making soft plastics?

[fishingfrenzy]

I'm really looking into starting my own soft plastic's company, I have some new ideas that might work out pretty nice.  I'd want to start making some worms as a hobby, and try selling them futher along.  Roughly, how much will it cost for supplies, excluding molds.  Do I have to worry about patents on molds if I sell some stuff I make.  Also, I believe senko77 started his own company a while back and I wanted to find out how thats been going.  

[Siebert Outdoors]

its not worth patenting anything.  Too expensive.  

Cost depends on how indepth you want to go.  I would just offer basic colors mostly the ones you fish.  Reason if it doesnt sell you can always use it

[fishingfrenzy]

Do I have to worry about patents on other people's baits.  Because I wanted to make one like a beaver, but didn't know if I had to worry about patent issues.  Another question.. how would I be able to make a mold for a completely new bait that I came up with?  I know someone who has a machining shop, and possibly a cnc machine.. could a make an aluminum mold for a new design with that?

[Mattlures]

I wouldnt get a machined mold until after you have tested the bait and there is a demand. Carve your master, and then get a kit from Smooth-on to make a silicon mold. If you have questions about how to make a mold ask their tech's

If the bait works and you believe it will be a hit then invest in some aluminum molds. There is a real easy way to not get sued over patents....DONT STEAL ANYBODY ELSES DESIGN!!!!!!!! that way you wont need to worry about it. Come up with your own original idea and you will be fine. Also you get much more satisfaction out of designing your own succesful creation then copying sombody elses hard work. Carve your own.  I am sure it will be similar to other things but it will still be yours. You have a better chance of succeding with your own designs then with copied baits. The only way to make money selling copies is to to sell them soo cheap your margin is very small soo you will need to sell alot just to make a little. Plus you will be competing with the thousands of other little guys doing the samething and making the same baits.

[Brian_Reeves]

That's good advice from matt, but there are some lures that you won't be able to get around 'copying.'  Senko-style stick baits, chunks, and slugs are examples.  Not much more can be done to those to originalize them.  I'm thinking about making my own jigs and soft plastic trailers and might sell a few if anyone is interested in them, but I am not going to break the bank to try to squeeze into an over-filled market unless my latest idea pays off like I think it will  Got a -never been done- plan that needs testing.  Sometimes 15 month deployments are a good thing lol.

I think it's a good plan to pour your own baits, test them, and sell them if you so choose.  But Matt is right, try to modify an existing lure or create something new.  Heck, melt the favorite parts of your top 3 most favorite soft plastics together and make a cheap plaster mold.  Who knows?

[bassmaster8100]

ive been thinking of trying to make some soft plastics , and i would definetly want to do something original, so what does it mean to carve your master, how is this done? im pretty much a dummy when it comes to making my own lures but would like to learn

[Yodie]

Well, Im not sure if this is exactly what Matt was talking about, but when I was trying to find a lizard exactly like I wanted it...and failed...I decided to make my own.

I filled a shallow bread pan with about 1 1/2 in. of plaster of paris and let it harden.

Then I took a little diamond cutter head on my dremel and began making the biggest mess of my life...my mom seriously thought I had started dealing cocaine and had gone bonkers...it was a little dusty, nonetheless, when I was finished I had a mold of my perfect lizard. It is great and I use them all the time, catch lots of fish too.

The only problem with my method is that this only accomodates for a flat sided bait (which is what I wanted anyway) im not sure how to be able to carve out two slabs of plaster that are perfectly symetrical on each slab...