LIP GRIPPER THE FINAL PRODUCT.
TOP: ONCE THE PLASTISOL IS MIXED AND HEATED,
PURCHASED AS A KIT. PHOTOS: JEFF LITTLE
[SCHOOLE D]
MAD SCIENCE
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SOFT PLASTIC LURES
BY JEFF LITTLE A
ll that glitters isn’t gold, and all that flashes in the murky waters of the Chesapeake
Bay isn’t shad. The striped bass that is about to inhale my lure doesn’t know he’s eating plastic and lead. That deception started on the workbench in my garage where I mold my own soft plastic lures. With some simple ingredients, a few special tools and easy-to- follow instructions, I can make jigs that glow in the dark, flash like a disco ball, radiate ultravio- let light and rattle like a diamondback. I started making my own lures with an all- in-one kit by Do-It Molds (
www.do-itmolds. com). The kit comes with raw plastisol, an alu- minum mold, a hand injector, thermal gloves, colorant and glitter. Do-It Molds also carries a full line of molds, scents, colors, glitter and other supplies to satisfy any angler’s creativ- ity. I provided an old microwave oven, a large Pyrex mixing cup, a metal spoon, and a few C-clamps to hold the mold together. First, pour a pint of plastisol into the Pyrex mixing cup and start stirring. For my Psyche- delic Shad jerk-bait, I add two tablespoons of Hawg Sauce scent, two teaspoons pearl powder, four tablespoons 0.40 size holo- graphic silver glitter, three tablespoons Super Glow additive and one teaspoon chartreuse colorant. Experiment with different mixtures until you find the combination that the fish like. Heat the mixture in the microwave oven according to the manufacturer’s instructions and until it is hot and thin. Next, put on rub- ber gloves, draw the plastisol into the injec- tor, inject it in the mold and wait for it to cool. Remove the lures from the mold and trim away the rough edges. Any left-over plastisol can be re-melted and used for the next batch of lures. When Jeff Little isn’t on the water filming, photographing and fishing, he’s in his garage pouring Confidence Baits. Check out his work at
www.blueridgekayakfishing.com.
DIGITAL EXTRA: Watch Jeff Little pour his own Psychedelic Shad lure at
Rapidmedia.com/0108 or on the iPad or Android edition of Kayak Angler.
36 …KAYAK ANGLER WINTER 2013 ADDITIVES CAN BE
INJECT IT INTO THE MOLD. BOTTOM: THE MOLD, PLASTISOL AND
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