I find it hard to believe that i can pour plastics and get anywhere near what I am buying in a GYCB or even zoom baits.   Also is pouring your own baits any cheaper, or do you end up spending about the same as buying baits off the shelf.  I have no experience in this area, so any opinions would help.

It's worth it, if you are wanting to get a certain color.  You might be able to find something comparable, but, nothing as specific as some could want.

As for being cheaper, probably not, unless several years down the road.  You have to buy the molds, the plastic, the dyes and the glitters, not to mention the stuff to make it with.  

Just get the basic stuff that I need to start the business I want to make, I will need $750, but, I have scaled that back somewhat, and now, I only need like $450.  

Just depends on your needs, to be honest.

Senkos 70 cents apiece,  

Custom hand pours. 10-15 cents

When you first start puring plastics your accully loosing money just becasue of the expensise to get all the things you need (melting poit, salt, glitter, sceants, dyes, molds, softer ect) but once you start making them you will save money because it cost less to make them then buy them. Id like to say its your style. Are you a guy that spends alot of time making soft bait  and saving money or you a guy that spends no time on making baits but dossent save money?

Senkos 70 cents apiece,

Custom hand pours. 10-15 cents

How do you come up with that?  If you have taken into consideration all the costs of getting all the things that you will need, then, there is no way that the prices are that far apart.

If you get the mold from Del-Mart, for the Senko, for the 5" version, that has 4 cavities, you will be spending $62.00 on it.  Lure Craft is now carrying a round Senko, and each mold has only one cavity, and they are $10 for the 1 cavity.  Add in the cost of plastic, the dyes, the glitter, and the scents that you wanna use, then you could be spending a good chunck of change.  It would take a couple of purchases to even get an even meet on the price.

I find it hard to believe that i can pour plastics and get anywhere near what I am buying in a GYCB or even zoom baits.

Injection molds that are automated will usually produce particular designs not possible with one or two part molds. Many designs, can only be poured with a one part mold, resulting in a flat side. Flat sided baits do work, but are not as pleasing to the eye. I takes a bit of practice to get certain baits just right, Senkos especially, but it can be done.

 Also is pouring your own baits any cheaper, or do you end up spending about the same as buying baits off the shelf.

Similar to the sport/hobby of  fishing, how much time and money you spend getting into the lure crafting hobby, determines how much you'll save years down the road. But the primary reason people get into the hobby is for the satisfaction of seeing the lure they created catch fish, regardless by who. There are many handpoured baits that are a slam dunk and which you would never have to buy again if you made them yourself.

A friend of mine got into it at the same time. He started his own business and this last Sat. sold over $300 worth at a fishing seminar we went to. He has spent over $2000 in equipment and does a pretty good business on-line, but it requires commitment.

MY BROTHER POURS HIS OWN LURES & HE MAINLY DOES IT FOR A HOBBY..THE COOL THING ABOUT IT IS YOU CAN COME UP WITH YOUR OWN COLOR SCHEMES & COMBINATIONS .THEY SELL SOME KIND OF RTV THAT YOU CAN CREATE YOUR OWN MOLD WHICH IS REALLY COOL.YOU CAN TAKE ANY LURES & PIECE EM TOGETHER TO CREATE YOUR OWN...

Well' the way I come up with that? #1 I don't buy molds, with a research you will find that making your own molds is very cheap if you build them out of plaster or other mat'l. thats out there. I'm talking making a number of molds out of 5-10 bucks of plaster of paris. Scent,dye and even the right salt go a long way after you get past the learning curve. I guess if your looking to start mass producing right out of the box and want to drop a bunch of money before you know whats happening, yes, you would have to pour a lot of baits to get the cost down. I can break it down for you to the cent if you want, but to make it simple with plastic (one gallon, dye three colors, scent I make myself,salt I pay very little for I can pour enough baits for myself to keep it very inexpensive. I don't need 40 different colors because I'm only pouring what works for me. If you want alum. molds and high production pots, etc., yes, it will be hard to pour that cheap for quit some time unless you have a major customer you are supplying.

Not worth it unless you enjoy it as a hobby.

Ditto! Don't do it just for money-saving reasons. Also, it's a time investment as well. I just started pouring plastics myself. I'm keeping it simple and making my own molds, which saves a lot on initial cost. I'm also able to melt down old worms and other plastics to make new lures. In the end I think I'll save a little bit of money by making stuff myself, but I wouldn't waste my time if I didn't find the hobby enjoyable.