S
snowwhite
Guest
Just woundering what colour of flasherhoochie and plugs.Yoused in deepfishing.250ft plus? Thanks Snowwhite
Rum Buddies
Well-Known Member
GLOW & UV!
T
The Fish Assassin
Guest
Is herring a color?
Take only what you need.
Take only what you need.
T
tortuga
Guest
That must keep you busy fishing herring at 200+'
Slabby20
Active Member
Here's part of an article I found on Captain Dowriggin's site about his thoughts on flasher color.
Slabby
Color
Color is without a doubt the first thing mentioned among anglers when flashers are discussed. Every angler has a favorite color, manufacture, and "hot lure" for each one of their flashers- right? Admittedly, I certainly fall into this category too! When I conduct presentations or seminars I always pose the question of which flasher color is a favorite. Remarkably, 80 to 85-percent of the time the response is green followed by various other colors. There is a good reason why green is an effective flasher color to fish. However, many anglers only assume it is good because "everyone else is using it," or "have used for years with positive results," yet they do not understand why it is effective.
There is a lot of supporting evidence from manufactures, commercial fishermen, and sport anglers that strongly suggests flasher color makes a difference with regards to water conditions. It would be natural to assume I am referencing conditions such as tides/currents or swells versus flat water, etc. However, I am actually referring to water color and clarity. Water clarity and color is dictated by the amount of plankton and algae present and it's growth rate. Clarity can change from clear to cloudy (blurry) to murky, and colors can range from various shades of green with light greenish to light bluish hues, to blues, to light tea to dark tea-stained colors. The darker the color, the more plankton in the water. If, or when, you come across tea-stained water this is an indication of rapid plankton growth- called blooms. These blooms are usually a direct result stronger sunlight which has accelerated their growth rate. If you run into water that is mud-brown or gray, this is the result of high water (flooding) or snow melt (glacier melt) from rivers and will be touch upon below.
Clarity and Color
Let's touch briefly on how to determine clarity and color. Color is the easiest to determine because of it's immediate visibility unless we're on the water in darkness. Clarity is simple, but involves taking just a few minutes to lower the downriggers to approximately 10-feet with a flasher attached to the ball. At 10-feet the flasher should be very visible and clear in appearance. In cloudy water, the flasher will be blurry- somewhat distorted, and murky water, you'll be hard pressed to even see the flasher.
Color of flasher and conditions:
Green - The number one color in use for Washington waters. The reason green is an effective color for in Washington waters has to do mainly our water color and clarity. For instance, in Puget Sound we typical deal generally with clear water with light to normal greenish hues year around. Green is not only subtle, but offers a "natural" contrasting appearance to the underwater environment and is a great choice in flasher color for this condition.
Blue - The best conditions to use this color is when the water color has changed greenish hues to bluish hues or slightly murky water. It is also a very underrated color for deep fishing in Puget Sound as blue is one of the last colors to change appearance to gray underwater. Additionally, blue is also subtle in appearance and can be used in clear water applications although most anglers will stick to the green flasher.
Red - Sworn by many old timers! Although red is the first color in the spectrum to turn gray in appearance underwater, many anglers, including me, believe this gray color is closely associated with the color of plankton or krill. The color red is also know to trigger responses from many species of fish including salmon. Red flashers can be expected to produce quite well in clear water however, it is typically used in conjunction with algae/plankton or silt filled waters which range in color from dark greens to tea stained browns. Silted waters, or more accurately, glacier silt in Puget Sound is frequently encountered as the warmer temperatures of spring and summer melt snow pack sending a light to dark grayish water rushing downstream and emptying in to the salt. Because freshwater is lighter in weight than saltwater, this glacier silt (freshwater) rides on the surface or above the saltwater and ranges in depth from just a few inches to a foot or so. It does not fill the entire water column as most would believe. In these areas, many fish can be found a lot closer to the surface because the silt blocks out much of the light and gives fish a higher level of comfort.
