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Trolling Flashers and Flies

Trolling Flashers and Flies

When the water warms up and the big kings put the feed on, one of the most productive methods to catch them is using flashers and flies. While dodgers and squids still take their fish, flashers are easier for most fishermen to use as they are more speed tolerant and still work well at a faster spoon speed.

Flashers

There are many styles of flashers out there, and even more companies making them. My preference is a 360 degree rotating flasher such as a Dreamweaver Spin Doctor or Fish Catcher. Other popular flashers include Coyotes, Hot Shots and Challenger. While these flashers may look similar, their actions can be completely different. You may have to find a personal preference that matches your trolling speed and local preference.

Pictured above are some of my standby flashers. (White/pearl glow Fish Catcher, dark green/ crush glow Spin Doctor, blue/crush glow Spin Doctor and the black/crush glow "Tuxedo" Spin Doctor)

With the introduction of super glows and holographic tapes, there is a wide range of colors when it comes to flashers. A white blade with crush glow tape seems to be one of the most popular and dependable color combinations. But don't put all of your eggs in one basket. Other popular color combinations are blue blade/ pearl glow tape, white blade/blue bubble tape, black blade/crush glow tape, white blade/mt dew tape and dark green blade/pearl glow tape.

Flies

If this wasn't too many decisions to make, there are even more brands of flies. Popular brands are Horse Fly, Action Fly, Howie Fly, Yeck Fly, Strong Fly, Spanish Fly, KRW and G-Fly. For the most part, most flies work about the same way. The biggest things to keep in mind when buying a fly is going to be how well it will hold up and the colors available. Some companies have flies that are tied on light line and with small hooks. They catch fish just fine, but must be retied with heavier line and a larger hook to hold up to the abuse of big kings. From experience, I have been impressed with both Yeck Flies and Strong Flies as they are tied on 50 pound test monofilament and sport a strong, large treble hook. These are ready to fish right out of the package, however more companies are now tying their flies on 50# monofilament with large hooks.

Fly leader length depends on your trolling speed, type of flasher you're using, length of lead between your release and flasher, and how aggressive the fish are. It is something you may have to tinker with as you switch between flasher brands and find a personal preference. The longer the leader between the flasher and fly, the less action the fly will have. The shorter the leader, the more action. So simply put, if you are trolling fast, have a more active flasher or the fish are lethargic, a longer leader may be needed. But if you are trolling slower, have a slower action flasher or fish are very active, a shorter leader may set them off. I usually fish leaders from 20 to 24 inches but have caught fish on leaders as short as 15" or as long as over 30". So basically, you have to figure out what the fish want.

Pictured above, the dark green/crush glow with green and pearl fly, was one of last years best flasher/fly combinations for me.

There are almost endless color variations available to fishermen when it comes to flies. Greens and glows seem to be dominant, but there are many other colors that have their days including blues, yellows, black, pearl and also the popular "mirage" which reflects many different colors. You may find that one fly may not work well with a particular flasher, but works great with another. Finding these color combinations can mean extra fish in your cooler when other boats are struggling. Some of my favorite combinations are white/crush glow flasher with a green or green glow fly, white/pearl glow flasher with a purple mirage fly, a blue bubble flasher with a blue bubble or blue fairways fly, a mt dew flasher with a seaweed or green mirage fly, dark green/pearl glow flasher with a green mirage fly and a blue/crush glow flasher with a no-see-um or pearl fly. There are so many different combinations that work, I could never list them all. You need to get out there and try a few, talk to other fishermen, and find what works for you and in the area you are fishing.

Putting It All Together

Flasher and fly combos are very versatile and can be fished many different ways. They are deadly fished deep off of a downrigger. Sometimes a lone flasher set deeper than the rest of your spoon program will take bigger kings than the spoons will. Flashers are also deadly on dipseys, especially wire dipseys when the water warms up and pushes the fish deeper. This time of year, a flasher and fly on leadcore can really save your day, especially when the fishing is slow.

Things to remember if running a flasher on leadcore is that a flasher will pull harder than a spoon, and thus not go as deep. So be careful if fishing multiple leadcores on each side of the boat. For example, a flasher on a full core and a plug on a 5 or 7 color core can be susceptible to tangles. And if leadcore tangles with spoons aren't bad enough, leadcore tangles with flashers are a nightmare. Most end with the scissors. So be cautious when first running flashers on leadcores. But don't be afraid of it either. Flashers and leadcore can be a deadly combination for spooky fish.

Trolling Flashers and Flies, by Chris Brandt

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