Thread: 1" Stingers

Originally Posted by crappiefarmer

How are You getting the belly color in those baits?

I hand pour the belly color into the mold using a small spoon. A teaspoon will work but I prefer teaspoons that have a more pointed end than the conventional round spoons. Take a look in a Salvation Army or Goodwill store in the household areas. They usually have bins full of old silverware for next to nothing. Both spoon types work but the more pointed ones are easier to deliver small amounts of plastic in smaller molds. One of the keys is to get the plastic fairly hot and keep stabilizer handy to add before re-heats. On my initial cook or re-heat of the plastic going into the belly, I use the spoon to stir as the plastic heats. That way the spoon will be hot and plastic won't build up on the bottom quite as fast. Don't hurry yourself and take time to get used to pouring from a spoon using a bunch of re-heated junk plastic. Get familiar with the process before both feet go into it.

On these small plastics the eyes are 3mm and yes there is a clear cover dip.

Here are some split tail colors in the ice minnow....



Bob....I don't like the cooking spray because it will build up on the molds as they get hot. I use worm oil instead if I am lubricating the mold.

These are putzy to make but are sure pretty when you're done.



The gill dot gets set in place in the belly section using a toothpick that's blunted to dab the orange plastic in place at the front of the cavity. The plastic has to be very warm....360 or so to do this gill dot. Use lots of stabilizer in the orange. Then the belly color gets laid in but short of filling that half. A lamination plate is placed in the mold and the black [or dark smoke in this case] is injected. The plate comes out and the top sections including the tails are clipped off leaving and leaving a clear gate. Then the top color goes in, eys are added and top coated. Finito.

I fish baits like this all summer long on the smaller jigs and only use a plain old lead head, no paint. I let the eyes on the plastic move the fish into hitting. These are the utmost in a natural appearing bait. I make an identical bait but use a juiced up baby bass for the back and it accounts for a lot of fish in warm water.

Another bait choice that is fairly easy to work with is a Do-It mold for the Nano Fry. This is an ice bait and makes a real compact bait with a unique tail action. Right now peolpe are hammering crappies and sunfish along the Mississippi River backwaters under the ice using these baits. Not necessarily this color, but this particular bait.



The ones I've shown here are very close to the baby bass I mentioned in the previous post. This bait gets fished on a 1/32 head cast on a #8 sickle hook too. They also work great on a jigging spoon.

The throat patch on these shown is black but the concept and construction remain the same except the missing lateral line. All of the baits I have shown here in this thread are easy to work with if you don't hurry yourself. And in the end you are in the boat or on the ice with baits that NOBODY has but you. Great feeling when you start smacking the bulls and slabs.

CTOM I have never used warm oil pan spray works for me but you cannot go heavy with it it definitely will cook or boil you have to go very lightly like there is nothing on the mold that's why we use a cloth and wipe off most of the excess oil it works fine for me I think it's whatever you get used to using but I will definitely try to get some warm oil and try it out for myself.

what mold is that on the 1 inch minnows

That comes from Bears. Its called the 1" ice minnow.

the one that crappy farmer posted is Jacobs ? I could bet you $1 million I sent you a PM.

I do have a mold that shoots 48 of the 11/2" or maybe a hair better from Bass tackle.