Hydrodynamics of the paddletail

[tubinator]

Since many here on TU have been experimenting with and producing the paddletail swimbaits, I have noticed that modifications to the original bait design are starting to appear. The small colorado blade design of the tail seems to give a tight, fast wobble to the bait. Thinking along the lines of different blades on a spinnerbait, and how to incorporate the different blades into a paddletail swimbait, I am wondering what a willowleaf shaped tail will do to the action of the bait, how about a big ole colorado blade shape, will it throw out more vibs. for muddy water conditions and maybe slow the wiggle. I just hope to get your thoughts on the different tail designs and applications and maybe get some dialog going which we can apply to this bait as well as others.

[earthworm77]

I'm thinking the thinner you go a la willow leaf, the smaller the vibration, which I think to be true on a spinnerbait. I also think, after pourin these baits that if you go too long on the tail, the more plastic you pour on it, it will likely dampen out the action.

I prefer a larger colorado type tail myself, imagining the willow, there has to be some point where the bottom edge simply folds over upon retrieve and the rest of the tail will struggle to work properly. I have been pouring my tails slightly thicker than the BassTrix baits so I am sure the tail will thump pretty well.

[Delw]

Since many here on TU have been experimenting with and producing the paddletail swimbaits, I have noticed that modifications to the original bait design are starting to appear. The small colorado blade design of the tail seems to give a tight, fast wobble to the bait. Thinking along the lines of different blades on a spinnerbait, and how to incorporate the different blades into a paddletail swimbait, I am wondering what a willowleaf shaped tail will do to the action of the bait, how about a big ole colorado blade shape, will it throw out more vibs. for muddy water conditions and maybe slow the wiggle. I just hope to get your thoughts on the different tail designs and applications and maybe get some dialog going which we can apply to this bait as well as others.

The main deal with vibration is going to be the hardness of you plastic.

nothing wrong with changing the tail on anything makes for a unique looking bait too. Changing the tail design will also change some vibration but remember is has alot to do with hardness and thickness of the plastic .

if lets say you used x brand of plastics for a certain batch of swimbaits and used x brand again for a new tail style the virbration will change, however if you used x brand with a tad of softener or hardener you can match the vibration of the new tail.

Hope that makes sense.

I've been fishing a long time and sometimes we make things that wouldn't make any difference to the fish.

A bass will eat anything you put in front of it if they are hungry.

lets say your fishing in a spot and using 4 inch org one basstrix and catching a ton of fish. if you throw a 4"modified one in there your going to catch the same amount of fish Most of the time, ( ie keeping the same color and shape being very close)

I like fishing spinnerbaits and jigs. I generally throw a white flw titanium 1/2 oz spinner baite ( pure white) no trailer.

if I break one off and or run out, I go to the box and pick up with next white spinner bait I have doesnt make any difference in the blades. I've noticed it makes a huge difference in the in the weight. Sometimes they will only bite on the 3/8oz that my partner throws. but the color of the blades and the color of the bait and the retrieve are what they like.

My partner throws a 1/2oz also for years we couldn't figure out why he couldn't get bit. I am not kidding you on blades I would catch 10 fish to his one.

We ended up running out of 1/2 white blades ( we forgot them at home) I found a 3/8s in the boat and gave it to him. he started catching fish just like I was.

after a few weeks we finally figured it out, he was reeling in slower than I was and using a 5:1-1 reel. was using a 6:1.1 reel.

I am stubborn and don't change my retrieve and find it hard to go slower, plus I have had very good luck with the way I do it. he on the other hand

reels differently than I do and its hard for him to match the way I do it, so we adjusted the baits and we are pretty equal in what we catch now( hope that makes sense) it also boils down to all confindence.

I have a chub e that I like to throw, I throw it the same way I throw by spinner baits and in the same spots I throw spinnerbaits.

the chub e works just as good as the blade as long as I use it in pure white and have lots of gold flake in the tail. yes the bait is uglier than crap but it works for me.

Try changing the tails you never know if it will work for you or not, at teh very least you have a unique bait that no one else has.

Delw

[tubinator]

Delw, yes, allot of times they will eat whatever is in front of them, but, it's those times that they won't, when presentation, or color, or maybe both may be the key to five keepers. Early spring I do well with a 1/4 oz-double willow leaf spinner bait that is slowwwww rolled along the bottom. Silver with a hint of blue. These baits are out of production now, so I was hoping to make some swimbaits. Matching the color should be no problem, but matching the action, while slow rollin' it might be.

Maybe the colorado blade shape is the way to go, but different tail lengths, or paddle sizes, or angles of the paddle to the center of the body line, will control how wide or fast a wobble.

I also agree that the harness/thickness of the plastic used will also effect the action.

This bait seems to me to be a bait that can be easily/cheaply modified to perform in many different situations, from ding ding ding it's dinner times, to shhhhhhh the kids will here us.

[Delw]

Delw, yes, allot of times they will eat whatever is in front of them, but, it's those times that they won't, when presentation, or color, or maybe both may be the key to five keepers. Early spring I do well with a 1/4 oz-double willow leaf spinner bait that is slowwwww rolled along the bottom. Silver with a hint of blue. These baits are out of production now, so I was hoping to make some swimbaits. Matching the color should be no problem, but matching the action, while slow rollin' it might be.

Maybe the colorado blade shape is the way to go, but different tail lengths, or paddle sizes, or angles of the paddle to the center of the body line, will control how wide or fast a wobble.

I also agree that the harness/thickness of the plastic used will also effect the action.

This bait seems to me to be a bait that can be easily/cheaply modified to perform in many different situations, from ding ding ding it's dinner times, to shhhhhhh the kids will here us.

very easy baits to modify

I have a guy that I made some tails for using those funny L shaped blades, I forget what the call them( tomahawk blades?). He likes them enough to were he had me machine the alum tails the same shape.

also indian blades are very popular as well in place of the colorado blades.

[Tubeman]

I've often wondered what a squared off tail works like ?

[Delw]

Square tails work just like most of the other tails..

3:16 has some square tail swimbaits and I use them quite often.

I've often wondered what a squared off tail works like ?