Chartreuse - Nothing in nature matches this unique color, yet fish are oddly attracted to it’s hypnotizing powers! As far as a flasher color, chartreuse definitely has a time and place. It is commonly used in conjunction with murky waters that take effect when bright sunlight penetrates the water which rapidly accelerates the growth of plankton. This generally occurs in late spring through summer however, it can be experienced in those exceptional warm days of winter into early spring. Water color may be dark green, but it usually is brownish hues to dark tea-stained appearances. Chartreuse is bright enough to penetrate through this rapid growth of sea life and is visible for some distance.
Probably the most often over-looked timeframe to use a chartreuse flasher is in low light conditions, and we experience a lot of them here in Washington! Even though murky waters should be considered low light, I am referring to low light periods of early morning or late evenings and even the those days when the cumulonimbus clouds are hanging low and scary dark throughout the day!
White - No question… my personal favorite flasher color. White is considered a neutral color that doesn’t fall in to the primary or secondary color schemes. Therefore, white doesn’t react to radiant wavelengths that are effected by depth such as the red, yellow, orange, green, blue, or purple. White remains white no matter how deep we fish for salmon. While white is commonly associated with murky waters, I like it year around because of it’s visibility regardless of water conditions. It is bright enough for winter fishing and subtle in appearance during the summer so I am not scaring off fish. (It is hard to knock any white lure or flasher for big returning kings in summer for that matter.) Additionally, if I troll into areas of plankton filled waters, I do not have to bring the gear out of the water to change anything.
Purple - I have yet to see someone with a purple flasher! Why? I am unsure, but if you are into really deep fishing, purple is a “go to” color. I briefly mentioned above radiant wavelengths underwater and how certain colors turn gray before others. Purple, in this case, is the last color to turn gray in color. Like white, it also offers a certain amount of brightness and subtleness at the same time. Purple flashers can be fished in any water or light condition.
Black - Black flashers are very hard to come by these days as the Cop Car version has taken over by fulfilling the need for a unique yet effective color scheme. Black is also considered a neutral color and probably the most visible of any flasher due to silhouette rather than the color itself. The black flasher is effective for deep fishing or exceptionally bright days and it fills one situational void where I guarantee most anglers never thought of considering. This being on the water before or after dark with substantial moonlight overhead during the summer fishery. I am not suggesting fishing well into the evening or being on the water 3-hours before sunrise, rather that period just before or after civil twilight when fish are in the upper column, active and traveling under the cover of darkness. During this period, most anglers have either left for the ramp or just the opposite, arriving to the fishing grounds. I prefer to be fishing at this time as some of the best fishing of the day will be when the sky turns barely gray in color. If you cannot find a black flasher, the Cop Car version is a well suited substitution.
Glow in the Dark - Some manufactures have now added an all glow blade (no tapes) to their line up of flashers. These blades offer a little more glow effect over the standard flashers running glow in the dark tape. I don’t see much of an difference other than presenting the glow to the fish regardless of how the fish comes in to the gear. Whereas, most flashers have two types of tape- one side has reflective the other, generally glow visible to the fish one side at a time.
UV Flashers - Ultra violet (UV) is latest craze in tackle and for good reason. The fish can see ultra violet from great distances and it is visible at depths of up to 600-feet. I am still doing a lot of experimenting with the UV flashers so I can’t personally comment on overall effectiveness yet however, I will mention that a plain UV blade or one modified with glow tape on one side seems to be my most effective to date. Other anglers have mentioned that a UV flasher with a pink or purple stripe has been effective for them.
Slabby
Color
Color is without a doubt the first thing mentioned among anglers when flashers are discussed. Every angler has a favorite color, manufacture, and "hot lure" for each one of their flashers- right? Admittedly, I certainly fall into this category too! When I conduct presentations or seminars I always pose the question of which flasher color is a favorite. Remarkably, 80 to 85-percent of the time the response is green followed by various other colors. There is a good reason why green is an effective flasher color to fish. However, many anglers only assume it is good because "everyone else is using it," or "have used for years with positive results," yet they do not understand why it is effective.
