alsworms

What kind of container are you transferring the pints from? Sounds like the problem is not the pints, but the main jug. Like Woodsac and Chirmy said, the only thing that would cause this is hardener settling to the bottom. If you're giving your pint container more than a few shakes and it's still gummy, you don't have enough hardener in there. Concentrate on keeping the main container mixed (1 gallon, 5 gallon, etc.) before making the transfer. Chris

I never got mine to work. Could never get the temperature right. Ended up giving mine away. I thought maybe I just wasn't patient enough, but I honestly don't know of anyone who was happy with the gun. Chris

Have you tried adding the color before heating? This will sometimes solve that problem. Also, there are some dark colors (black & brown) that are best mixed when the plastic is in the gel state. If you wait until the plastic is runny, sometimes the color will separate. I'm assuming you're putting enough color in? A good rule of thumb is 1-2 drops per ounce of plastic, depending on how dark you want the bait. Lastly, where are you getting your colors? Some of Lure Crafts and MF colors can be completely different. Example: MF's pumpkin & watermelon will be transparent no matter how much color you add. These are all things I've learned from previous mistakes. Chris

Nice fish Basskat. I can relate to that picture, but usually my wife is the one holding the bigger fish. Chris

Hi Mike, Thanks for the info. Your tubes that I got in the swap were AWESOME!! Craig is Earthworm. I can't keep all the names straight. :oops: Chris

Hey Craig, What's the difference between the two? I know nothing about pouring/dipping tubes. Chris

Some guys may have had different results, but the polyester flake is the only kind that works for me. I have had my share of problems with aluminum glitter in the past. With high heat, it all turns brown. Sounds like you might be on to something if you can get it in polyester. Very cool

Sam, I'm in if you can get a quality glitter that won't burn at a fair price. Please keep us posted on that. Chris

I second that. What a wonderful work of art!!

Both Lure Craft and MF sell the hi-lite powders. I don't know of a purple hi-lite, but both companies have the violet powder. For a darker purple, you can add some liquid black or purple coloring. Chris

If you're having a hard time finding the molds, you can always custom make your own out of plaster, silicon, and such. There are some nice tutorials on this site. All you need is a few baits to make the master out of.

For the second time this week I found out that I need to visit other forums; not just soft plastics. Thanks Jim - glad you like the little worm. Although California is known for Lunker Bass, most of the places I fish around here are loaded with Spots. My "go to" bait for these little guys has always been a small 2 inch tube. I use brown/green/orange mixes in our river due to the large number of crawfish. In our local lakes, we have lots of shad, so I'll use a salt & pepper with some kind of blue or gold hue. That's not to say that drop or splitshotting a small finesse worm won't work too. Again, natural and shad colors work best. A friend of mine fished a local reservoir called Pine Flat this weekend and he caught over 40 Spotted Bass on my little blue ghost worm; dropshotting in 50 feet of water. What a boring way to fish, but if it works.....it works!! Chris

I have used various brands with all plastics, and they all seem to be the same. My choice for softener and stabilizer is the cheapest. Calhoun is probably your best bet. Chris

Some of the guys have mentioned Jan's Netcraft (I think?) for glitter and other additives. I've never tried them, but I hear they are pretty reasonable. Does anyone have any info. on them.....website or otherwise? Chris

Softener and heat stabilizer should take care of that. You can get both from Calhoun, Lure Craft, and MF. Add about 1/2 cup of softener and 3 ounces of stabilizer per gallon of plastic. This will solve the smoking problem, as well as the thickness. Sounds like you might be close to burning the plastic in order to bring it to a runny state. You will notice a big difference with those two additives as Calhoun should hardly smoke at all. Chris

This is his Seeker Shad. Ain't she purty!!!!!!

I like to pour almost immediately after, especially with veins. The veins will split when the plastic is hot enough, giving the bait the look of 2 veins. Some guys don't like the colors to blend, but I don't like taking the chance of the colors not molding together. I guess it just depends on your preference. Chris

Need to know which color/colors of the meathead you're looking at. Looks like a huge variety of flake there. For starters, it appears most of the meatheads have large (.062) black flake with various combinations of small and medium flake mixed in.

I have tried both Lure Craft's and the wife's craft glue gun with the same results.......CRAP!! Neither will stay heated to the right temperature. I'm either waiting for the plastic to melt or burning veins. They work okay for pouring tails, but you're still much better off using cups or pots. Chris

Hi Greg, I learned how to do multi-pours and veins with the simple tin pouring cups. They are the best to learn with until you get a feel for it. Once you learn, the pro-pots are ideal for that. You have to make sure your colors are hot and ready to pour. Otherwise, they won't blend together. Start with just a couple ounces of plastic and only work with a cavity or two at a time. Practice like crazy and you'll get it. Chris

Yep - there's that famous Seeker Shad I'd heard so much about. The picture does nothing for it. Wait 'til you hold one in your hand. WOW!!

Hey Guys, Forgive me for barging into the wire baits forum (I know nothing about making spinnerbaits ), but I just had to say that I got a couple of Celtic's spinnerbaits, namely the Seeker Shad, and "Impressed" is not nearly a good enough word to describe it. They are simply PERFECT!! Beautiful, flawless work to say the least. Thanks again Jim for sending those. Now to break down and get 'em wet Chris

DITTO...... got my goodies today. Nice bunch of stuff. A special THANKS to Jeff for doing all this!! Chris

Hi John, You can get root beer from both Lure Craft and MF. If you're talking about Zoom's "Root Beer Pepper Green", you just need to add about 1 drop of root beer per ounce of plastic, then add some medium black & green flake. Pumpkin will work too, but you might need to go a little darker. And one more option....... if you're out of both, in about 6 ounces of plastic.......add 4 drops of watermelon and 3 drops of black grape. Sounds dumb, but it makes a really nice root beer; almost identical to Lure Craft or MF. Hope this helps Chris

MF is more expensive, but I think they have the best plastic on the market. The glitter and oils are basically the same, but some of the colors are different. I use both MF and Lure Craft for colors and powder. Chris