THE FINAL PRODUCT. Schooled
MAD SCIENCE
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN SOFT PLASTIC LURES
All 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 in- hale my lure doesn’t know he’s eating plastic and lead. That deception started on the work- bench in my garage where I mold my own soft plastic lures. With some simple ingredients, a few special tools and easy-to-follow instruc- tions, I can make jigs that glow in the dark, flash like a disco ball, radiate ultraviolet 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 creativity. I provided an old microwave oven, a large Py- rex 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 pow- der, four tablespoons 0.40 size holographic 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 ac-
cording to the manufacturer’s instructions and until it is hot and thin. Next, put on rubber gloves, draw the plastisol into the injector, in- ject it in the mold and wait for it to cool. Re- move 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, pho-
tographing and fishing, he’s in his garage pouring Confidence Baits. Check out his work at www.
blueridgekayakfishing.com.
DIGITAL EXTRA: Click here to watch Jeff Little pour his own Psychedelic Shad lure.
This article first appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of Kayak Angler.
38 PADDLING MAGAZINE
TOP: ONCE THE PLASTISOL IS MIXED AND HEATED, INJECT IT INTO THE MOLD. BOTTOM: THE MOLD, PLASTISOL AND
ADDITIVES CAN BE PURCHASED AS A KIT. PHOTOS: JEFF LITTLE
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