Floating plastic

[basscat73]

I am getting ready to mold solid body soft plastic. It's kinda like the lunker city salad spoon, but significantly larger. See pic. I've molded this lure before, but only as a test using a mishmash of old worms I melted together. The lure turned to be heavier than I'd like with this mishmash plastic. I'd like to make the lure somewhat bouyant. So, I have the following two products:

Calhoun 2101 Soft Plastic

Calhoun 1013 Super Floating plastic

I have a few questions:

1. Will using fresh 2101 soft plastic most likely result in a lure that's lighter than the mishmash plastic?

2. will this 2101 plastic float at all or sink very slowly?

3. Can I mix the 2101 and 1013 plastics together to create a semi-bouyant lure? If so, What might be a good ratio to start with?

[Siebert Outdoors]

dont want to pawn you off but I know who will know this.  Go to del-mart and ask del.  If I remember correctly you are suppose to mix it.  he has some topics on this subject because I asked.  I never did order the plastic though :-/

[basscat73]

I'll check there too. Thanks gman. Hope to hear some opinions on here still too!

[dampeoples]

All the plastic floats, I'm not sure if there is a point to where the mass gets so large that it can't displce water anymore.

The floating plastic is pre-mixed with floating bubbles (I think, I seem to remember Del speakign about it on TU), not sure if Del sells it or not, but Lurecraft sells it seperate. The stuff is pretty dangerous to work with, as it's little glass balls that get airborne in a hurry, and that's not good for breathing! Point is that you can control the amount with seperate plastic/bubbles until you get a ratio that works for you. The negative is that your colors no longer give expected results.

[basscat73]

Thanks. The super floating plastic that I bought from delmart is the consistency of cake frosting, but lighter. I'm not sure how the stuff would get airborne, but again, I'm not that familiar with it. I'm going to test mold just the pure soft plastic vs. 1/4 ratio of super float and soft plastic. We'll see what happens.

[dampeoples]

I wasn't referring to the pre-mixed stuff, I was referring to the bubbles if used seperately. If the pre-mix isn't as buoyant as you wanted, you're gonna have to mix your own using the bubbles.

[JakeBrown]

Lemme check my catalog, but the company I buy my plastic from (M-F Mfg.) has a floating additive that works quite swell.

Jake

[basscat73]

I wasn't referring to the pre-mixed stuff, I was referring to the bubbles if used seperately. If the pre-mix isn't as buoyant as you wanted, you're gonna have to mix your own using the bubbles.

Gotcha. I molded a few baits last night using the 1/4 ratio. The floating plastic was very easy to work with. The lures have a nice buoyancy to them, but the real test will be on the water this weekend!

[JakeBrown]

Here's the link to the floating additive I was talking about.  I use the saltwater plastic since it is much more buoyant than the freshwater.  It's also a little more durable too.  With a gamakatsu offset round bend 5/0 in one worm the lure acts like a topwater.

http://www.fishingworld.com/M-F-Manufacturing/Details.tmpl?ID=10987218768780891&Cart=11050&SKU=FA32%20-%201%20Quart

[dampeoples]

That's the same stuff, doesn't matter where you get it, just be careful with it!!

[Jeff C.]

I believe that Lure Crafts plastic floats on its own, with out additives.

[dampeoples]

I believe that Lure Crafts plastic floats on its own, with out additives.

All of it floats on it's own (out of the brands discussed) The floating additive is for extra flotation, to hold the hook, and particurarly heavy lures up.

[One Sock]

I use the floatent in my frogs,  the stuff from MF. It works very well, but like mentioned it wrecks the colors unless your doing some dark solid colors, then just add more color. My frogs can hold up a 5/0 hook but they will tend to sink..very very very slowly.

Do not breath that stuff in, it's not good for you at all. The fine powder hit's the air easily, you will know when you have breathed it in. be careful

[Jeff C.]

I have heard that,, Yami & Kenomi ( Sp.? ) both use salt & Powdered sand to make the baits heavy,, in there senko's.. has any one heard this ?? Sand ???

[dampeoples]

Yes, sand. Some guys even use clear glitter to add to the weight.

It's why you don't see translucent stick baits, unless they're float-o's