Choosing a flasher

[Foxsea]

The flasher is all about providing flash and action to the lure. The shape of the flasher and the flash is what's important. (U.V. and Glo can provide the flash at greater depths.) Less so the color. The flasher action is dependent on boat speed and the distance the flasher trails behind the release. That action is transferred down the leader to the lure. So leader length and stiffness counts. The lure and it's action is critical as it's what triggers the bite. And of course it needs to be placed where the fish are.

So by general degree of importance, I put placement as #1 consideration. Lure (or bait) is #2, leader type and length is #3 and boat speed is #4. Flasher and trailing distance is #5 and 6. Some will also put scent and electrical potential somewhere in the mix.

I tend to agree with Scott, chromatose007, Halimark and others. Many different flashers can work well but for what it's worth I generally use some version of green with silver, U.V. and glow as my go-to flashers and then vary the other factors, within reason, until I'm catching fish. If you have a dozen different flashers in your bag you likely have too many.

 

[fishin solo]

Clean your gear religiously and it will take care of you

 

[barkerfam]

I started using spindoctor about two years ago. I like the action but LOVE the way it exits the water. It seems to come out at an angle thereby reducing the sudden slack that some flashers give when they break the water.
Hb

 

[nootkaassassin]

Ol’ school green or red chrome hotspot on 1 side of the boat. The plastic on the old flasher glows under UV light too.

 

[advTHXance]

thoughts on gibbs vs hotspot:

Hotspot flashers have way better swivels than the Gibbs ones.
Gibbs has some very nice color patterns.
The plastic on the Hotspots seems thicker and heavier, flicking a Gibbs flasher with your finger makes a cheap almost tinny noise.
I find the Hotspots have a little more drag to them.

thoughts on shiny things and colors:

UV light penetrates the water column better than regular light
All colors will eventually fade to black/grey/white as depth increases (red fades first, the ultraviolet colors fade last)
Glow, UV (and white) are effective at greater depths
Many of my favorite flashers (aside from the Betsy which is a special case) either start with a UV or glow blade, and have some combination of UV/glow
Many of my favorite spoons use a combination of UV/glow
My favorite teaser heads all glow or reflect UV light

If your goal is to get more fish to see your gear, you probably want stuff that will attract their attention. In a lot of cases this means glow/uv/moonjelly/doubleglow/indiglow/etc. If youre fishing shallow, you can use whatever color you want, but as you increase the depth the colors will fade and your gear wont be as noticeable. If the fish are behaving timidly maybe bright shiny things arent the best way to entice a bite. Theres a lot to consider!

 

[halimark]

In my experience the flashers of today are NOT the flashers from 80s and 90s. Still have a couple oldies, they still work, still have their plastic tape and shine. The new ones today as some have posted need swivels changed after each year, tape peals off, color fades. Same as the 1 time use very expensive cheap spoons. Seams its all about getting your $$$$ now. Those old flashers and spoons are still solid from years ago.

As for flasher importance, as long as it revolves properly and flashes its WAY down on my priority list now. Area, fish availability?, speed, depth, lure action and color all seam to have more fish catching importance than flasher color. Then again that glow green has my faith.

HM

 

[Trophy]

I too had flasheritis down the angling aisle but learned to control my impulse buying through experience as attested to through the many words of wisdom from many of the above experienced contributors. I always start with a bright green flasher on one side and a bright silver one on the other. Notice I didn't name them, Any ‘“bright” flasher of that colour. What works best first, then both rods get the same flasher. Deeper dark water (Can be 100 ft or 150 ft depending on the algae, runoff, light, etc) flasher must be GLOW and is hit with a black light before going down as is the lure. Fish targeted dictate flasher/lure combo as well. Ie. coho like it flashy, fast, lots of action...go with silver flasher and smaller quick action like spoons. Oh yay when nothing is working my wife pulls out her watermelon flasher and similar spoon, you guessed it, fish on. You never know!

 

[ab1752]

Agree hotspot flasher tackle is the only ones I dont chop off out of the box.

 

[Matthew S.]

At What Depth Underwater Does Color Disappear?

• Red - 15ft
  
  
• Orange - 25ft
  
  
• Yellow - 35-45ft
  
  
• Green - 70-75ft

Don't forget to add in the horizontal distance. If you are 10ft underwater, and you are viewing an object 10ft away, the light has actually travelled 20ft, and all of the reds will be filtered out.

I have two flashers...silver and silver. One I use , the other I use when I lose or break the other. I think like the rest of fishing stuff, it's made to lure the fisherman, fisherwomen.

 

[Dogbreath]

I just looked up the price of those Dreamweaver Spin Doctors-now I need to go & lie down for a bit (!)

 

[barkerfam]

I just looked up the price of those Dreamweaver Spin Doctors-now I need to go & lie down for a bit (!)

like everything, sales happen. I got mine at a discount. They are quite common in the Great Lakes. Not so much out here. I think the 8” size gives as much action as a typical 11”.
Hb

 

[dmurph]

I pretty much always run a green or chartreuse glo. I remember a top rod telling me once when I was starting you can run any colour flasher or teaser head you want as long as it’s green. I will use others for fun, the purple haze and purple onion ones have been good to us over the years

 

[Discus]

What about the metal flashers
Such as Nookia , ABE & AL , Dodger PAL etc.

Are the Nookia or Sockeye fishers not good for dummy?

Anyone does still using the metal flashers ?

 

[RiverBoy]

What about the metal flashers
Such as Nookia , ABE & AL , Dodger PAL etc.

Are the Nookia or Sockeye fishers not good for dummy?

Anyone does still using the metal flashers ?

Fish in the 1970s and 80’s loved them! Now all the fish only like Gibbs Delta product. they still work. have a couple of those Nootka flashers and they still produce

 

[Tugcapitan]

Did an experiment while guiding over 20 years ago. Used the same depth on both sides of the boat, same lure, with a glow flasher on one side, and one absolutely clear no colour no tape just plain like plexiglass flasher on the other side. Zero difference in catch rate on a good day.
That being said, I have had days where switching from green to red or vice versa made a difference, but I don’t think it’s that big a deal. The rest of the game is more important.

 

[jim morrow]

I just looked up the price of those Dreamweaver Spin Doctors-now I need to go & lie down for a bit (!)

I have not been to Bass Pro Shop for a while.
Their price on a Coyote flasher was like $23 a year or two ago. Pricey!

 

[RBL]

This is an old one but I still use it every year in Barkley Sound.

 

[donnie d]

Did an experiment while guiding over 20 years ago. Used the same depth on both sides of the boat, same lure, with a glow flasher on one side, and one absolutely clear no colour no tape just plain like plexiglass flasher on the other side. Zero difference in catch rate on a good day.
That being said, I have had days where switching from green to red or vice versa made a difference, but I don’t think it’s that big a deal. The rest of the game is more important.

Yep...save your money. All I need is 2 with a 3rd in the gunnel ready to go if something F’d up happens. As long as they’re spinning and sending out the good vibrations you’re good imo.

 

[Reeltime]

#1 Bonchovy flasher chartreuse crushed glow and UV .. an all year round killer Vancouver dirty water flasher
#2 Red racer Uv glow orange stripe to one side like an old school commercial flasher
#3 Hot spot double crinkled chrome wicked summer flasher in clean water slamming HO'S ... no clue of the name

 

[searun]

This is an old one but I still use it every year in Barkley Sound.

That colour doesn't work...nothing to see here, move along.