There is a lot of supporting evidence from manufactures, commercial fishermen, and sport anglers that strongly suggests flasher color makes a difference with regards to water conditions. It would be natural to assume I am referencing conditions such as tides/currents or swells versus flat water, etc. However, I am actually referring to water color and clarity. Water clarity and color is dictated by the amount of plankton and algae present and it's growth rate. Clarity can change from clear to cloudy (blurry) to murky, and colors can range from various shades of green with light greenish to light bluish hues, to blues, to light tea to dark tea-stained colors. The darker the color, the more plankton in the water. If, or when, you come across tea-stained water this is an indication of rapid plankton growth- called blooms. These blooms are usually a direct result stronger sunlight which has accelerated their growth rate. If you run into water that is mud-brown or gray, this is the result of high water (flooding) or snow melt (glacier melt) from rivers and will be touch upon below.
Clarity and Color
Let's touch briefly on how to determine clarity and color. Color is the easiest to determine because of it's immediate visibility unless we're on the water in darkness. Clarity is simple, but involves taking just a few minutes to lower the downriggers to approximately 10-feet with a flasher attached to the ball. At 10-feet the flasher should be very visible and clear in appearance. In cloudy water, the flasher will be blurry- somewhat distorted, and murky water, you'll be hard pressed to even see the flasher.
Color of flasher and conditions:
Green - The number one color in use for Washington waters. The reason green is an effective color for in Washington waters has to do mainly our water color and clarity. For instance, in Puget Sound we typical deal generally with clear water with light to normal greenish hues year around. Green is not only subtle, but offers a "natural" contrasting appearance to the underwater environment and is a great choice in flasher color for this condition.
Blue - The best conditions to use this color is when the water color has changed greenish hues to bluish hues or slightly murky water. It is also a very underrated color for deep fishing in Puget Sound as blue is one of the last colors to change appearance to gray underwater. Additionally, blue is also subtle in appearance and can be used in clear water applications although most anglers will stick to the green flasher.
Red - Sworn by many old timers! Although red is the first color in the spectrum to turn gray in appearance underwater, many anglers, including me, believe this gray color is closely associated with the color of plankton or krill. The color red is also know to trigger responses from many species of fish including salmon. Red flashers can be expected to produce quite well in clear water however, it is typically used in conjunction with algae/plankton or silt filled waters which range in color from dark greens to tea stained browns. Silted waters, or more accurately, glacier silt in Puget Sound is frequently encountered as the warmer temperatures of spring and summer melt snow pack sending a light to dark grayish water rushing downstream and emptying in to the salt. Because freshwater is lighter in weight than saltwater, this glacier silt (freshwater) rides on the surface or above the saltwater and ranges in depth from just a few inches to a foot or so. It does not fill the entire water column as most would believe. In these areas, many fish can be found a lot closer to the surface because the silt blocks out much of the light and gives fish a higher level of comfort.
Chartreuse - Nothing in nature matches this unique color, yet fish are oddly attracted to it’s hypnotizing powers! As far as a flasher color, chartreuse definitely has a time and place. It is commonly used in conjunction with murky waters that take effect when bright sunlight penetrates the water which rapidly accelerates the growth of plankton. This generally occurs in late spring through summer however, it can be experienced in those exceptional warm days of winter into early spring. Water color may be dark green, but it usually is brownish hues to dark tea-stained appearances. Chartreuse is bright enough to penetrate through this rapid growth of sea life and is visible for some distance.
Probably the most often over-looked timeframe to use a chartreuse flasher is in low light conditions, and we experience a lot of them here in Washington! Even though murky waters should be considered low light, I am referring to low light periods of early morning or late evenings and even the those days when the cumulonimbus clouds are hanging low and scary dark throughout the day!
