Silicone baits: making your own. We make silicone baits with our own hands What to make a vibrotail show material

Fishing is not only a very popular type of recreation, but also quite expensive. Therefore, for many fishing enthusiasts, the independent production of spinning baits using a mold for silicone baits is an actual activity. Here there is an opportunity to make an artificial live bait from silicone according to your own original sketch, which in terms of characteristics can surpass analogues sold on the market.

Materials for silicone baits

To make a silicone bait of the desired shape and size at home, the master will need two materials: silicone for making baits and gypsum. The artificial bait itself will consist of the first, and the second is necessary in the manufacture of a matrix of the desired shape for silicone baits.

In the manufacture of non-natural fish at home, you can use either purchased silicone for the manufacture of baits, or the material resulting from the remelting of old baits that have become unusable. The second option is the most cost-effective, but will require a lot of time associated with the process of remelting the material.

Quite common materials for casting silicone lures in artisanal conditions are Pentaplast 710 and Pentaplast 718. Their prices are quite reasonable, but when solidified, finished products shrink noticeably.

Elastolux (TV 25) also belongs to the budget types of silicone for do-it-yourself baits. It, unlike the first two, does not shrink much, and the low viscosity coefficient allows it to easily fill in any elements of the bait shape (even miniature ones), which, during subsequent coloring, makes it possible to achieve the maximum match of the made copy with the original.

If you want to get a high quality bait, then you should use a thermoplastic. Silicone fish from it will practically not be inferior in terms of characteristics to production analogues. But at a price such material will cost the angler more than the rest.

Forms for pouring

The most accessible and easy-to-handle material for making a mold into which silicone will be poured is gypsum (building or dental). The technology for creating a mold from gypsum is quite simple, so it is often used at home:

1. It is necessary to dilute the gypsum powder with water to the consistency of sour cream.
2. Pour the prepared mass into a suitable plastic or cardboard container.
3. Dip a sample of artificial fish in plaster for about an hour and a half.
4. Extract the prototype of the future silicone live bait from the hardened gypsum mass. The mold is ready to be filled with silicone.

Disadvantages of gypsum matrices

The first disadvantage of gypsum molds is the high drying time. If silicone is poured into an under-dried mold, bubbles may form, spoiling the appearance of the finished bait.

The second disadvantage of gypsum matrices is the difficulty in imprinting small parts of artificial baits. The third negative property of such forms is their fragility. Fourthly, it is rather problematic to get the finished product out of the gypsum blank.

Epoxy resin is capable of eliminating the shortcomings of gypsum matrices. The finished gypsum mold is smeared with a thin layer of epoxy and left to dry thoroughly for a while. After such a procedure, the walls of the mold become smooth, the risk of bubbles is reduced and the removal of the finished silicone bait from the mold is simplified. But as a result of such processing of the plaster mold, the size of the silicone bait made at home will decrease somewhat.

Lure making process

First you need to melt the starting material for making silicone baits at home. When working with a large volume of silicone, this procedure is performed on an open fire, placing purchased material or old baits that have become unusable in a suitable container. To melt a small amount of silicone material, you need to take a glass syringe with a pre-plugged outlet and place it in a microwave (microwave oven).

After the silicone is melted, the mass is poured into pre-prepared molds. If the melted mass is poured into a one-sided mold, then after a few minutes it is removed from the mold. After removing unnecessary parts, the bait is almost ready for use.

The production technology using a two-sided matrix is ​​a little more complicated. In this case, silicone is poured into a special groove until the mold is completely filled., having previously connected its two parts. During solidification, the workpiece should be at an angle to the vertical. This will prevent the poured silicone from flowing out of the mold. The cooled soft silicone product is carefully removed, trying not to damage small elements.

It takes an average of three to five minutes for the silicone material to cure. This time is enough for it to pass from the liquid phase to the solid and be able to maintain its acquired shape during extraction from the workpiece. To speed up the process of final cooling, it is recommended to place the removed products in water with ice cubes. The completely cooled bait is adjusted in shape, cutting off excess parts of the silicone and giving it the most realistic shape.

Color and taste

The color scheme of future products depends entirely on the preferences of the fisherman. Self-manufacturing allows you to add various dyes to the purchased material or mix the multi-colored remains of old silicone baits, obtaining any shade as a result of experiments. To further attract representatives of the ichthyofauna, when creating silicone baits with your own hands from construction silicone, you can add small glass balls or sparkles to the source material, which will glare in the water.

For the palatability of the bait, artificial flavor enhancers or natural additives in the form of garlic, fish oil, salt are added to the mass during kneading. It is worth noting that the use of any type of attractant as a flavor for bait will enable the bait to be tasty only on the first fishing trip. Upon contact with an aqueous medium, the flavoring gradually disappears. To restore the taste of silicone fish, you must do the following:

• rinse artificial baits thoroughly with running water;
• dry or blot well with a napkin or towel;
• put dry baits in a sealed bag and pour a little flavoring;
• after mixing, leave the package with the contents in a dark, cool place for at least 48 hours.

This procedure allows you to fully restore the taste of baits, after which they will be ready for use on the next fishing trip.

