The Salmon Flasher: A Primer for Trollers
©2009 John Abbott and Captain Downriggin's™
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(Sean's first blackmouth- December 2002.
Note the visible lateral line along the fish.) |
Since it’s inception, there’s probably not a single piece of tackle that has been more popular nor effective for catching salmon than the flasher. In fact, the flasher has held center discussion of effectiveness and even debates among anglers for years. These debates pivot around the most effective color(s), leader lengths, plastic over metal, and now with popularity of downriggers, add the aforementioned and distance behind the release (known as drop back).
We’ll take a look at each of the above items, but let me first to mention- they all work. Each and everyone one of us has a specific method of catching fish and let me say right now- there’s no wrong way of catching fish. If your method works- it works! The intent of this article is not to judge the angler or submit one method is better than the other. Rather, I’ll focus on what I feel are the finer points of fishing with flashers and leave the angler with some points to ponder and perhaps to utilize in their day to day fishing tactics.
The Salmon Flasher
There are a lot of theories as to what the flasher is designed to mimic. Some anglers say the slashing tail of a feeding salmon, others anglers say a smaller salmon that draws the attention of larger fish, etc… They may be right however, the flasher has been designed to: (1) draw fish in to your gear by placing vibrations (noise) through it’s rotation in the water. These vibrations can be picked up by the salmon’s lateral line response up to distances of 40-yards. (2) Once the salmon has came into the gear, the flasher’s rotations produce or imparts an additional action(s) to the bait or lure you are presenting. This action is especially important to lures such as hoochies and flies as they do not produce any action of their own.
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(Paul and Mary's fish were taken well after sunset on a black
flasher and white hoochie.) |
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.
Metal Flashers
Chrome/Nickel - Chrome or nickel finishes are not as bright or reflect a lot of light underwater as many would believe. In fact these finishes actual absorbs quite a bit of light- essentially providing a slightly muted effect as light bounces back off the flasher. Of course, this effect is going to based on water clarity and available light too. Chrome/nickel is still a very solid producer although rarely used anymore.
Brass - Brass is a very subtle color in the water and can used in just about any situation or condition and seems to produce better of overcasts days. One of the best times I found to use this finish was early mornings in water depths of 70-90 feet while targeting blackmouth down along the bottom.
Copper - Copper finishes are becoming increasing difficult to find. If you happen to run across one whether at the retailer or garage sale- grab it! There is no other flasher that will out produce copper in tea stained water!
50/50 - 50/50 is a term used to describe dual finishes on a blade which are divided equally lengthwise along the flasher. The will come in the above finishes plus a few are now painted. The most common you will see is chrome and brass combination as this finish is very effective for most conditions.
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(My modified chartreuse flasher and scaled back Lillipads
hoochie did the trick on a very dark overcast day.) |
Flasher Tapes
If you have read my article on modifying flashers, you’ll soon discover my thoughts on flasher color and how I do things a quite a bit different. Again, I do think color does make some difference, but instead of relying just a little color of the blade to make a difference, I buy the blades blank or remove the tapes with WD-40 or Goo Gone and fish the blades blank or add stripes of glow tape along one edge of the flasher. This allows me to fish the color of the blade which is far more visible than the packaged flasher. If you are looking for blank blades, they are pretty rare these days (with the exception of white) and you’ll go crazy looking for them. It is best to buy the blade and remove the tapes with the aforementioned products. To save a lot of time, look for Hot Spot’s Stealth Series which will have the gold prism fish in the center of the blade. These blades come in red, green, chartreuse and UV.
The most popular tapes on flashers will be one side glow in the dark and the other side will be embossed silver or gold. These come with my highest recommendation as these are the true proven flasher color tapes for Puget Sound. Although there are a whole host of other tapes with practical applications, most are too flashy for my taste and I feel they spook fish, especially in our clear water and when summer fish are traveling in the upper to mid water columns.
Metal or Plastic Flashers?
Metal flashers have all but fallen out of favor, but are still used by hardcore or “old timey” salmon anglers. The main reason metal flashers are rarely used anymore is due to their unbearable drag on today’s light action rods. However, there a few metal flashers that don't have a lot of drag. One such model is the Double B by Silver Horde which is noted for it's unique bends and it's ability to be tuned for a variety of trolling speeds.
