Making Lures.

[jungleboy]

Anyone here pouring plastic lures and do you do it because it’s economical or is it just another expensive hobby ?

I pour my own Jigs and tie bucktails , I have made a few top water poppers and some other wooden plug that I turned on the lathe . I have played around with making spoons as well . I like to make my own gear for the satisfaction of hooking a fish on your own creation but I am also a cheapskate and like to get value for my dollar out of my hobbies .

I look into the initial expense of pouring plastics and it scares me off a little.

[Smoky buck]

Yes I make stuff and yes that includes soft plastics

When it comes to the economics of lure making the initial investment is not cheap so it’s going to cost more at the start. Once you own the tools to do so it can become cost effective but you still need to pay attention to how/where you buy materials. Buying in bulk makes a big difference with some products

Where luring making gets expensive is when you buy small quantities of everything and stretch out into too many different materials

Are you thinking hand pours or injection molds?

If you have any questions there is a good chance I have the answer or know someone who does. If you are looking for supplies/molds I can give good recommendations. Because I buy large quantities I might be able to save you a few dollars if timing and the materials I am ordering match up. I have a larger quantity of saltwater/musky grade plastisol at when I can get to it

In my opinion if you are just looking to make very generic soft plastics that are easy to find it is likely cheaper to buy them and I can likely give you an option where you can just buy a larger quantity for cheaper than the local shops. This would likely be cheaper than making them too. But if you are wanting to make stuff that is harder to find and often expensive when you do like big swimbaits/soft plastics for pike making them is a better option

So feel free to bug me

[Egymcara]

I actually started making my own lures, especially soft plastics when I realized how poor the market selection really was. I wanted specific sizes and colors that companies/people just don't produce. It can be a cheap hobby or very expensive depending on your expectations. I created my own molds and formulas which saved me a ton of money. When you manufacture your own lures, it means you aren't throwing away money buying stuff from the stores. I see it as a long term investment that brings are very unique joy to myself and others.

Don't feel obligated to follow todays popular trends/videos because you really don't need anything fancy to make lures.

Hope that helps and feel free to PM me with questions.

[jungleboy]

Thanks guys. Appreciate the advice. I have to think about this , I used to fish curly tail grubs back in the 80s/90s almost exclusively but haven’t seriously used soft plastics for years . I tend to throw a lot of plugs and spoons mostly.

I got the bright idea to try some Texas rigged worms this year in an effort to combat the weeds so I was picking up some stuff the other day and was kinda shocked at the prices. Tackle prices seems to have skyrocketed like everything else.
Started me thinking about pouring my own but I need to see if it’s going to be something that I am going to use a lot or not.

Even though I tie a lot of buck tails I don’t fish them that often because they seem to be weed magnates. Nature of the beast with jigs.

[Smoky buck]

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