Safety

Working with melting silicone is associated with the risk of burns and mechanical damage. Also, the possibility of fumes poisoning during the remelting of old products is not excluded. Making silicone baits with your own hands, Some safety rules must be followed:

Installation of artificial live bait

The most common way to mount silicone baits (vibrotails, twisters, worms) is to attach a jig head to a hook. The weight of the head is selected depending on the depth of the reservoir where fishing is planned, and the length of the hook should be oriented to the size of the most unnatural bait. For reliability, some anglers perform additional fixation of artificial bait on the hook with waterproof glue.

Quite popular among spinningists is the method of rigging silicones with a double hook. Such equipment is mounted in the center of the bait by piercing with one of the hooks. As a result of this installation, one of the fishing hooks must be completely in the body of the silicone fish.

Equipped with baits made using silicone molding, also with offset hooks of a curved or straight shape. When fixing silicone on such hooks, it is necessary to ensure that its body is not too stretched as a result of installation.

Baits cast from silicone can be mounted on triple hooks. In this case, a small hole is made in the middle of the body. The tail of the tee pierces the bait and takes it out in the mouth, and one of the stings is taken out through the hole made so that the hook itself is located along the body of the silicone.

To obtain high-quality silicone products with your own hands and the effectiveness of the manufacturing process itself, experienced specialists recommend paying attention to some important nuances. Firstly, it is necessary to knead the gypsum mortar, strictly observing the proportions. Secondly, a home-made matrix should be slightly larger than the prototype in volume. And thirdly, for faster and more uniform melting of silicone, it is necessary to carefully grind used baits.

Attention, only TODAY!

Today there are no problems with buying a variety of rubber baits for jig fishing, but any angler has always striven and will strive to make, make a catchy bait for fish himself. In addition, there will be much more confidence in it, which you will make yourself, having invested your work and patience in it, than in any other, even branded, of the same type. This trend is especially evident in the example of fly fishing, which is used by an entire industry, but each of them tends to make their own flies, although it would seem easier to go and buy them in a specialized store with a huge assortment.

Moreover, fly-fishing, as a rule, people are far from poor, and buying even hundreds of flies will in no way affect the thickness of their wallets, but the desire to create always prevails. So it is with spinning players: the more experienced the angler, the more baits he makes on his own, trusting only his experience.

How to make DIY fish bait

Therefore, we will briefly dwell on how you can properly make a fish bait with your own hands, such as: twisters, vibrotails, imitations of frogs, worms, etc. at home. There are two ways. The first of them involves melting down old rubber (baits cut by the teeth of a predator, twisters and vibrotails with bitten tails, unsuccessful or poorly working bait models, etc.) and casting a new one from this scrap. The second way is more complicated, since it involves the use of special non-polymerized plastic as a material, which today can only be bought in specialized American online stores, such as, for example, www.basspro.com. It is sold immediately complete with forms for future baits and various dyes.

How to melt down an old rubber bait

Let us briefly describe the technology of remelting old rubber. First you need to make a mold into which the plastic heated to a liquid state will be poured. Gypsum or epoxy resin can be used as a mold material, and the most successful sample of silicone bait can be used as a model. Next, a rectangular box is taken, comparable in size to the bait sample. Then the bait is laid and fixed at the bottom of the box with a needle or second glue and smeared with petroleum jelly or paraffin dissolved in gasoline. After that, the box is slowly filled to the brim with a creamy solution of gypsum or epoxy resin with a hardener. When the plaster or epoxy is completely dry, the finished mold is carefully removed from the box, while the bait sample remains at the bottom of the box. The mold is now completely ready for casting.

Rubber scrap is collected in a glass jar and placed in a microwave oven for several minutes. The melting process must be watched through a screened window. As soon as the silicone melts and turns into a jelly-like mass, the jar should be removed from the oven with a gloved hand so as not to burn yourself, and, preventing the mass from cooling and thickening, carefully pour into a homemade mold. After 2-5 minutes, after the silicone has hardened, it is necessary to remove it from the mold and cut off the irregularities along the edges with nail scissors. To obtain bait of combined colors, the form is filled simultaneously or sequentially from different separately heated jars with the material of the desired color. During operation, it is advisable to take precautions, since the heated silicone has a rather high temperature, and you can seriously burn yourself if it gets on bare areas of the body. The second way to make do-it-yourself lures from branded non-polymerized plastic is also quite simple.

A bottle with plastic in the form of a milky mass is taken and shaken thoroughly for 1-2 minutes. Then it is poured into a metal container with a spout, like a cezve for brewing coffee, and begins to warm up over low heat. The liquid must be constantly stirred. After a few minutes, it will begin to thicken and become transparent. At this point, you need to add a few drops of dye and mix again until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Then the fire decreases, and after the heated silicone takes on the consistency of a not very thick jelly, the resulting mass is carefully poured into molds. Next, smudges of silicone are removed from the nose of the Turk with a cloth so that they do not catch fire, and it is again placed on a small fire. As in the first case, after hardening, the bait is removed from the mold, brought into a divine form with scissors and the casting is repeated again. At the same time, silicone scraps are thrown back into the Turk with a heated silicone mass. Thus, there is practically no waste from production. These are the simple ways you can make and make fish bait yourself at home. Good luck to you!

