A few other plastics.....

SenkoSam · February 11, 2013, 03:49:02 PM

HDcustombaits · February 11, 2013, 04:35:53 PM

Be careful with those Zoom and RI copies. Their lawyers are not friendly in the least bit.

SenkoSam · February 12, 2013, 07:29:28 AM

Quote from: HDcustombaits on February 11, 2013, 04:35:53 PM
Be careful with those Zoom and RI copies. Their lawyers are not friendly in the least bit.

Good thing I don't advertise! Private use and sales to individuals by word of mouth can't be proven. The nicest thing about copying is modifying the original just enough to be outside patent law. The Sweet Beaver has been modified by many major companies (ie The Ugly Otter) and individuals and there's nothing Andre can do to stop sales. Even my fluke is different enough (like the Bango Minnow) that Zoom and Woo Daves also don't have a legal leg to stand on.

What you see above is one of the hundreds of designs no longer patented or never had one (ie Senko). Lurecraft lists hundreds of designs going back 40 years, some classics in their time. What draws me to making soft plastics it being able to have a ready inventory, make lures for friends that catch fish, design new lures and modify old ones, preserving modifications in plaster or silicone molds.
I even designed a soft plastic minnow that requires no mold and that I would never advertise because of the deep pockets needed for patent expenses and to be able to sue for infringement.

Is the initial and ongoing price worth it? Considering what Yamamoto and Strke King charges plus retailer markup for each unit (70 cents a worm) and not always carrying colors I like, I'd say it was well worth it. Is buying soft plastics worth it from individuals? I think that preferences are individual and sometimes the little guy can fulfill them. I for one would never use pork again considering my plastic copy has proven just as good, far cheaper and less a pain to use and preserve. The Spoon Turtle I designed (using a big serving spoon as the mold) does as good as any soft topwater plastic bait I've used and conforms to my need for fat profile, action on extremely slow retrieves and hook-ability. I've noticed that some plastics in stores and from Bass Pro are not consistent in quality, so I'm forced to make my own.

When it comes to the cost of plastisol, recycling old lures only requires the addition of softener and heat resistant flakes of preferred colors, extending its use almost indefinitely!

kidd · February 12, 2013, 08:05:47 AM

Nice!

hook765 · February 12, 2013, 08:14:34 AM

hey senkosam do you do tubes?? one of my go to baits.

SenkoSam · February 12, 2013, 11:37:51 AM

That's one mold I never got and the fact that I still own a zillion tubes I'll never use.
(Mental note: start using the freak'n tubes this year!!

)

I'll post many of them in classified.

hornytoader · March 08, 2013, 08:32:12 PM

The yamamoto' baits are way too exspensive and with so much salt in them that after dinkin' and dunkin' them in the lake

for a while that they get way too soft and tear very easily. How many times have you seen the pros say they won a tournament on the above mentioned baits. He has made his riches....time to lower the price on those "one fish" baits. Just my opinion.

DocIrv · March 14, 2013, 07:12:53 AM

Senkosam as always you do real nice work on your soft plastic baits.

SenkoSam · March 14, 2013, 09:11:46 AM

I visited your site - back at ya!

Too bad I don't have the discipline to be able to keep colors exactly consistent or I might have gotten into selling some on my own website. For now I just sell glitter.