Cost of Making Baits

[Sam]

Big M posted pics of his beautiful crankbaits and I asked him how much does it cost to make a crankbait.

Then I thought, "how much does it cost to make a crankbait, a swimbait, a plastic worm, etc.?"

OK guys, what is your estimated investment in parts, not labor, to make a bait?

Then, what is your investiment in labor to make a bait?

Not the pleasure or fun of doing it; but the raw costs associated with each bait from the design stage to the finished product.

Please do not include your tools and equipment that you have purchaed.  Just the cost of the individual bait after you have made an investment in the tools and equipment for manufacturing purposes.

Just wondering.

Thanks in advance.  

[fourbizz]

I estimate the cost of materials on my 8" bait at around $4.50 including hooks.

Labor is between 1.5 and 2 hours depending upon complexity of the paint job.

I've been working on a new bait where material costs will be over $12.

[Mattlures]

The actual raw materials in a soft plastic swimbait may be around $5 but when throw in labor the cost goes way up. Plus the molding material is over $100 a gallon. I know it takes me months to to properly test and design my baits. This includes many prototypes and many molds. Soo to answer you question? I guess I dont realy know. Ha Ha. Now worms and other basic soft plastics can be pennies. However by the time you get all you supplies it will cost you a good chunk of money. It can take a long time before you actualy save money. The fun part/benifit is creating

[fourbizz]

The actual raw materials in a soft plastic swimbait may be around $5 but when throw in labor the cost goes way up. Plus the molding material is over $100 a gallon. I know it takes me months to to properly test and design my baits. This includes many prototypes and many molds. Soo to answer you question? I guess I dont realy know. Ha Ha. Now worms and other basic soft plastics can be pennies. However by the time you get all you supplies it will cost you a good chunk of money. It can take a long time before you actualy save money. The fun part/benifit is creating

No joke! I can't imagine how much a "real" operation has locked up in materials and tooling. I'm still over a grand in the hole. But that is fine by me. I get to create stuff that no one can have, unless I want them to. Just the freedom to have any color I want, on any hardbait makes it worthwhile. I remember the days of hunting ebay for months trying to find that NIB 10" TT in light trout. Then pay twice retail! Forget that, now its, find one that is beat to a pulp, in any color, for 50 bucks. Then with a little bondo and a couple hours, i have the exact color i want in new condition, lol.

[.dsaavedra.]

im not sure how much an individual bait would cost to make.

well i pay 97 cents per piece of wood (i can get up to 4 baits from one piece, depending on how big the baits are)

3 bucks for wire

2-3 bucks for epoxy

couple bucks for other stuff that im forgetting (most of which i already  had around the house)

so it costs a bit to get started, but most of the materials will last for several baits before you have to buy more.

i will say that it is definitley more fun/cheaper than buying baits

[bassman1282]

just to paint a regular production crankbait or one of the bodies you can get from Jann's, i estimate paint, epoxy, hooks and other hardware to cost around 5 bucks. That is with good hooks and it doesnt include the cost of the actual bait itself. Honestly, it isnt worth it price wise, but not many hobbies are.

[Thad]

just to paint a regular production crankbait or one of the bodies you can get from Jann's, i estimate paint, epoxy, hooks and other hardware to cost around 5 bucks. That is with good hooks and it doesnt include the cost of the actual bait itself. Honestly, it isnt worth it price wise, but not many hobbies are.

5$?

Mustad Triple Grips 31¢ x 2 = 61¢

Not even  a 5th of a tube of epoxy: less then 40¢

Split rings: 15¢ tops

Let's just say that equals $1.50

I use expensive paint but there is no way I use enough of it to equal $5.

And all that's not buying in bulk.

The real cost comes from time and creativity.

[way]

anybody used the homemade baits and worked?

[BIG M]

I have no idea how much it cost to build a bait.   Never really thought about it because it does not matter to me.    If I were to take a guess then I would say less than 5 bucks per bait.

Way, are you kidding?   Do you think I would spend 3-4hrs of my time building a bait that did not work.    I catch fish all yr long on shallow running balsa cranks.  

[Siebert Outdoors]

Jigs and worms all depend on if you buy in bulk.  If you dont search around you can spend quite a bit on a simple jig or plastic.  

There is more $ in the labor, pots, molds and the electric then there is in a jig or plastic.  It takes quite awhile to get your $ back.  

Way,  Just about all I fish anymore is homemade baits from me or someone else on this board.  I buy very little tackle mostly hooks and other terminal tackle.