In each individual reservoir, fish have their own taste preferences and their own diet. If the diet can be determined experimentally, then even a large fishing store may not have enough assortment in order to find fish delicacies.

Size, color, shape, smell, game, all affect the attractiveness of the bait in a given reservoir.

Introduction to silicone baits

soft silicone lures- twisters, vibrotails, worms, slugs, frogs, creatures are in the box of any angler. Gained particular popularity edible baits- baits with smell and taste. The smell attracts fish from a distance, the taste makes the fish hold the bait in their mouth longer, giving the angler extra time to strike.

Silicone baits can be used to catch not only predatory fish. Nano and micro silicone edibles can be used to successfully catch peaceful fish that feed on small animals - crucian carp, carp, tench, bleak. For them, dark-colored baits with the taste of salt, garlic, bloodworms, and worms are more suitable.

For predators, silicone baits in the form of small fish are suitable.

For pike, baits in the form of small fish from 3 to 5 inches, which have a bright game, are more suitable:

• Mann's Predator– soft silicone, live active game;
• Relax Shark- stable game with any posting;
• Relax Kopyto– silicone with transverse notches for pikes of all sizes.

Salty silicone will additionally attract even passive pike.

Twisters, vibrotails, small fish with a swallow tail are suitable for pike perch:

• Bugsy Shad 72 with the aroma of mackerel;
• Tioga 100- 10 cm bait for catching large specimens;
• LONG JOHN 07.90/PA03 with the smell of mackerel.

For perch:

• Lucky John Ballist- a mixture of twister and worm with shrimp flavor;
• Crazy Fish Angry Spin- twister for micro jig, able to attract even peaceful fish;
• Reins Fat G-Tail Grub– a vibrotail from 2 to 3 inches will not leave indifferent even a passive minke whale.

Self-manufacturing

On sale there are silicone baits of various shapes, colors, sizes, with any taste, but sometimes it seems, and not unreasonably, that one or another silicone bait lacks an additional smell, a twister or vibrotail is more suitable for a different size, the coloring for this reservoir does not match optimal…

What to do?

Buying the entire assortment of the store, despite the fact that silicone is short-lived, and sometimes a dozen silicone lures are not enough for good fishing? Even if there is enough money, there will not be enough space not only in the boat, but also in the trunk of an SUV.

There is an exit. Making homemade silicone baits yourself at home with your own hands, especially since this process is not too complicated. Silicone (construction) easily melts and takes any shape, any attractants can be added to it, it can be painted in any color.

Method 1. Method of sintering different parts of silicone lures.

From torn silicone baits, you can make one whole by gluing or sintering. It is better to use the sintering method, since the silicone hardens at the place of gluing, which can disrupt the play of the bait. This method is suitable if there is no other way out - all the catchable silicones on the fishing trip are torn, and there is nowhere to take others.

1. Trim the front whole part of the silicone spoon evenly.
2. Trim the back of the silicone lure evenly.
3. With a match or a lighter, carefully heat both parts of the spinner at the junction.
4. Connect both parts of the spinner and hold for 3-4 minutes.
5. In the back of the bait, inside it, you can make a narrow incision with a thin blade, expand it with tweezers and fill in a fine attractant. When the hook tip comes out of the back of the bait, the attractant will be released little by little.

Expert opinion

Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich

Important! It is important to be careful when heating silicone parts. Silicone can easily catch fire and darken.

Method 2. The method of pouring silicone into matrix molds.

In order to make silicone baubles using this method, you will need:

• form for manufacturing;
• silicone;
• capacity for melting silicone;
• syringes for pouring silicone into molds;
• paints and glitters;
• attractants.

In this case, attractants are added to the silicone melt before pouring into the mold.

Form for making

Finished forms can be purchased at fishing stores. Molds with a sprue hole and channels for air outlet during pouring are designed for the manufacture of from one to several dozen lures. Forms can be purchased at prices ranging from 300 to 5000 rubles.

Exist centrifugal molds for the manufacture of from several dozen to hundreds of lures at a time costing from 8,000 to 15,000 rubles.

You can make a mold from plaster yourself.

One-sided molds

They are used for the manufacture of baits with a smooth back.

1. A container for a plaster mold is cut out of a juice or milk bag. For large baubles, the package can be cut lengthwise.
2. A gypsum mixture is prepared by gradually pouring gypsum powder into water with constant stirring. The gypsum mixture should have a creamy
   consistency. In order for air bubbles to come out of the plaster, the mixing dishes need to be hit sharply, but not hard, on the table several times.
3. The gypsum mixture is poured into a gypsum mold container.
4. The bait sample is coated with silicone grease or petroleum jelly.
5. After a slight thickening of the mixture, a sample of the bait is pressed into the gypsum with a flat back up to the very back.
6. After the plaster has hardened (on average one day at room temperature), the sample is removed.

The one-sided plaster mold is ready.

Double-sided mold for making one lure

Suitable for all types and sizes of silicone lures.

