New life from old plastics

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During the cold water months, I sometimes like to fish with a three inch bait. Although not a popular bait size for crappie, I have complete confidence jigging it down in the twenty ft. plus zone during the cold water period. Some baits I have purchased I trimmed down because I felt like they were made with too much plastic. I often wondered to myself. Could I just make my own without too much trouble? After a little bit of study, I decided to try and make own pop mold. I came up with a simple prototype of the lure that I wanted then poured my mold around it. Took the mold apart and thought this just might work. Took some old torn plastics that I had accumulating in the garage and melted them down and poured them into the mold. First impressions. Well they don't look like a commercial bait that you would buy at the store but I highly doubt the fish would care anyway. Plus they were made out of scraps that didn't cost anything. Anyhow throw them babies in the boat. Spent the day catching crappie, yellow stripe, and even a drum. I like the thinner profile and the fish don't seem to mind it either.
Hopefully this doesn't turn into an expensive hobby somehow or another. Wink

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Awesome, clearly those slabs didn’t mind the homemade aspect. Way to go!!! :HandsClapping:HandsClapping:HandsClapping

I want to do the same with all the old bass plastics. Need to learn about mold making.

Apparently they work well!

Well done.
Love those black nose crappie!

The lures look great. :)

Gene, the innovator. You are an amazing fisherman and I really like the way that you think. Years ago, I fished with a very thin stinger like lure and caught the hound out of crappie. I don’t even use this lure anymore and I don’t know why except that I don’t think of it anymore. The fish certainly liked it. Grin

Nice fish, I like those black nosed crappie


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Very nice, indeed!

Never used a 3in bait for Crappie, but fishing that deep it makes sense. That livewell shot says it all, your baits worked and I know you will be probably making more, I would!!!


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Nice job, great use of old baits and looks like they are a hit!

Nice job of recycling, Gene! Very innovative. For a novice to any sort of lure making, can you expand a bit on the “pop mold” you referenced?


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by knox_frog

Nice job of recycling, Gene! Very innovative. For a novice to any sort of lure making, can you expand a bit on the “pop mold” you referenced?


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Sure thing Cameron. POP stands for a plaster of paris. (pop mold). youtube has many videos on making a pop mold for soft plastics. This is where I did my research. I went with the injection mold version. Basically you pour half of your mold the first go around and lay your prototype half way into the pop before it sets up. After a good coat of vaseline you pour the second half of the mold. Then the two halves should separate without being too stubborn. Paint the mold with a good coat of epoxy and wha lah a soft plastics mold. I did not purchase anything to inject the plastics with. I just used a dowel rod to inject the molten plastic once poured in the resevoir. Not the way the pros go I'm sure but what the hay. I'm just doing this to see if i can actually do it. One lure at a time is a slow way to go but ideally a multi chambered aluminum mold would be the way to go to lessen the labor and improve the quality but heck that could get real expensive and committed in a hurry. No faster than I accumulate used torn plastics (and stay cheap) I should be able to keep up with production without a problem. I think I could actually make my own aluminum mold if I had the appropriate tools available but for now I will just use the pop mold. That's of course unless you happen to have a good C&C machine on ya. You don't happen to have one sitting in your garage do ya?


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