A friend directed us towards this thread, and we figured we would chime in. We highly recommend storing ElaZtech baits in their original packaging and out of extreme heat (eg, inside a vehicle on a hot day, on the deck of a boat in the direct sun, etc). ElaZtech also has more memory than regular plastisol that other baits are made from, so it’s important not to compress the baits in a way that can deform them).
The vast majority of all melting issues we’ve seen have been due to ElaZtech coming in contact with incompatible substances, namely other types of soft baits. ElaZtech is a completely different type of plastic, and a chemical reaction results when ElaZtech comes in contact with incompatible materials. Most tackle boxes will not affect ElaZtech; rather, ElaZtech may cause the box itself to deform, and baits can be jostled around and bent in ways that cause them to be deformed due to the material’s memory, which is why we recommend keeping the baits in their original packaging.
Normal heat does not affect ElaZtech, and storing baits in a garage or a compartment of a boat will not lead to issues as long as the steps above are followed. We are located in South Carolina, where it gets pretty darn hot. I’ve stored my baits in their packaging either in my boat or my garage for 10 years and have never had a bait melt. In fact, our warehouse is not climate controlled, and we store millions of baits in there both in bulk and packaged. On really hot days like today, temperatures on our top racks are well in excess of 100 degrees, and we have never had a single bait melt in our warehouse.
There’s a video on our YouTube channel on proper bait storage that is somewhat dated but is still worth watching if you still have questions, and we’re working on an updated version that will include some of our recent storage solutions as well as several from other companies like Plano and Flambeau. All that said, we understand that ElaZtech is a completely different kind of material and that there is a learning curve involved with rigging and storing it, so feel free to drop us an email, shoot us a Facebook or Instagram message, or give us a call if you have questions or need assistance. We feel strongly that the benefits of ElaZtech - namely the durability, buoyancy and softness, but also the fact that the material is 100% non-toxic unlike most other softbaits - greatly outweigh any minor inconvenience related to storage!