1. Repeat steps 1-3 to make a one-sided mold.
2. We insert cone-shaped pins at the corners, having previously coated them with petroleum jelly or silicone grease.
3. We insert a cone-shaped pin in the head part up to half, having previously coated it with grease, to form a filler neck.
4. We insert wires of small diameter in the head part to form channels for air to escape during filling. Two channels of small diameter should form at an acute angle to the axis of the bait.
5. We insert the sample into the gypsum mortar up to half.
6. After the gypsum of the lower platform has dried, we take out the cone-shaped pins from the corners.
7. We coat all open surfaces of the lower platform with petroleum jelly or silicone grease.
8. Pour a solution of gypsum on top of the consistency of liquid sour cream.
9. After the gypsum has hardened, we take out the gypsum mold from the container, separate both halves, remove the copy sample and the wire from the gypsum mold to form channels for the air outlet.

The double-sided form for one bait is ready.

Double sided mold for making multiple lures

1. We repeat steps 1-2 from the previous section.
2. The baits will be placed in parallel. Along the location of the spinners from above, we insert a cylindrical pin of a sufficiently large diameter along the length equal to the distance from the first bait to the last, to form a filling channel.
3. In the middle of the pin, we insert a cone-shaped pin from above to form a filler neck and pins for pouring silicone from the main channel to the heads of the baits. All pins are pre-lubricated with grease.
4. Insert the wires.
5. We insert up to half of the samples of spinners.
6. We repeat steps 6-9.

A double-sided mold for several baits is ready.

Silicone

Liquid silicones in strong, standard and soft hardness can be purchased at the fishing store along with heat stabilizers to increase the melting point of the silicone. Heat stabilizers improve the fluidity of silicone, are used for pouring shapes with multiple patterns.

In fishing stores you can buy both imported liquid silicones: “SILICON FISH “ABSOLUT” at a price of 600 rubles per 1 kg, or Jig 650 rubles per liter, as well as domestic silicone “Eleplast (TV 25)” and Elastolux-M (two-component silicone) at a price of 800 rubles per kg. Silicone hardener can be added to any silicone, for example, Harter (380 rubles 100 ml) to increase rigidity.

An economical option - melting torn silicone baubles

1. The rest of the silicone spinners are cut into small cubes.
2. Cubes are placed in a container. You can use a tin can to melt the silicone.
3. They are heated on fire until a liquid transparent melt is obtained.
4. Paint, glitter, attractants are added.
5. The melt is poured into the mouth of the mold for casting silicone baubles.

After the silicone has cooled and hardened (from 12 to 48 hours), the bait is removed from the mold, the excess silicone is cut off with scissors.

Expert opinion

Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich

Zoologist, hydrobiologist. I am a professional fisherman.

Interesting. As a model for making your own, not yet tested baits, for the sake of experiment, you can buy a children's set of plastic insects, which contains various insects from worms and centipedes to bats.

Paints and glitter

Paints and glitters are added to the silicone melt before it is poured into molds.

Making your own paint or pigment for coloring silicone will not work.

It is better to use purchased ones, especially since they are inexpensive. One has only to choose the best value for money.

From imported ones, we can recommend paints from "Plastikfarbe" (about 350-400 rubles for 35 ml), which give silicone baits bright and saturated colors, fluorescent pigments from FisherGel (a set of 5 pcs. 7g. Can be purchased for 450 rubles).

Paints are also sold in dry form for dilution in water. Fat-soluble fluorescent dye BRB at a price of 3500 rubles per kg is enough for years of fishing.

Sequins are cheap stuff. You can use any glitter bought in children's stores.

Attractants

Attractants can be applied by placing the bait for several hours in a closed bag with liquid. Silicone absorbs odor well and retains it for a long time.

silicone bait must be placed in a closed cellophane bag- a container richly moistened with an attractant for at least 2 hours. For 4 hours of active fishing, it will not lose its properties in water with any temperature. After each fishing, silicone baits should be placed back in closed bags, richly moistened with an attractant.

A more reliable option that does not require constant wetting of the spinner, adding an attractant to the silicone melt.

Priming syringes

Single and double special syringes for pouring silicone melt into molds are manufactured from heat-resistant fluoroplast, are very convenient for the direct introduction of the melt through the neck. High-quality syringes can be purchased from 800 to 2500 rubles.

Mounting methods

There are two main ways:

1. Mounting on a jig head. The bait is put on a hook and fixed with a special ledge on a lead sinker.
2. Hinged mounting. The bait is attached to the lead weight using double rings or a collapsible structure.

Hinged mounting

Equipment types:

1. The offset hook is attached to the sinker in the form of a bullet, the sting of the hook is pressed against the bait. Used for wiring without a hook.
2. A swivel is tied to a sinker in the form of a bullet or an olive through a short branch with a bead. The bead creates additional sound vibrations during wiring and protects the nodal connection. A leash with an offset hook is knitted to the swivel.
3. The offset hook is tied to the main line with a knot perpendicular to the axis of the line at a distance of ½ - 1 meter from the sinker.
4. A long leash 0.8-1.2 meters departs from the main line, fixed at a distance of 0.5 - 1 meter from the sinker.
5. wacky. Offset hook in open form clings to a rubber ring, dressed on the body of the bait in the form of a worm. The worm's head is shipped with an inserted nail.

