When plastic baits melt, dissolve, turn to mush

[Fawkinnae]

When plastic baits melt, dissolve, turn to mush - what the heck causes that and how do you prevent it?

[DDSBYDAY]

   I know this.   

[glenn57]

this happens to me catching fish all the time!!!!!!!!!


take your tackle box out of da sun!!!!!!1

[DDSBYDAY]

  Nope. 

[DDSBYDAY]

   Here we go..


    Soft plastics as part of their chemistry contain something called plasticiser.  Forgive the spelling, spell check does not recognize it.   

    Plasticiser is used to make a liquid plastic into a solid.  The problem is with enough time the plasticiser will eat away at your plastic tackle box.  It will eat away at your remote control for your tv if given enough time.  Warm it up in the sun and as Glenn57 mentioned it will do some damage.

   Commercially made soft plastics have a little different chemistry and are not as reactive as a non commercially made bait.  (given enough time and heat it will do some damage)

  The plasticiser will also react with vinyl paint.  Talk about a mess.  It turns the plastic and the paint from the jig head into a molten colored goo.  Given enough time it will eat through the different levels of your plastic tackle trays like the aliens acidic blood going through steel.

    What to do?   Remove your plastic bait from the jig when not in use. 
                       Keep them in the original package or a baggie.  (I know they are made of plastic but there is no reaction as far as I know).

          Fawkinnae, I should have warned you.

 
                         

[Fawkinnae]

I had an $8 plastic frog that I bought last year. I don't remember if I ever even used it. Last night I was screwing around in the basement with some tackle (wondering if I could get into Lee's nude beach... ahem... I mean...) anyway the stringy whiskers on the frog were all stuck together. Another from the compartment next to it was fine. WTF?

Want to avoid more damage in the future and wondering if there is any therapy that will help my fallen frog.

Thanks Mr. Science

[DDSBYDAY]

    Those whiskers are usually rubber.  Something must have dripped on it.  Those should not react with plastics.  I'm guessing it was a fluke and won't happen again.   

[Fawkinnae]

Anyway to repair the melted whiskers? Or just cut them off?

[glenn57]

  :scratch:seen lotz of frogs in my day..................but never none with whiskers????? castfish frog maybe??????????? :fishing2:

[DDSBYDAY]

  I'm guessing it's a hollow body with whisker legs.  If it's trashed you could operate on it's belly.  Thread some new legs though it's belly button and close it with vinyl adhesive.  Or get a new one.   

[Fawkinnae]

Mostly just want to avoid other victims.

[whiteoakbuck]

:scratch:seen lotz of frogs in my day..................but never none with whiskers????? castfish frog maybe??????????? :fishing2:

[Wyofish]

:scratch:seen lotz of frogs in my day..................but never none with whiskers????? castfish frog maybe??????????? :fishing2:

Sometimes those frogs forget to shave when they are cooped up in a tackle box all winter.