When metal flashers were first introduced, the rods used were short, stout, and capable of handling heavy weights as well as the drag and pressure from the flasher. I can vividly remember using this very method into the early 1980‘s… The weight, usually 24-ounces or more, was rigged dropper style off a three way swivel and the gear was tied above the ball. Wasn’t much fish fighting a fish, but highly effective!
Metal flashers can still be used on today’s lighter rods off the downriggers however, there are a few things you’ll need to apply on the water:
1) Use a release that is adjustable in tension or has a heavy tension. Remember, these flashers have a lot of drag and you’ll save yourself a ton headaches. My personal preference for a release when using a metal flasher would be the Pro Release.
2) If you hook a shaker (under-sized fish), use your downrigger to bring the fish to the surface. By bringing disconnecting, or popping, the fish off the release, you’ll still have drag as metal flashers still rotate with smaller fish hooked whereas the plastic flasher flattens out.
3) Metal flashers have a tighter rotation diameter. Consequently, you have to refigure leader lengths into the presentation equation. As a general rule of thumb, leader lengths for metal flashers are 2 ˝ times the length of the flasher whereas plastic flashers have a larger rotation diameter and their general rule of thumb for leader lengths is 3 times the length of the flasher.
Metal flashers have came a long ways with reference to style, lengths, and colors. No one 50-years ago would have guessed a metal flasher would have been painted as the standard finishes were chrome, brass, copper, and 50/50 versions of various finishes. Today, there are nearly as many colors of metal flashers as plastic, but styles (cuts and bends) of the blades each offer an unique rotation that cannot be duplicated by plastic flashers.
In a honest estimate, I would say approximately 98-percent of the flashers in use today are plastic- mainly for their lack of drag with or without a fighting fish on the end compared to metal flashers. They come in a variety of sizes and color as well as unique tape finishes. The two common sizes for salmon fishing are the 8-inch and 11-inch with the longer of the two far more popular. One unique idea that is currently being experiment with is using a 4-inch model just ahead (about 12-inches) of a spoon, hoochie or fly. The flasher doesn’t rotate due to the weight and size of the lure. Rather it flattens outs and reacts more like a erratic dodger in the water. With faster trolling speeds this action imparts a rather unique action to the lure. Working well so far… we’ll keep you posted.
Metal or plastic? It boils down to personal preference. Both can be modified in numerous ways, in fact, all the modifications I wrote about in my modifications article came from the days of metal flashers.
Leader Lengths
The question of leader lengths can and usually opens up a huge can of worms... The first thing I will mention about leader lengths is, they too, all work and are highly subjected to personal preference. With that, let’s take a look at some variables when considering a leader length.
A good starting point would be refreshing the general rules of thumb for metal and plastic flashers. Due to the tighter rotation diameter of metal flashers, a good general starting point would be tying a leader length of approximately 2 ˝ times the length of the flasher. For instance, if you chose a 13-inch metal flasher, you could start with a 32-inch leader and work in or out from there. The general rule of thumb for the plastic flasher is 3-times the length of the flasher. With the 11-inch flasher, 33-inches would be a good starting point to work with.
The next variable to equate is drop back, or the distance from the release to the flasher. Why should this be considered? Simply the greater the distance between the release and flasher, the greater the arc or rotation of flasher. This becomes even more magnified at slower speeds. Let’s assume one downrigger has a flasher is 10-feet back behind the release and has an total arc (rotation) of 3-feet, and the other flasher on the opposite side of the boat is 20-feet back. Because our flasher with more line off the release is allowed to rotate more freely, it’s arc might be in the neighbor of 4-feet. Again, this may be further exaggerated with slower speeds. Keep in mind, that if your drop back is even further, your flasher’s rotation diameter will be greater- often up to 8-feet or more depending on the length of drop back.