Silicone bait is applied using:

Knipovich Nikolai Mikhailovich

Zoologist, hydrobiologist. Graduated from Leningrad State University named after Zhdanov, Faculty of Biology and Soil. I am a professional fisherman.

Silicone baits for fish have long been deservedly popular with many fishermen. But in the measure of their high price, not everyone can purchase such baits. Yes, and you don’t need to spend money on branded counterparts, if it’s not so difficult to make silicone baits with your own hands in the existing conditions.

Making your own silicone baits: the benefits

• What you need to cast baits with your own hands

  For this purpose, you will need to take the following materials in advance:

  • • silicone;
    • gypsum (any will do);
    • container for gypsum (must be absolutely dry and clean);
    • scales (kitchen fit);
    • soap (it is better to take liquid);
    • special molds (matrices) for casting;
    • a glass or fluoroplastic syringe of a suitable volume;
    • Required color palette
    • samples.

  How to choose silicone

  To make your own bait for fishing from a polymer such as silicone, it is better to take the materials offered in fishing stores. Building silicone can also be used as a test casting. It is denser and more durable, but I do not recommend using building silicone, not for its intended purpose. Building silicone is a product of pure chemistry and when fishing, a small piece of torn off silicone in the stomach of fish can lead to its death. In silicones, for casting baits, for the most part, those components are used that do not harm the fish and the environment. You can also add attractants to it, which will improve its catchability properties. You can also use thermoplastic, the positive side of injection molding machines is the density of the material itself, and the disadvantages are the high price and excessive rigidity.

  In addition to expensive ones, there are materials at an average price from which silicone lures can be cast. These, for example, include the two-component non-shrinking "Elastolux TV 25", which is characterized by a slight viscosity of the mass. This is its property, which makes it possible in the production of bait to fill in any matrices, even small ones, and then give them the desired color with your own hands. I note that after setting, the volume of the material does not change. This property applies to Elastolux TV 25 in analogues, such as Pentalast 710 and Pentalast 718, which are also often used for the production of silicone nozzles, but shrink by 1.5% of the size of the mold used.

  The sequence of actions for self-manufacturing nozzles

  1. 1. Melting silicone.
     2. Pouring material into the matrix.
     3. Bait freezing.
     4. Cooling the bait in cold water.

  How to make a mold for silicone baits?

In the manufacture of forms of lures with their own hands, there are subtleties. At the very beginning, you need to correctly determine the correct proportion of gypsum and water. The correct ratio is 100 g of gypsum to 25 ml of water. It should also be taken into account that all components must have a temperature of at least 20 degrees.

Then you need to knead the gypsum so that it becomes close to the consistency of liquid sour cream. In order for gypsum to dissolve well in water without forming lumps, it must be added to the water very carefully and slowly over 1 minute while mixing. If bubbles form in the plaster mass, they must be immediately disposed of by tapping.

Problems arising from the independent production of plaster molds for silicone baits:

• significant time for drying gypsum;
• difficulties in printing small parts of the nozzle on the plaster mold;
• brittleness of the material.

In order for the mold for silicone baits to meet expectations, you need to use epoxy. The plaster mold is smeared with a brush, in a very thin layer. After that, the gypsum container must be dried well. The use of epoxy resin allows you to smooth out the sharp corners of the matrix, solves the problem with the appearance of air bubbles and facilitates the process of removing the finished bait from the plaster mold.

Molds for casting silicone lures: main types

Making homemade silicone baits is impossible without the use of casting molds or matrices. There are 2 main types of such containers:

• unilateral;
• bilateral.

To make a one-sided matrix, you need a nozzle sample. They are made mainly from clay or wood. A thin layer of petroleum jelly, silicone grease or solidol should be applied to the existing layout so that the source file is subsequently separated without problems. Then you need to fill the container with gypsum (the thickness of the filling should exceed 2 times the thickness of the sample). The model must be dipped into plaster to a depth of slightly more than half of it. Next, you should wait for the plaster to dry completely (it will take about 10 minutes) and remove the sample. A building sealant must be applied to the matrix, and it will be completely ready.

Double-sided molds for casting silicone baits are made as follows. You need to take a container of a rectangular or square shape. Half of the container should be filled with gypsum and half of the nozzle sample should be immersed in it. Then the layout must be left in the container until completely solidified. On average, it takes about 10-12 hours. Only after the expiration of this time it is recommended to fill the next part of the matrix. The matrices should be lubricated with petroleum jelly or grease so that they can be easily divided into two halves. This time the solution will have to be made more liquid so that you can get rid of the bubbles without any problems.

After placing the second part of the matrix in the container, it is necessary to wait for its complete drying. To do this, leave it alone for about a day. Then you need to separate the matrices, get rid of the burrs and pull out the source. Fragments of the matrix will dry for about a few days. Construction sealant needs to be applied only to one of the parts of the matrix.

