Dummy flasher help.

[Whole in the Water]

Just common sense that an inline dummy flasher will lead to less tangles as the area of its rotation is less than a typical paddle flasher and you don't need to have as long as leader to attach to your cannonball to get it to fully rotate. When I use dummy flasher I use an inline flasher - much easier and no tangles.

 

[Aces]

Based on some of the other posts, I’m not sure you can say case closed. Looks like others’ experiences suggest that dummy flashers will do just as well.

Well after guiding for 35 years and constantly trying to finding ways to get salmon on as light as possible, fishing a flasher on the line vs a side with a dummy flasher side by side it is a closed case....... 40-60% more bites on mature chinooks with the side with a flasher on the line. Now I have several regular guests that will sacrifice bites for less chances to lay the fish without a flasher. This is why those guys developed the Farr better flasher.

 

[Ringo]

Could this also be a question of where you often fish for salmon? I find dummy flashers to be more problematic when fishing in big currents and they typically don't produce as many bites. When fishing in sheltered areas, I find dummy flashers to work as productive as flashers on the line. For winter Chinooks, I never bother with dummy flashers.

 

[Derby]

Well after guiding for 35 years and constantly trying to finding ways to get salmon on as light as possible, fishing a flasher on the line vs a side with a dummy flasher side by side it is a closed case....... 40-60% more bites on mature chinooks with the side with a flasher on the line. Now I have several regular guests that will sacrifice bites for less chances to lay the fish without a flasher. This is why those guys developed the Farr better flasher.

Fully agree with u on the WCVI ..The only time it can make a difference in my opinion only...how clear is the water..super clear water like up north in a shallow fishery... I have at times seen where the flasher scare the fish.. my 2 bits

 

[Saxe Point]

Could this also be a question of where you often fish for salmon? I find dummy flashers to be more problematic when fishing in big currents and they typically don't produce as many bites. When fishing in sheltered areas, I find dummy flashers to work as productive as flashers on the line. For winter Chinooks, I never bother with dummy flashers.

You raise an excellent question. While Fishtofino’s experience suggests a big difference, the experience of others strongly suggests otherwise. Location, currents, mature vs immature salmon, springs vs cohos... maybe a lot of variables explain the different experiences.

 

[Andrew P]

You will catch more fish with an inline flasher, case closed.

IF you are satisfied diminishing your chances try running a 6 ft lead on your dummy flasher, 10 ft above and about 10-12 ft behind the clip. I lower a little slower, trolling a little faster until I get the gear down

I agree with this statement IF you are running your clip 10' above the dummy flasher.....cut that down to 4' above with a 3' clip and it narrows the spread I've found.

 

[Stizzla]

I personally haven’t tried the dummy flasher much. The times I have... crickets.
I’m an in line 11” flasher all day everyday. Not to say you will or will not catch more fish either way. Just a terrible angler’s opinion.

 

[walleyes]

I tend to concentrate more on the dummy running the flasher and correcting those actions.

 

[Saxe Point]

Maybe it was pure luck, but as I said when I revived this thread, this past weekend, the dummy flashers worked great. We got 3 winters in very short order over a 4 hour morning troll. Others around us weren’t as lucky.

There’s probably no way of proving any of this because of the variables, including outright luck, that are involved. Fishtofino’s long experience suggests they don’t produce as well, but others have experience that points in the other direction.

For me it’s not about how many but how I enjoy the ones I am lucky enough to catch. That’s why I’m going to stick with the dummies. If it’s about quantity, maybe this question would be more important.

I also found it was just generally easier to work with the dummy flashers. It’s easier boating the fish because you can reel them in much closer, which makes netting easier. And you don’t have the flasher spinning and banging around every time you bring your line in to change lures, clear weeds or whatever. Also, we didn’t experience any tangles while trolling or even when fighting the double header that we got. Everything might go south the next time I’m out, but so far so good.

 

[Saxe Point]

I agree with this statement IF you are running your clip 10' above the dummy flasher.....cut that down to 4' above with a 3' clip and it narrows the spread I've found.

I’m pretty sure the RiteAngle gear that I got keeps the main line as close to the flasher as possible without tangling. And my common sense told me that while I can vary the horizontal distance between the lure and the dummy flasher, it’s a good idea to keep it reasonably close. Even the ability to adjust these distances, especially the horizontal one, is easier with the dummy rather than the inline system.

