The "Illusion of Speed" ?????

[jlong]

As everyone knows, I'm a straight crankbait fool. But, I'm always looking to expand my horizons and cannot ignore the jointed crankbaits as much as I do. Everyone refers to the jointed baits as giving the "Illusion of Speed". I understand where that term came from... but why is the ILLUSION a good thing?

For example, in cold water periods... guys claim that jointed baits are more productive due to this "Illusion of Speed". But, the old paradigm of SLOW is BETTER in cold water is contradictory. Perhaps the ILLUSION is not a visual thing at all and the illusion is actually of the lateral line? A jointed bait displaces more water and has more vibration than a straight crank at slower speeds? Thus, you can work them slower without compromising how well a musky can FEEL your lure?

I guess I'm trying to understand why an ILLUSION would be better than giving them the REAL thing. If they want a fast bait, why not give them a fast bait... rather than a slow bait that appears to be going fast? Any ideas? Am I off the wall? Please enlighten me.

jlong

[muskiedaze]

j, my interpritation of "the illusion of speed" thing is more like a glide bait going back and forth rapidly but not really getting anywhere. i think spence petros may have coined the term.
john
www.speedkills.com

[Waterwolf]

I agree!
You are OFF THE WALL!!!!!!
:)
Have a good one!
The Wolf

[MRoberts]

Jason, from my interpretation “Illusion” is good because: As the bait wiggles and wobbles it looks or feels, or maybe both like the bait is moving fast. It causes a reaction where the musky feels it must react now, before the bait moves to far away. But the bait isn’t really moving that fast so the fish has no problem lining up the bait and making a successful attack. If the bait really was moving fast the fish may have a harder time lining up the attack and successfully completing it.

I think muskiedaze is exactly right about glide baits also having that “illusion” of speed, but I have witnessed a number of times in clear water where the fish reacts to that quick glide to the side and totally whiffs on the bait because it is not where it was a second earlier. With a straight line jointed crank the direction of travel is predictable to the fish. That being said I am a glide bait guy and have caught far more fish on them then on jt. cranks. Because I feel that side to side acceleration is even more of a trigger than the jt. cranks “illusion” of speed, though I feel that is a valid triggering mechanism that has it’s place.

Nail A Pig!

Mike

Let 'em go, Let 'em Grow

[dickp]

Hi.I'm with MR on this.Watch a jted depth raider.Wiggles like heck and appears to be 'goin every which way fast',but isn't.Extremely rare for a fish to miss that bait-or to get off that bait.
OK does our 'illusion'affect fish?We are back to the triggering thing but I think it does affect them favorably at times.The first time I heard this was in a Joe Bucher article.
I'll share an 'illusion'that happened to me today on a predator hunt.I'm glassing from a hilltop and spot a fox 'asleep'in a rockpile.OK,I sneak thru a lot of mud in a plowed field to get closer(48 degrees here today!)Get to 240 paces or so and because the mud is worse ahead I decide to take the shot from there.I lay down in the mud.I use my jacket as a rest in the mud.I shoot and hit it.OK!Now I walk thru serious mud to the fox.One problem,there is a stub of a cigarette in its mouth.Someone set me up big time."Illusions'work at times.

[firstsixfeet]

I was hoping that phrase would die out of the vernacular. I don't think it has the slightest relationship to what is going on with the lure or the interpretation of the lure action by the fish. Illusion of struggle I would buy, illusion of a distracted forage item acting unwarily would be ok too. I agree with Dick and remember seeing this in a Joe Bucher article. How something going 2-3 miles an hour gives the illusion of speed is beyond me.

Acceleration burst would be the only illusion of speed I can create in my boat, and even though the acceleration is pitiful in relation to what a musky can do, the musky doesn't know that when the bait starts to create space between target and musky.

Loved the story Dick, but have 3 questions.
1. How deep was the mud?
2. What brand was it smoking?
3. Did anybody happen to catch the event on video??????

[MRoberts]

FSF, I think that the “illusion” comes from the two body parts moving rapidly back and forth. It’s not really an illusion it's actual action. With the jointed cranks the two shorter body parts move faster back and forth than a single long body. I don’t know what Mr. Bucher’s thought process was when he wrote the statement or how he came up with it. But I read it in his book and it made me think about the baits and how to use them more effectively. I now have certain situations where I use them because of it.

It’s all about confidence, it doesn’t really matter what you use to justify it.

Nail A Pig!

Mike

Let 'em go, Let 'em Grow

[Esox Masq]

I don't know about the "illusion of speed" but jointed baits are so effective in coolwater periods (as well stained water) because they displace so much water (stimulate the lateral line) and get a fish turned on, while not moving out of a lethargic fishes strike zone too quickly.