Then you need to form sprues and air outlets. The prepared molten material is poured into the cavity through the first cavity. To make them, from the beginning of the sample, scratch a groove to the edge of the mold with any sharp tool, which then needs to be machined with a drill. In most cases, one sprue is made in one mold.

Air vents are necessary as ways for air to escape when squeezed out by poured material. They can be made with a thin knife. There can be about 8 of them in total. The required number of air outlets is determined in accordance with the complexity of the bait.

Such molds for casting silicone baits provide the ability to produce volumetric baits that are as similar as possible to live bait. Using a one-sided form will not allow you to achieve this effect. There are also certain disadvantages. For example, in the manufacture of more complex models, there is a high probability of introducing an insufficient amount of silicone into some of the cavities of the prepared mold.

How to melt silicone for fishing lures

There are a number of ways, using which, at home, it will be possible to melt silicone. This can be done with minimal loss of time by heating it on a gas stove. For this method, you need to use an ordinary tin can (any tin will do). But it should be borne in mind that this method has a number of significant disadvantages:

• the appearance of smoke;
• fast burning;
• discoloration of silicone up to its blackening.

To avoid this, you can use another method for which you need a microwave oven. It is necessary to place the silicone in a suitable container in the microwave, after setting the temperature safe for this polymer. In the process of melting material in a microwave oven, it is important that it has a liquid consistency for as long as possible. It is necessary not only to wait for the moment when it completely melts, but after melting, hold it in the microwave for about 1.5-2 minutes. The container in which the material was melted must be heated as much as possible. This will help keep it molten longer.

During heating, the necessary components are added to the silicone for fishing lures - flavors, sequins, salt and fish oil, pigments for coloring in the desired color, substances that allow the material used to become harder or softer.

When casting silicone nozzles with your own hands, you need to consider the following. If you impregnate the bait with flavor after casting it, it will lose its useful qualities after the next fishing. Be sure to lubricate the bait with flavor after fishing. This should be done as follows: the used nozzle should be washed, dried, put in a bag, dropping a few drops of flavor inside. The bait will have to be left in this bag for three days in a dry and dark place.

Pouring the molten material into a homemade mold is carried out with a glass syringe, a plastic syringe may not withstand the temperature of the molten silicone. Silicone is collected into it, and then turned up. The syringe plunger must be pulled back 1-2 centimeters and lightly pressed on it so that material appears a little from the spout. This will squeeze out excess air. If you ignore this point, the bait will come off with the air, which will negatively affect its quality.

Then the mold should be turned over with the other side, put the syringe nozzle into the sprue and slowly pour in the material until it appears from the air vents. After that, the form will need to be turned down. The syringe should be carefully pulled out of the mold, without ceasing to squeeze out the silicone for the nozzle from it. This will help prevent the bait from forming voids in the nose. Before removing the received bait from the container, it is necessary to wait for its complete cooling. After removing the nozzle, it is recommended to put it in a container with cold water for a while to increase its elasticity.

Making silicone baits from existing and damaged ones

Many fans of spinning and jig fishing over time, after numerous fishing trips, accumulate a variety of spoiled silicone nozzles. It will not be difficult to provide them with a “second catchy life”, using them to produce new ones. To do this, the remains of damaged baits from this polymer will have to be cut into small pieces and melted in any convenient way. The smaller the pieces, the faster, respectively, the material will melt. The resulting liquid composition can then be used to cast new baits.

You can also make new nozzles from the remnants used directly on a fishing trip (provided that a suitable container for ebb is available). To do this, finely chopped old baits should be placed in a small tin can. For convenience, you can clamp the jar with pliers and hold it like that over an open fire, stirring from time to time until the silicone is completely melted. After that, it must be poured into the mold, lubricating it before that with any available fat. It is better to remove the material remaining on the walls of the can, as it will be quite useful for future remelting. After the product has completely hardened, you need to get it and cut off the excess protruding pieces of material with scissors. To increase elasticity, homemade bait should be put in cold water for 10 minutes.

How to make silicone baits step by step

• It is necessary to prepare a container for pouring gypsum, lay pre-prepared baits that will be cast in the future, carefully pour the gypsum into the container, leave until the gypsum has completely solidified.

• After complete solidification, it is necessary to remove the silicone baits from the plaster, just as carefully remove the adhering parts of the silicone.
  
  
• Old damaged silicone baits should be cut into small pieces and melted in hot water or in the microwave.
  
  
• Pour the resulting molten liquid into a mold pre-lubricated with liquid soap.
  
  
• Cool the silicone and remove excess silicone with a sharp knife.
  
  
• Due to the elastic properties, the homemade silicone bait is easily removed from the mold and is ready for use.
  
  

Safety precautions for self-casting of silicone nozzles

Each of the stages of casting nozzles at home must be accompanied by certain safety measures, depending on the equipment, tools and material used in the casting.

If the silicone was heated in a tin can on a gas stove, it must be removed, using a special mitten or at least a rag for this. Otherwise, there is a high chance of getting burned.

If it is planned to use a syringe to melt silicone, it must be heat-resistant and absolutely intact without cracks or other damage. To ensure the required level of safety, the syringe should additionally be wrapped with electrical tape.

