Salt in plastics

[Rick Howard]

I am tired of salt rusting my hooks and hook keepers. I can’t believe companies are still pitching the salt idea. I think it’s time to ditch the salt. I’ve started making several of my own plastic lures (senkos and craw chuck). I use a sinking agent in replacement of salt on the senko. Works just fine. I don’t have the time or desire, at the moment, to make swim baits (Kietec style), ribbon tail worms, creatures, etc or anything with more complex color patterns. Is there a company that doesn’t use salt?

[T-slab]

Seems you’re trying to climb a mountain here. Just take the soft plastics off while not in use.

[weiglein4]

I have this very same issue, however I know this is my issue and not a problem with the bait. I'm fairly certain salt is hugely responsible for the success of baits.

[marshman]

I thought salt was for taste making bass hang on longer?

I have a couple packs of craw style baits a local kid made for me… they have no salt in them and just don’t seem to get bit like zooms do…. I have caught fish on them but when marsh bass decide to eat, they will pretty much eat a bare hook..

[Painter1]

Several things you can do to prevent / reduce hook rusting with salty baits.
1. Put silicone lubricant on hook shaft & let it dry. (I spray into small container & brush it on).
2. Remove plastics from hooks at the end of the day & wipe the hooks
3. Pick up a jar of Naval Jelly from Home Depot. Removes rust instantly without residue.

[BassinPaPaw]

I’m with you I don’t think salt per se makes a hill of beans difference, but why are they rusting out your stuff. Do you not take the plastics off at the end of the day??

[21XDC]

No Salt... Keitech styles too. >>>> https://phatpakbaits.com/

[ManxFishing]

Salt makes the Plastic Sink
And not all Plastic has salt, It's there for a reason

[Whiteboat]

Salt makes the Plastic Sink
And not all Plastic has salt, It's there for a reason

especially senkos

[ManxFishing]

especially senkos

LOL, They call them Sluggo's without salt

[Gthunter5]

what sinking agent do you use? salt is so cheap to just add to the plastisol and it hardens it up a bit too. just remove the bait from you hook at the end of the day - I dont have that big of an issue with it

[MichAngler]

It’s inevitable that keepers will rust they act like a sacrificial anode so you don’t use your guides to hold the hook

Just getting wet and dry multiple times a day plus the salt on your hands and even if you remover the plastic it still has a small amount of salt on the hook and will cause the keeper to rust sooner or later

Each spring I find a couple rods that need new keepers fortunately I have all the gear to replace them myself it also allows me to replace them with better keepers that last longer

Before power baits and molecularly designed scents salt was one of the few scents that didn’t wash off quickly and Gene Larue had a pioneer patent on the salt impregnation of soft plastic baits
But many companies didn’t want to pay the licensing fee so that one reason some baits don’t have salt

Others want their baits to float or sink slower
Also most companies that do these days use a more refined salt as it’s cheaper and easier to use in the injection process and leads to the bait feeling different and it affect the color of the plastic more

[juice780]

Salt helps sink rate too

[Lund1625]

I'm also in the salt-free camp.
All Lunker City is no salt, another is Skaterbaits.

[Jeff Hahn]

I'm also in the salt-free camp.
All Lunker City is no salt, another is Skaterbaits.

Lunker City baits are best "under the radar" baits on the market.

[grayline]

What I remember was years ago Bait companies had to put an additive on the plastics in order to keep the plactic from melting into the PVC tackleboxes .
it turned the bait white and was made up primarily of sodium salicitate or sodium iodide ,but it made the bate look dusted with powder which did not look appealing to the consumer. So in the late 80s they decided to just say impregnated with salt for more flavor .they incorporated in in the pour and it stuck.
You think fish taste salt? Its a cover up always has been.

[Les Young]

What I remember was years ago Bait companies had to put an additive on the plastics in order to keep the plactic from melting into the PVC tackleboxes .
it turned the bait white and was made up primarily of sodium salicitate or sodium iodide ,but it made the bate look dusted with powder which did not look appealing to the consumer. So in the late 80s they decided to just say impregnated with salt for more flavor .they incorporated in in the pour and it stuck.
You think fish taste salt? Its a cover up always has been.

I think it was Gene Larew who came up with the salt idea & said they’d hold onto the bait longer with salt in it. It’s also added for sink rate which is why an original senko sinks like it does. Salt will also alter the texture of soft plastic. Chomp down on one with salt & one without as an experiment & see if you still think it can’t be tasted. That said I don’t add salt when I make my soft plastics because it will eventually scratch the inside of your injector & prematurely wear out the o rings inside it.

[X - Pro]

My first experience with salt plastics were Gene Larew Salt Craws mid 80s I used them for flipping mostly also some times as jig trailers. I had a very good product sponsor with a california hand pour company Keeper Worms but needed to use the salt craws for tournaments so I bought them direct. Gary Yamamoto was using salt at the time as well . Larew claimed they invented the proccess and tried to clame exclusive rights Later Don Iovino used to sprinkel salt on 50 packs of his hand pours for the packing process not for taste or sinking properties but kept bulk baits laying straight in the bags. as mentioned before remove baits from the hooks and rinse them.

[OconeeMike]

I'll stick with salted baits and take them off before rinsing my rods and putting them away.

[barkleyhawggitter]

hang up more and break off like me, no time for a hook to get rusty.