue I have at before I cast a bodyi is that I make the mold a little thin another 3-6mm would make it a bit more ridged. The other thing I was not liking about printed lure was the lips, I just did not like the look of a solid color lip. And the plastic I was using, PLA, is not rated for outdoor use untreated at least. Another common printing plastic is PETG And I found myself some "Translucent" it's nowhere near clear but clear enough to work for now. Just to test I am printing a body in this material PETG is not known for taking paint all that well what I am shooting for is a "ghost minnow" sort of look so a bit of paint top and bottom with everything else left clear.

I use this stuff, works well for what I need. Just squeeze out what you need and start spreading or filling. I've used it on both wood and resin. I use a small square of very thin plastic to spread it, like stencil plastic material from Hobby Lobby. Sands easy but can clog sandpaper up pretty well tho. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bondo-Glazing-and-Spot-Putty-00907ES-4-5-oz-1-Tube/16927984?fulfillmentIntent=Shipping

I use a vinyl printer paper, draw half the lip with the top part on the factory edge, then cut half of it fold it over to make it symmetrical. Then peel and place the top part on a strait edge of the lexan. Cut it out a little outside the lines then use my disk sander to finish it off.

Thanks for the info guys. I think wood filler would work if I use it before sealing the bait, but for resin baits, I need this bondo.

I have not been doing that, I will next time.

I also like the bondo aulrich posted. I will put in just a small amount of the hardener, so I have some working time. Make sure its all the way mixed. Then once I force it into the slot or whatever needs filling, I will wait about 4-5 minutes (very much depends on the amount of hardener). Once it is semi hard it is super easy to use a razor knife and take off all the high points. Then once hardened, sand down as required. I sometimes use epoxy/saw dust, wood filler, or the baking soda super glue trick. They all have their places. Bondo works well for a larger slot on my musky lures (it is also the cheapest and one of the strongest!).

Tough to find in Australia, brother, but welcome to TU!!