When working with silicone, use gloves to protect your hands. This is especially true when working with hot material.

In the process of melting a polymer such as silicone, harmful substances evaporate. Therefore, you need to use a respirator and thoroughly ventilate the room.

If you make such baits for fishing with your own hands, you can save a lot on purchasing new gear.

Today, fishing has become not only a very popular way of spending time, but also quite expensive. And in this vein, it is very relevant to make some baits and lures with your own hands, for example, a simple silicone bait for fishing.

What is the advantage of silicone bait?

Silicone, as a material for making bait, is quite soft and plastic, and therefore I am a bait so popular for independent experiments. Thanks to silicone lures and baits, with the correct execution of wiring maneuvers, you can easily catch fish:

• in shallow water;
• on the transitions.

One of the important rules for such fishing is the competent installation of the bait, which should sway slightly during the wiring, creating the most natural game of natural live bait.

As experience shows, making such a bait at home is not difficult, you just need to strictly follow all the advice and recommendations of experienced anglers and specialists.

What kind of silicone can be used to fill molds?

Of course, any bait can be purchased at fishing stores, specialized centers and just small fisherman's shops, but it's much better: more efficient and cheaper, to make silicone baits with your own hands.

This is especially true for those anglers who, over many years of “hunting for fish”, have left various silicone baits with some defects and wear, as they can be melted down at home to make brand new ones. Such events will significantly save on fishing accessories.

Making your own silicone bait makes it possible to make it in any color, shape or size, and not be content with what the store assortment offers.

However, there is one drawback, namely, a large waste of time, which actually stops many from such a long and painstaking task as making silicone bait with their own hands.

To make silicone baits at home, you can use one of the materials offered in stores, for example, from thermoplastic. The advantage of injection molding machines is undoubtedly the high quality of the source material, and the disadvantage is the high pricing policy.

But along with expensive ones, there are also materials that can please with a more acceptable cost, for example, "Elastolux (TV 25)", which is characterized by a low viscosity of the mass, which allows you to fill in any elements, even the smallest ones, at the time of use and actually paint them afterwards in the right color.

In addition, the technology for manufacturing silicone bait from this material does not shrink, as a result, unlike materials such as Pentalast 718 or Pentalast 710, which are also fairly common for casting silicone baits. But such important characteristics should be taken into account when making your own fishing tackle.

The cost of silicone for pouring bait molds

When choosing a material for pouring molds, you should pay attention to the cost of silicone, which is why many turn to the method of remelting from old spoiled silicone baits. Because, at the moment, the most common materials cost more than 800 rubles, which not everyone can afford:

• "Eleplast (TV 25)";
• "Pentalast 710";
• Pentalast 718.

How to make a mold for pouring silicone yourself?

The first thing to think about when making silicone lures at home is a mold for pouring, which can also be done at home. Such molds can mainly be made from the following materials:

• Gypsum;
• Plexiglas.

In order to start making a mold with your own hands at home, you will need to stock up on some equipment:

• Construction or dental plaster;
• Bowl, for kneading plaster;
• Large spoon or spatula for stirring;
• Kitchen scales;
• Water;
• Soap, it is better to choose liquid;
• An example of the end product that will be imprinted.

The utensils that will be used for kneading must be exceptionally clean and dry, without any gypsum residues.
It is necessary to choose the right ratio of gypsum and water, it is recommended to stop at 25 ml of water and 100 gypsum. But it is necessary to pay special attention to the fact that the temperature of all components must be at least 20 degrees.

In order for the gypsum to dissolve as much as possible in the water without lumps, it is necessary to slowly and carefully mix it into the water for 60 seconds. If bubbles suddenly appear - they urgently need to be tapped and get rid of them.

The main types of matrices for casting bait molds

To date, there are only two main types of matrices:

• Unilateral.
• Bilateral.

One-sided matrices are a construction made of gypsum, which, following the advice and recommendations, can also be made independently. For this, a sample of the nozzle is required.

Such a sample is most often made of wood or clay; a ready-made layout must be lubricated with petroleum jelly to better lag the source. The technology for making a mold using a matrix is ​​quite simple - it is necessary to pour a matrix with a ready-made mixture, 2 times thicker than the sample.

First of all, you need to carefully immerse the model, and the plaster to a depth that will be slightly more than half of it, and wait for some time until it dries completely and slowly remove the sample, leaving a cast. After the matrix is ​​covered with a sealant used in construction work, a one-sided matrix will be completely ready.

For the manufacture of double-sided matrix with your own hands you will need, to start with a container, it is best to choose a rectangular or square shape. The selected form must be filled with gypsum by about half and only after that the bait layout should be lowered halfway inside.

For maximum solidification, you need to leave the layout in the container for about 10-12 hours, and only after that you can start filling the second half of the matrix. In this case, it is necessary to pay special attention to the fact that the half of the double-sided matrix must be lubricated with grease or petroleum jelly, so that they can subsequently be easily separated.

It is recommended to make the solution thin enough so that the formed bubbles can be removed. After the second part of the double-sided matrix is ​​already placed in the container, it is worth, just like the first time, to give time for complete drying.