 

[paulo]

I've been fishing lower mainland areas for the past year more with dummies than not. 3' distance from rigger line means you should be 3' with your sport clip as the closest the flasher can rotate to your sporting line is 3'. Your lure should be between 4 and 6' back of your flasher. I have found bait and spoons so far to be best. Just starting to try out plugs. Fishing is a lot easier with dummies, there is no doubt . I usually fish 4 lines and very rarely get tangles. Winter fish I just use 2 lines. I believe it is really hit and miss as to whether in line or dummies with hooking ratios. You have to be in the right place at the right time. That can mean within 200' even. With regard to Saxe Point comments, he was in the right place when feeding fish saw his offering. Had another boat been in that exact spot at that exact time I'm sure they would have hooked up as well. Like most sports, you have to be good to be lucky and lucky to be good. I agree on the fight of the fish, totally worth it. I'll keep plug'in along
(see what I did there).
Tight lines fellas.

 

[tains]

Made up a bunch of these for dummy flashers.

 

[bryce]

Some sloppy terminology being used here

Paddle Flasher

In-Line Flasher

I believe “in line” here means that is spins in line without a big loop
Where as padde flasher moves up to 6’ or more rotation
Could be wrong though

 

[RogersonCrusoe]

Made up a bunch of these for dummy flashers. View attachment 42505

Very nice! Did you just use plexiglass?

 

[Saxe Point]

I believe “in line” here means that is spins in line without a big loop
Where as padde flasher moves up to 6’ or more rotation
Could be wrong though

Point taken but I replied to that post earlier as follows:

I guess “attached to the line” flasher is the most accurate, but it’s a mouthful. And “online flasher” suggests very inappropriate internet activity! I think we all know what is being discussed.

 

[Rain City]

I believe “in line” here means that is spins in line without a big loop
Where as padde flasher moves up to 6’ or more rotation
Could be wrong though

Yes this was already deciphered.

 

[bryce]

Yes this was already deciphered.

To much reading scrolled over my bad

 

[advTHXance]

I ran a hotspot agitator on one side and a standard hotspot 11" dummy on the other side for about a month straight in the Haida Gwaii this past summer. The 11" hotspot outfished the triangle agitator 2:1 or 3:1. I tried doubling up the triangles, and a couple other guys tried daisy chains, but the 11" hotspot was still the way to go. I ran mine on a short leash too, between 2-3' from clip to flasher. Seemed to rotate just fine and made for way less hassle and tangles. A few years ago one of our guides was having good success with one of those multi-blade dummy flashers that look like something youd hang over a babys crib - he called it a dredge. Our lodge has a policy of not using inline flashers for guests, so I had plenty of time to experiment.

 

[Saxe Point]

I ran a hotspot agitator on one side and a standard hotspot 11" dummy on the other side for about a month straight in the Haida Gwaii this past summer. The 11" hotspot outfished the triangle agitator 2:1 or 3:1. I tried doubling up the triangles, and a couple other guys tried daisy chains, but the 11" hotspot was still the way to go. I ran mine on a short leash too, between 2-3' from clip to flasher. Seemed to rotate just fine and made for way less hassle and tangles. A few years ago one of our guides was having good success with one of those multi-blade dummy flashers that look like something youd hang over a babys crib - he called it a dredge. Our lodge has a policy of not using inline flashers for guests, so I had plenty of time to experiment.

That is very interesting.

What is the rationale behind not using in-line flashers for guests?

If in-line flashers are more productive than dummy flashers, one would think the lodge would use them for guests to increase the likelihood-or the numbers-of fish being caught.

I suppose some might say that fishing is so incredible up there, or you guides are so amazing, or both, that in-line flashers are unnecessary. Dummies are enough.

I still think if it’s a question of catching fish, the lodge would go with the most productive method and use in-line flashers, if they are in fact more productive. What do you think?

 

[Derby]

I ran a hotspot agitator on one side and a standard hotspot 11" dummy on the other side for about a month straight in the Haida Gwaii this past summer. The 11" hotspot outfished the triangle agitator 2:1 or 3:1. I tried doubling up the triangles, and a couple other guys tried daisy chains, but the 11" hotspot was still the way to go. I ran mine on a short leash too, between 2-3' from clip to flasher. Seemed to rotate just fine and made for way less hassle and tangles. A few years ago one of our guides was having good success with one of those multi-blade dummy flashers that look like something youd hang over a babys crib - he called it a dredge. Our lodge has a policy of not using inline flashers for guests, so I had plenty of time to experiment.

interesting... i have one question did u ever switch the sides of the boat with the flashers were running?