Why It’s Important To Understand Paddletail Action Underwater
- By: Tony Acevedo
- on
Do you often wonder what a fish sees when you swim your paddletail lure through the water?
It is so important for presentation to understand the type of action your paddletail creates in the water.
Why do you ask?
Find out in this new video!
You’ve Got To See This Underwater Paddletail Comparison [VIDEO]
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This will give you a better idea of which type of paddletail you should be using in a given situation based on the action the lure gives off.
All of the hooks in this demonstration will be rigged on a 4/0 Owner Weighted Twistlock Hook.
Slam Shady Bomber
This is a larger 5-inch paddletail gives off more vibrations than smaller paddletails.
A Slam Shady Bomber is an excellent choice in murky water or windy conditions because it will grab the attention of fish.
You will need to fish this lure in current or with a faster retrieve to create the vibrating action of the tail.
The Bomber’s tail does not kick much in stagnant water using a slow retrieve.
If you are using a thicker paddletail that requires more resistance to produce the kicking motion, you will need current or a fast retrieve.
When bouncing the bomber along the bottom, the tail does not move much when descending back down because of the thickness of the lure.
If you went with a heavier weight on the hook, the Bomber or other thick paddletails can have more tail action on their way down.
Slam Shady 2.0
The Slam Shady 2.0 is a 3.5 inch paddletail that has constant tail action.
It is made of a slightly different material than the Bomber and has a thin connection from body to tail which creates a lot of kick.
Fast or slow retrieve the Slam Shady 2.0 for constant kicking action.
You should work this lure either in the middle of the water column or along the bottom.
When this lure is bounced along the bottom, the tail will kick on both the way down and up.
Any type of retrieve with this lure will provide an enticing presentation to a fish.
Z-Man PaddlerZ
This lure has a very skinny tail section so it gives off less of a vibration.
If there are finicky fish in either murky or clear water, this lure would be a great choice.
This lure would excel in clean water because you do not want as much tail vibration as other paddletails.
The best action with this lure can be created through rod twitches that cause the lure to dart back and forth.
A slow, aggressive twitch paired with a slow retrieve can give this lure an attractive darting action.
It is almost a cross between a paddletail and a jerk shad.
Z-Man lures are very buoyant so when this lure is worked at the bottom and falls back down after popping up, it sinks very slowly compared to other paddletails.
The lure stands on its head when it reaches the bottom which can be useful if you are fishing in grass flats or structure on the bottom and you want the lure to stand out.
ZMan MinnowZ
The MinnowZ is a very standard type of paddletail lure.
Again, this is a Z-Man lure which means it is a little more buoyant and might need a heavier hook than other paddletails.
This paddletail can be used in various conditions in clear water or murky water.
Similar to the Slam Shady 2.0, retrieving this lure at a fast or slow pace creates a tail vibration.
If you twitch this lure or bounce it along the bottom, this lure will not have tail kicking action as it sinks.
It spirals on its way back down to the bottom and is less consistent than the Slam Shady 2.0.
Conclusion
All paddletails have slight variations and differences that cause them to create different actions and a variety of presentations.
That can ultimately be the make or break between catching fish or not.
You should use these tips and information to better equip yourself with the proper paddletails for various conditions you’re fishing in!
Have any questions about how different lures move through the water?
Let me know in the comments below!
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Really great video bro. Always great to be able to visualize what your worm looks like under the water. What would be very informational for a lot of people too is the same video but how the lure does with structure. For instance, tall grass or rocks of some sort.
Thank you for the great feedback Joey! Thats a great idea!
Thanks Tony, I always learn something from your videos. I have been fishing the MinnowZ a lot, but I think I am going to switch it out for the PaddlerZ. I do a lot of jigging and didn’t realize there is not a lot of tail action on the MinnowZ. I still catch fish, but I think I will try for more tail action when jigging–maybe I’ll catch more fish! Thanks for this video.
You’re welcome Mark!
Great video Tony, Thanks a lot
Thanks Jerry! My pleasure!
Great video Tony. I was out in the Indian river yesterday and was using the Bomber on a 4/0 3/16th oz twistlock for my paddle tail. I have had a lot of luck with it in the past. I just watched another video this week about the importance of the lure being on the bottom where the big fish are, so I was really trying to “feel the bottom”. I noticed that I had to really slow my retrieve in order to stay low in that 1-2′ of murky water. I suspect the tail was probably not doing much at that speed. Maybe I misunderstood “on the bottom” and was trying to go too low. In 1-2 feet of water how deep would you typically want the bomber to be running?
Hey Bill!
In water that shallow you don’t necessarily have to work the bottom. What it really comes down to is getting the lure in the fish’s field of view or “strike zone” which is close to the bottom. Pretty much anything in that depth is close to bottom.
If you are having trouble working a lure close to the bottom in deeper water you’ll want increase the wight of your hook or jig head in order to work the lure slower and deeper.
Enlightening! I always check the action of my lure after I rig it right next to my yak just to make sure the lure is tracking properly. This brought that excercise to a whole new level. I learned I need to change some of my retrieves.
Thanks Tony for another informative video!!
Thank you for the great feedback Randy! My pleasure!
Paddletails requiring a faster retrieve to get good paddle action are non starters with me. The super buoyant elastech Zman minnowz is my go to lure.
They all definitely have their right time and place! I was hooked on the MinnowZ for a long time given that I ended up catching my biggest red on artificial my first day using it haha.
Great job Tony, appreciated as always. I’ve always been surprised at the success I’ve had fishing the PaddlerZ given it’s more subtle action, but as you mention, sometimes it’s what they want.
Thanks Thomas! Finesse presentations typically do best, but it requires a bit more patience in comparison to a more aggressive (or power) presentation.
Thanks Tony, very revealing video and lesson. Was surprised at the bomber I think I’ve been retrieving it a little too slow. Don’t really use the other two much at all, rely on the slam shady most of the time. Thanks again Brother
You’re welcome Jimmy! Yep not all paddle tails are created equal. A stiffer tail section needs more water resistance but will put off a lot more vibration once it gets going.
Really cool video Tony!
That’s a great visual comparison to what I feel on the rod tip during the retrieve. The SS 2.0 puts off a lot of vibration for its size, even more so than the Diesel MinnowZ.
I wonder if there is a direct correlation in the success rate of Zman product versus Slam Series product in murky and clear water?
BTW I like the music bed in video too, it gives it a little more dimension. Nice work!
Thank you for the awesome feedback Pat! Could definitely be something to test out! MinnowZ versus 2.0, Bomber vs. Diezel MinnowZ, etc.
Thanks, Tony. This probably isn’t worth a whole video, but folks should see what happens when lures are rigged even just a little bit badly. I used to look at my rushed rigs on the water and think, “Close enough” — the little bit of movement that I could see near the boat just didn’t show me much of a problem. Looking at a bad rig in clear conditions over a full retrieve, though, is eye-opening. Your lure can pretty easily become a Fish Terrifier.
Funny you mention that, I just made a video on this and should be out soon! haha