After that, separate the matrices and be sure to pay attention to the presence of burrs, which (if any) should be removed without fail by cleaning the matrices.

After pulling out the sample, it is necessary to give a few days for all the elements to dry and set well. When applying building sealant, it is necessary to take into account the fact that they will need to cover only one part of the matrix.

After all that has been done, you can with full confidence take up the implementation of air vents and sprues. To do this, use a knife or any sharp object that is available to make a small groove from the edge of the mold to the sample itself.

Subsequently, such a groove will need to be processed with a drill. In total, there should be about 8 air vents in the double-sided matrix, which makes it possible, when used, to make bulk baits at home. Such baits will resemble a live fish as much as possible, which, unfortunately, cannot be achieved using a one-sided matrix.

Instructions for making silicone lures with your own hands

To begin with, the first step is to melt the original silicone to make the bait. To do this, you need to take all the old and worn baits, place in a bowl or selected container and put on an open fire to melt (or in a microwave oven).

The open fire option is most often used, if we are talking about large, one might even say, industrial scales, when not one, but several people participate in the melt, and the melt takes place for a large amount of source material.

The second option with a microwave oven is more acceptable for home conditions. It is necessary to put waste into the syringe, close the spout so that nothing leaks out and place it in the working space of the microwave oven.

The color of the bait that is being worked on may depend on the personal preferences of the author, and this fact can be attributed to the undeniable advantages of making your own bait. You can do an original and extravagant experiment and mix all the old baits and see what kind of color the result will be - maybe it will be something innovative and original.

If purchased silicone is used to make homemade baits, you should use dye, you can add some sparkles or small balls, which will glare in the water, attracting the catch.

In order for the "hunt" for the fish to be successful, you can add a little flavor enhancer or any flavor additive, for example, garlic, fish oil or salt, into the mass when kneading.

But if any attractant is added as a flavor enhancer, special attention must be paid to the fact that after the first fishing the bait will lose this property. In order to make up for the lost quality, you can specially lubricate the bait after each fishing and do it in the right order.

So, take the bait used for catching fish, rinse it with running water and dry or blot with a towel (napkin), put all the used baits in one bag and pour a little flavor, then knead and mix everything in the bag and leave for 2-3 days in a cool and dark place.

In order to properly fill the molds for silicone baits, it is necessary to melt the pre-prepared silicone on the fire and pour it into the mold made earlier (or purchased).

If the technology uses a one-sided form, then after pouring it with silicone and after a few minutes, you can get the finished mold from the layout.

This is a fairly simple method, unlike a double-sided matrix casting, which uses two halves that are interconnected. The previously molten silicone is poured into the groove (which was described earlier) until the matrix is ​​completely filled to the brim.

When solidifying, it is recommended to hold the matrix or place it at a certain angle. After the time during which the silicone hardens in the matrix, you can pull the bait out of the mold slowly and carefully so as not to damage small elements.

It is recommended to wait about 3-5 minutes before hardening, depending on the viscosity of the silicone. After that, the finished bait must be put in water, and in order to speed up the cooling process, add a few ice cubes to the container.

Then, when the finished bait has completely cooled down, it will be necessary to slightly adjust the shape, namely, cut the shape and thereby remove the remaining silicone. With a sharp, small knife, cut off the excess parts of the silicone, trying to make the bait as realistic as possible.

Types of baits that can be made using silicone

Thanks to this simple method, you can make a lot of lures for fishing, for example:

• bait worms, which look like a centipede, baits with a lot of legs and tails;
• Can be made from silicone big vibrotails, but which do not have tails, in the form of a patch;
• Crayfish with tentacles can also be made of silicone, at home;
• Double sided tweeters.

Such additional items and elements are practically indispensable if it is required to perform wiring, as they create a visual effect of the movement of live fish and leave behind a special hydraulic trail.

Silicone Mold Making Safety

In the manufacture of silicone baits at home, you must be extremely careful and precise. comply with all safety regulations and requirements:

• When melting silicone, stands first, check the syringe for heat resistance and for cracks or breakage.
• Mandatory apply gloves, do not remove them when working with hot silicone.
• Recommended wrap the syringe with insulated tape.
• Initially, you should not draw a lot of starting material into the syringe so that it does not leak out and cause any damage.
• When melting old baits, be sure to put on a respirator and open the windows or turn on the air conditioner to keep the room ventilated.

In order for the plan to come true and the whole process to be effective, it is necessary to follow the advice and recommendations of experts exactly, especially for beginners in this matter:

• self-executed matrix Necessarily should be larger on both sides.
• If the technology involves the use of a two-sided matrix, special attention must be paid to the consistency of the gypsum.
• In order for the sample of the bait under gravity not to be completely included in the solution, it must be filled in exactly half, as indicated in the technology.
• It is necessary to knead the gypsum solution strictly in proportions, so that there is no chipping of the matrix during use.
• Old and spoiled baits must be crushed very carefully, thus, the contents of the syringe will melt faster.
• In no case do not neglect the rules and safety requirements in the manufacture of silicone molds and baits at home.