No point buying new stuff when I own more than enough for 5 lifetimes

[SenkoSam]

"Not anymore. I have several lifetimes worth of baits already that either hardly get used or have never been out of their package"

Quote from a gent in the previous post about stocking up when we can't fish.
Like him, I also live in the northeast and don't bother fishing when it's below 60 degrees. But, unlike most members on ultimatebass, I make use of soft plastics to make hybrid lures - proven and unproven - as well as modifications. I keep coming up with different unique shapes and actions that catch panfish, catfish, bass and even a large white suckers. Other than hybrids or mods, I pour plastics into molds.

The one on the left was made using a tablespoon for the body and attaching tails that were cut from a film of soft plastic poured on a ceramic tile. The claw baits were hybrids using the claws from one lure and the body from another. A candle flame is all I need to join parts.

[Donald Garner]

Sam, tks for sharing those pictures with us.  Those are some cool looking baits there.   

[SenkoSam]

Thx Donald. I really appreciate replies of content I hope are useful or interesting. To continue:
I started making lures many moons ago starting with tying hair jigs. Then I moved on to in-line spinners like the Mepps. Having primarily fishing for bass, I got into buying Arkie jigs and tying Living Rubber skirts on them in different colors followed by buying short arm and long arm spinnerbait forms.

The cool thing about the above is experimenting with various elements of those lures such as blade shapes and color, skirt colors and trailers. Silicone skirts replaced Living rubber not only because they last forever, but the huge range of really cool colors.

You can't help but learn a few things when you craft your own that at the same time dismisses all the suggestions posted on fishing media (TV and fishing magazines) that prompted me to buy crap for the wrong reasons. But the essays did give me ideas where I could test those suggestions supposedly based onfacts.

Making soft plastics was inevitable. The nice thing about buying molds is that they last forever and a jug of plastic can produce a sh-load of lures. Color dyes and metal flakes opened up a whole new world allowing me to experiment with color and see which did the best for certain lures. I even made copies of lures I bought in plaster of Paris such as Uncle Josh's pork frog. Other than dyes are Spike-It color pens that allow more color combinations on a single lure.

The nicest thing about soft plastics is that some shapes in some sizes catch everything that swims. Heavy jigs and spinnerbaits exclude catching anything but bass, pickerel and larger fish, Of course 13" crappie and white perch are nothing to sneeze about. Modifying lures can be as simple as removing the curl tail from a Mr Twister as seen in the photo. Another simple but effective mod is cutting off some of the belly of a Sassy Shad. The action is totally different!

There are great lures I can't find molds for but last a long time such as Mann's Shadow that caught the crappie. In fact, a mold wasn't necessary to make the minnow shapes. I floor tile and razor blade accounted for the shapes and dipping them into hot plastic to increase body size worked great along with a Spike Pen.

[chrisD46]

For most of use its about picking selectively either to fill in gaps of existing lures / equipment or trying a proven hot new lure ... Pass along all you own to a family member who bass fishes or donate all to a high school or college bass fishing team when you pass away.

[chrisD46]

Now just be focused to choose wisely for the occasional truly innovative lures that are worth the purchase versus just buying "me too" lures whose main purpose is to separate you from your money .

[SenkoSam]

choose wisely for the occasional truly innovative lures that are worth the purchase versus just buying "me too" lures whose main purpose is to separate you from your money

I read a few articles recently in the latest Bassmaster Magazine. Win this, win that on this brand-name lure to come in first place! Articles were more advertising than informational.

In a sense, the commercialization of fishing has contaminated the sport with dreams of winning or catching the big ones every time one goes fishing. I'm just happy to catch small to large fish in numbers on my light action rod and 6# test braid. The ultimate challenge is tiring out a 7 lb catfish or 3 lb pickerel with a rod close to snapping in half!

(Man do I look old, but not as old as Biden!)