White - No question… my personal favorite flasher color. White is considered a neutral color that doesn’t fall in to the primary or secondary color schemes. Therefore, white doesn’t react to radiant wavelengths that are effected by depth such as the red, yellow, orange, green, blue, or purple. White remains white no matter how deep we fish for salmon. While white is commonly associated with murky waters, I like it year around because of it’s visibility regardless of water conditions. It is bright enough for winter fishing and subtle in appearance during the summer so I am not scaring off fish. (It is hard to knock any white lure or flasher for big returning kings in summer for that matter.) Additionally, if I troll into areas of plankton filled waters, I do not have to bring the gear out of the water to change anything.
Purple - I have yet to see someone with a purple flasher! Why? I am unsure, but if you are into really deep fishing, purple is a “go to” color. I briefly mentioned above radiant wavelengths underwater and how certain colors turn gray before others. Purple, in this case, is the last color to turn gray in color. Like white, it also offers a certain amount of brightness and subtleness at the same time. Purple flashers can be fished in any water or light condition.
Black - Black flashers are very hard to come by these days as the Cop Car version has taken over by fulfilling the need for a unique yet effective color scheme. Black is also considered a neutral color and probably the most visible of any flasher due to silhouette rather than the color itself. The black flasher is effective for deep fishing or exceptionally bright days and it fills one situational void where I guarantee most anglers never thought of considering. This being on the water before or after dark with substantial moonlight overhead during the summer fishery. I am not suggesting fishing well into the evening or being on the water 3-hours before sunrise, rather that period just before or after civil twilight when fish are in the upper column, active and traveling under the cover of darkness. During this period, most anglers have either left for the ramp or just the opposite, arriving to the fishing grounds. I prefer to be fishing at this time as some of the best fishing of the day will be when the sky turns barely gray in color. If you cannot find a black flasher, the Cop Car version is a well suited substitution.
Glow in the Dark - Some manufactures have now added an all glow blade (no tapes) to their line up of flashers. These blades offer a little more glow effect over the standard flashers running glow in the dark tape. I don’t see much of an difference other than presenting the glow to the fish regardless of how the fish comes in to the gear. Whereas, most flashers have two types of tape- one side has reflective the other, generally glow visible to the fish one side at a time.
UV Flashers - Ultra violet (UV) is latest craze in tackle and for good reason. The fish can see ultra violet from great distances and it is visible at depths of up to 600-feet. I am still doing a lot of experimenting with the UV flashers so I can’t personally comment on overall effectiveness yet however, I will mention that a plain UV blade or one modified with glow tape on one side seems to be my most effective to date. Other anglers have mentioned that a UV flasher with a pink or purple stripe has been effective for them.
Rum Buddies
Well-Known Member
If I have a sandwhich that is 90% sh*t and 10% ham, I don't call it a ham sandwhich.
By that I mean that the color or scheme of the reflective tape(90% of the flasher) is FAR more important then the little color trim around it.
not that I don't have my favorite color flashers - but I don't the color of the blade is whats most important about a flasher.
By that I mean that the color or scheme of the reflective tape(90% of the flasher) is FAR more important then the little color trim around it.
not that I don't have my favorite color flashers - but I don't the color of the blade is whats most important about a flasher.
C
Captain Downriggin
Guest
Poppa... you and I think the same! That's way I do just the opposite with color and glow tape...
www.captaindownriggins.com/flashers.htm
www.CaptainDownriggins.com
Island Fish Lifter
Well-Known Member
In my opinion, flasher colors are way overrated.
Hoochiebob
Well-Known Member
To glow or not to glow, that is the question
Hooch
Hooch
Charlie
Well-Known Member
Slabby20… I am partial to a “Hot Spot” flasher and as far as choice of color, this might help you!
Hoochiebob… Phosphorescent! Glow!
Yea, I agree with Poppa. The flasher is designed to attract fish trough vibrations first and then sight… transitioning the fish to the movement of the bait/lure. Leader length and presentation are far more important than flasher color, especially at 250 feet! The only possible difference would be the use of a Phosphorescent finish.
