So I’ve been watching a few videos on 3D printers and am intrigued. Does anyone have one or worked with them in the past? If so what are your thoughts as they are now reasonably priced and doesn’t seem as if you have to be an engineer to operate one. It looks like with some printers you can see the individual lines printed on the bait. Can this plastic be easily sanded? I’m sure I would make some crankbaits and top waters, but may also make some big swimbaits to mold to make a silicone molds to pour soft plastic.

Ive looked into this in the past as well. There are some pretty nice looking templates on thingiverse like this crankbait with internal rattle chamber and hook hanger locations: Crankbait Fishing Lure by sthone

As far as sanding goes, you wont have any issues there, it sands fine. Then can be painted or airbrushed like normal and finished with an epoxy coat.

I've worked with a wide variety of them. Eventually someone will get this refined for lures. You'd have to do some real experimentation with materials to figure out which would work best for lures. I've seen everything from silicone like plastic to harder plastic with carbon fiber interwoven (and everything in between). The best material for a hard plastic would probably be a nylon glass bead material. HP makes a printer that has product that comes out looking like it was injection molded. Cosmetically flawless and highly durable. Those printers will set you back 150 grand though.

Anyway, not to discourage you here. I think someone will hit it big in the fishing world printing lures, but it'll probably take some reasonably deep experience or pockets to find the best printer/material. A hobby printer can be had on amazon for a grand or so that'll absolutely print lures that would "work".

This is a really good post that shouldn’t be ignored.
As lure makers, we are exposed to some nasty stuff
I know when it’s 110 degrees in the garage, it’s a beating to wear a mask and goggles; but it’s really important

My dad was a chemical engineer, living next to and around refineries all his life
He, despite being in incredible health, and many of his colleagues were taken down quickly by very aggressive forms of cancer

Over exposure to just about any industrial chemical can be an issue. We put Plexiglas around our smaller printers to minimize partical dispersion. For our larger industrial printers we have the techs where pressurized masks out of an abundance of caution.

Like Blue Moon said there are multiple outsourcing companies that are easy to work with. I have used Shapeways for a wild idea of my own!

I've thought about buying one but it is to cheap to farm out.

What was the cost on outsourcing? Making a bunch of baits or just a master?