How to Make Your Own Soft Plastic Fishing Lures!

Have you ever used a soft plastic fishing lure and had it get ripped up by a fish, or the bait just wasn't usable anymore? If you are a fisherman who uses soft plastics, this has most likely happened to you. In this situation, you probably told yourself that the bait was just done and you threw it away. But what if I told you that you could use that bait again! all you have to do is melt it, and pour it back into a mold. Now, you have saved money and also made something that will give you even more pride when you catch that big fish!

In this Instructable, I will show you how easy it is to make the soft plastic lures With things you might have lying around your house!

Supplies

To make the mold you will need:

Lego bricks(amount will depend on the size of bait you are trying to make)

Lego Baseplate

silicone (preferably type #1)

silicone dispensing gun

food coloring

disposable container/cup

disposable mixing tool

knife

1 new soft plastic lure(this will be the type of lure you will end up recreating so choose wisely!)

To make the soft plastics you will need:

Old soft plastic lures that you don't want to use or are destroyed

container for melting the baits in (don't use anything that you are planing on using in the future for food!)

Something to melt the baits, such as an old microwave or a camping grill/normal grill( if you use a microwave, Never use that microwave again for food!)

disposable mixing utensil (something that can't melt, such as a wooden skewer)

Glitter (optional; adds more sparkle to the bait, attracting more fish.)

Salt (optional; gives a little more action and sinks faster if you plan to use the bait weightless)

Scent (optional; makes the bait smell more, attracting more fish. I recommend using it if you can, especially if you are making a bait for saltwater.)

Safety:

mask (Extremely toxic fumes will be produced from the melting plastic making the mask a necessity.)

Oven mit

Step 1: Creating the Outline for the Mold

Supplies for this step will be:

Lego bricks

Lego Baseplate

The bait that you are recreating

First, You will gather up the supplies. Then, place your bait that you are recreating on the Lego Baseplate. Start to built the first layer of bricks around the bait. The bait shouldn't be touching the lego boarder that surrounds it. Then build another layer on top of your first layer. Every time you make a new layer, each lego piece should connect 2 other lego pieces together. If you are confused, a picture is shown on this step that shows what I mean. I would recommend making 2-3 layers depending on the size of your bait. In this demonstration, I made 2 layers. Set your outlined mold aside.

Step 2: Preparing the Silicone

Supplies for this step will be:

Disposable container/cup

silicone

silicone dispensing gun

food coloring

disposable mixing tool

First, gather the materials. Then put in a generous amount of food coloring into your cup. then add your silicone. Make sure you add enough to the cup to fill in the entire mold. It is better to accidentally add too much to the cup then too little! mix the silicone in with the food coloring until the silicone is a solid color.

Step 3: Create Your Mold

Supplies for this step will be:

What you created in step one( the outlined mold)

What you created in step two(the prepared silicone)

First, remove the bait you are replicating out of the mold outline an set aside. Pour your silicone into the mold outline. After you have completely filled the mold outline, take your bait you are replicating and lay it on top of the silicone. slowly push the bait into the silicone until the bait is slightly submerged. the bait shouldn't be touching your lego baseplate. let the silicone sit for a minimum of 20-30 minutes or until the silicone has completely dried.

Step 4: Finishing the Mold

Supplies for this step will be:

Knife

After your mold has dried, take your knife and make a slit in the middle of your mold running down the bait that's inside the mold. you don't have to make the slit go all the way down the bait but the slit should be big enough to open up and easily pour your melted plastic in. Then, run your knife along the edges of the mold, freeing the mold from the lego pieces as much as possible. Then peel away the lego pieces that made up the boarder of your mold. Your mold will still be sticking to the lego pieces, but have some patience and pry them off without damaging the mold. after you have completed this, pry of your entire mold from the lego baseplate. Again, have some patience and pry the mold off without damaging it. You have now finished the mold!

Step 5: Melting Your Plastics

Supplies for this step will be: note: complete this step outdoors

Grill/camping grill or microwave

your old plastics

container to melt plastic in

Optional: salt and glitter

Mask

oven mit

Microwave:

To melt your plastics, first put the plastics in to your container and put the plastics into the microwave using 30 second intervals. Stir in between intervals. once your plastic is fully melted, you may ad glitter and salt.

Grill/Camping stove

To melt your plastics, first put the plastics in to your container and put the plastics over your flame. Make sure to stir and do not stop stirring or the plastic will burn. Once your plastic has fully melted, you may put salt and glitter in.

Step 6: Pouring and Finnishing!

Supplies for this step will be:

your mold you created

Your plastic you melted

scissors

Have someone hold the mold open for you. then, slowly pour the plastic in and make sure it fills all the little nooks and crannies. once the plastic has been poured, close the mold and let it dry for 10 minutes. once the plastic has dried, cut away all the excess plastic. Your plastic has been finished!! you can now use it or store it in a sealed plastic bag. You can add scent to the bag if you want a little extra attractant.