Captain Dowriggin’s, “White – No question… my personal favorite…” is pretty correct down here in Puget Sound for winter blackmouth especially running in deep water. Green and blue are a close second depending on clarity and depth and does follow what is called, the Spectrum Fishing Theory. FYI... white is made up of the colors red, blue, and green. As it descends it loses the color in its respective spectrum. Think about it? At approximately 14 feet it loses the red spectrum... leaving the blue and green to be seen. Not a bad choice! If I didn't have a choice and had to choose one single color to use, it would be white!
Light is absorbed by water according to wavelength with the longer wave radiation (red) absorbed first. Maximum transmission is for short wavelengths of light. This absorption accounts for the disappearance of color from flashers and lures. In other words, a red flasher will appear black in deep water because no red light is present to reflect. If one is running red or orange below 20 feet the color is not showing and it appears brown or black. If they are having success with these colors it is not due to the red or orange color, but related to the action, the flash (some glow paint or tape), or the fact that it is actually showing as black or brown in color. This is true as you move down in depth with the other colors.
We have all sought ways to determine the best colors. With most selecting a color either by asking others what's working or by picking one that has served well in the past. But the best way is to use the Spectrum. It has proven reliable. Red is the favorite choice of fish if the red light rays are visible to them. When red rays are not visible the closest to red in the color spectrum becomes the favorite. So, a red flasher or lure should be the first to consider! Not necessarily, red is also the first color to fade out entirely and usually at a depth of approximately 14 feet, hence why most people end up using green. Me included! Orange, purple, and ultraviolet rays disappear below 45 feet (13.7 m). Yellow is visible to 90 feet (27.4 m), green to 110 feet (33.5 m), and blue to 180 feet (24.4 m). Colors below their visibility range only show as grey or black. I do switch to blue quite a bit in the afternoon and on overcast days!
I use this to help me remember what colors to use, divide the solar spectrum into colors that are warm (red, orange, and yellow) or cold (green and blue). Warm colors are considered when fishing shallow water and in bright light. Cold colors when fishing deeper water and during lower-light periods.
Your metallics can also be considered, since they reflect specific colors. Brass and copper reflect close to yellow and orange, respectively. Silver reflects white. Nickel and chrome, like mirrors reflect existing color rays at their depth. Black is made up of all colors and hence is the best contrast color.
Fluorescent colors offered in some flashers and lures look really sharp; however, I see no real advantage for their use. Incidentally, fluorescents activated by ultraviolet rays are effective only in the upper 45 feet of the water column. Phosphorescent finishes are a different story, when exposed to light such as a flashlight they glow white. At least, for short periods then require recharging. Phosphorescent lures have proven effective on Chinook salmon especially early morning and late-evening.
Because it greatly affects color penetration, light intensity must be considered when selecting the color. During the day, direct sunlight is the main light source, but a lesser significant source is diffused sky light. Direct light rays striking the water at a 30-degree angle or less are reflected, not contributing any light downward. The exception is on windy days when the angles of waves catch some of the rays and send flashes of light downward. This is why a chop on the surface is such a big help to fishing. Once light strikes the water at an angle greater than 30 degrees, it starts to penetrate deeper and deeper as the sun moves toward noon, with maximum penetration at mid-day. Then the sun starts to descend and light intensity decreases to eventual darkness. It is important to realize that colors penetrate differently as the day advances and light intensity changes. For a while in early light only blue rays will show. Then gradually green will be visible to fish, then yellow, and so on. Mid-day is optimum for maximum penetration of all colors. During the afternoon, color visibility changes in reverse order with blue the last to be seen.
But in the end, you still need to remember; the most important thing is:
<center>Presentation - Presentation – Presentation! </center>
SerengetiGuide
Well-Known Member
Purple Haze is the MOST over rated flasher there is...out on the water I see us and other guys around us outfish it 3-1 using Oki Gold (Gold Betsy), or a few others depending on the run going through... I always look at the first fish we catch...check out the colors on its back and side..then choose the appropriate flasher from that...
www.serengetifishingcharters.com
www.serengetifishingcharters.com
Striper Sniper
Well-Known Member
When it comes to flashers and I probably have over 50, it is any colour is fine as long as it is GREEN...... SS
