Spinnerbait - Water Movement

[Bartableman7]

I was reading an article that spinnerbait blades actually 'cut through' the water...they DO NOT push out water or pulses when tested in a tank.  So in muddy water it seems there advantage is size and easy target.  Any other insites on the 'water vibrations' theory?

[NavyToad]

Those blades thumping at the end of my line are definitely displacing water and not cutting through the water IMO. I don’t care if Einstein conducted the research, I ain’t buyin’ it.

[A-Jay]

First off, Big Spinnerbait fan here. 

While I do believe the vibration, lift and flash is pretty important, 

seems that how they do it could be similar to a fan.

Are those blades cutting or displacing the air ? 

I'm not sure honestly. 

But I do know what happens when I stick my finger in there. 

A-Jay

[Team9nine]

55 minutes ago, NavyToad said:

Those blades thumping at the end of my line are definitely displacing water and not cutting through the water IMO. I don’t care if Einstein conducted the research, I ain’t buyin’ it.

 

I would agree. Article sounds bogus or misleading. Even a knife blade ran through the water would put out small pressure waves and resulting vortices, just like the smallest of minnows. I’d need to read it to see exactly what was being stated, but sounds incorrect to me.

[the reel ess]

When the water is muddy I'll go to my "nighttime" spinnerbait with large Colorado blade. Fish find it somehow.

[DitchPanda]

29 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

First off, Big Spinnerbait fan here. 

While I do believe the vibration, lift and flash is pretty important, 

seems that how they do it could be similar to a fan.

Are those blades cutting or displacing the air ? 

I'm not sure honestly. 

But I do know what happens when I stick my finger in there. 

A-Jay

I'm no genius but I'd say its displacing air..otherwise how would it put off a breeze? If it cut thru the only disturbance would be right against both sides of the fan guard/cover. That's my guess.

[Sphynx]

If they were testing for visible disturbance in the water I wholeheartedly believe these results, but I bet you would find a very different result if you stuck a sonar in that tank and measured the results, they make noise, and displacement is still displacement, visual or not.

[GreenPig]

45 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

I'm no genius but I'd say its displacing air..otherwise how would it put off a breeze? If it cut thru the only disturbance would be right against both sides of the fan guard/cover. That's my guess.

But is the fan pulling or pushing the air? ?

[Deleted account]

spinnerbait blades displace water, move water, and generate vibrations, 3 different but related interactions, and not simple or intuitive.  

[scaleface]

I dont know . I saw the wake of a bass in muddy water move several feet to get to a little Beetle Spin . I dont think it could see the bait but it knew where it was at and where it was heading .

[DitchPanda]

1 hour ago, GreenPig said:

But is the fan pulling or pushing the air? ?

Yes!

[king fisher]

All I know, is when the blades aren't spinning, a spinnerbait turns in to the worst jig ever made.

[bigspirit]

Reel one just below the surface. They definitely displace water

[gim]

3 hours ago, bigspirit said:

Reel one just below the surface. They definitely displace water

 

And the bigger/wider the blade, the more water they displace.  Additionally, the more resistance there is reeling in too.

[Deephaven]

9 hours ago, Bartableman7 said:

I was reading an article that spinnerbait blades actually 'cut through' the water...they DO NOT push out water or pulses when tested in a tank.  So in muddy water it seems there advantage is size and easy target.  Any other insites on the 'water vibrations' theory?

Lol, wherever you read that....stop reading there.

[MIbassyaker]

"Cutting" does not mean no movement or no vibration. As the bait is retrieved, water presses on the blades and they cut sideways to rotate, as that's the path of least resistance.  But "least resistance" is not "no resistance", and blades also move water as they go forward. The pressure on the blades moving forward is converted through rotation into pressure waves that travel outward from the blade and can possibly be picked up by the ear or lateral line (depending on the frequency).

 

So yes they cut. And they move water. And they create vibrations.

[Boomstick]

Was the article pushing (trying to sell you) an alternative by chance?

[Rich12]

A spinner bait blade is just like an airplane wing.  As the blade moves through the water, water moving over the top of the blade speeds up while that under the blade stay static speed.  Just like an airplane, the faster water over the top creates lift.  The pulsing you feel can be compared to a helicopter blade spinning.  The advancing blade generates move lift than the retreating blade. Thus, the whop whop whop you year from a helicopter.   The "advancing" portion of the blade is as it moves over the top of the spinner bait, the retreat is when it moves below the wire behind the head into disturbed water.  This DOES create pressure waves (vibration) that does transmit through the water.  If it did not, you would never catch a bass out of water that looks like chocolate milk. 

 

I might add, the larger and more cup in a blade, the bigger thump you get.  Dirtier the water, bigger blade I would use.  Say go from a willow leaf to a quarter size or larger Colorado or Indiana blade

 

[Bartableman7]

I'm still digging for the article that tested the spinnerbait "pressure wave" in a tank.  What I do remember it was specific to the sides of the bait not showing "wave pressure"...NOT the back or front. (Like a fan or prop)  I'll keep looking.  I remember is was a large tank with sensors on the glass.

[Rich12]

Anytime anything displaces water, it creates a pressure wave.   The wake of a boat is displaced water. Spinner blade, same thing.  Get near a Tug boat on the Mississippi River and you will understand displaced water.

 

[Ppennin986]

That’s what the lateral line on the fish detects “Vibration”

 

[MIbassyaker]

3 hours ago, Bartableman7 said:

I'm still digging for the article that tested the spinnerbait "pressure wave" in a tank.  What I do remember it was specific to the sides of the bait not showing "wave pressure"...NOT the back or front. (Like a fan or prop)  I'll keep looking.  I remember is was a large tank with sensors on the glass.

 

Please post it if you find it.  There has got to be a misinterpretation somewhere in the reporting about the results....there is simply no physical way something can move in the water without creating pressure waves.  

 

Maybe they can be too small for fish to detect. Or the wrong frequency, or something.

 

 

[huZZah]

On 8/21/2021 at 11:58 AM, Bartableman7 said:

I was reading an article that spinnerbait blades actually 'cut through' the water...they DO NOT push out water or pulses when tested in a tank.  So in muddy water it seems there advantage is size and easy target.  Any other insites on the 'water vibrations' theory?

The science that they do pulse/move water is empirical. You can see it, feel it, hear it…and you’re not even a fish with special receptors for it. That’s gotta be a misread or something. 

[LrgmouthShad]

I am paying much more attention to the specific frequency I believe my blade(s) are putting off more than anything else right now. That is affected by not only blade type but wire length and diameter. Probably more factors as well. 
 

Not really too interested in water displacement even though Clunn talked about it a whole lot in. spinnerbait seminar. 

[scaleface]

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Not really too interested in water displacement

Same here . I dont even think about it . I throw a willow/colorado combo almost 100 percent of the time unless night fishing . Then I throw a Midnight Special and it comes armed with a Colorado .