For most anglers a change in trolling speed is never considered, rather a change in leader length or perhaps the lure/bait itself. Keep in mind there’s only three hours of quality fishing during the tide changes and you’ll want to keep your gear in the water for as long as possible. Changing trolling speed often makes a huge difference in being successful or not. Two things changes in speed do:
1) Changes the action of the flasher whether metal or plastic. Although the flasher still rotates, it rotates at a slower or faster pace and this also changes the angle at which the flasher travels through the water. For instance, at faster speeds the angle at the back of the flasher is not as steep, thus creating minor changes to the swing of the bait/lure. This action translates into a more faster “jumpy” appearance than with a slower appearance which will have more of a side to side appearance.
2) Sudden speed changes often challenges or triggers the fish to strike. A few summers back, Mike Callier and I fished the mouth of Gig Harbor, and as you can imagine, there were a ton of boats on the water. Out in front of us was a boat whose captain was obviously not paying attention. Even our hails went unnoticed. Fearing a head-on, Mike cranked the wheel hard and laid on the throttle. About 8 to 10-seconds into this major speed increase, my rod slammed down hard- fish on! The speed increase wasn’t too much of a surprise, but the fact we had to be trolling at 6 to 8-knots with flashers for a brief period and hooked a fish certainly was shocking. Trolling at these speeds is an awfully extreme example for a sports angler fishing flashers, but commercial trolling frequently troll this fast with plugs, and the intent was to merely show the reader than an increase in speed can trigger a strike. More often than not, you’ll experience “trigger strikes” unknowingly doing just the opposite. This usually happens when the boat makes a sudden change in course. During this course change, the inside rod (side you turned to) will slow and drop in the water column. The outside rod increases in speed and rises in the water column. Although I have some theories, for some reason unbeknownst to me, the inside rod will receive 7 out of 10 strikes. (Hint: if you’re the skipper, always turn to “your” rod side if possible and out fish your buddy!)
Let’s touch on an unique trick to bring salmon into the gear or get trigger strikes called, “Ringing the Dinner Bell.” This trick involves a major change in speed and drums up salmon even on the most difficult fishing days. It works like a champion on blackmouth or days when fishing along the bottom for returning fish. The key? Bringing the boat to a complete stop. Placing the engine in neutral allows the gear to drop and ball(s) to thump the bottom. Not only does this stir up a little bottom substrate, but the ball(s) resonate sound often drawing fish in from great distances, and if you remember our science classes some years back, you’ll remember sound travels a long ways in the water!
Assuming we have placed the kicker in neutral and the ball(s) have come to rest along the bottom, wait a short period of time- usually 15 to 20 seconds. During this time period, the gear will also be dropping and appear to be crippled or wounded. The next step is placing the kicker back into gear. One of two things you can do when you put the kicker back into gear: (1) assume normal trolling speed and allow the ball(s) to thump a few more times before lifting off the bottom or, (2) immediately increase trolling speed and immediately lift the ball(s) off the bottom then slow to desired trolling speed. I normally opt for an increase in speed as I believe this gives the baits/lures an “escaping” or “fleeing” appearance, and I don’t want to drag the bottom too much which increases my odds of a hang up.
“How do I know the ball(s) have hit the bottom?” one may ask. The most visible telltale sign is watching the rod(s). Under normal trolling, your rod(s) should be loaded and display a nice arc or arch effect. When the ball(s) hit the bottom while the boat is in neutral, the rods will go slack. This may a good time to bring in a little more line on the reels with a couple turns of the handle. Don’t over do it as this will cause a premature release when the kicker is place back into gear and friction from water movement starts traveling along the line.
“Ringing the Dinner Bell” can also be done without placing the boat into neutral. This is simply accomplished by dropping the ball(s) back to the bottom every so often. In a sense, we are creating the same applications except with continual movement. Dropping the ball(s) every so often is also a good idea to ensure our gear remains in the zone- essentially “bottom feeling” as it is often referred.
If there is any doubt to this trick working, watch an old timer operating his meatline. He is constantly dropping the weight feeling for bottom and generating noise…
Lastly, let me cover one variable of leader lengths before I discuss more specific and general guidelines on leaders. This particular variable is not considered nor recognized by the beginning angler simply because he or she does not know. Even anglers with more experience tend to forget it’s importance, and well seasoned anglers often debate it. That variable is leader diameter, or more commonly called line poundage (or pound test), and there are noticeable and different attributes to each diameter. However, for simplicity’s sake let me cover the basic leader diameters for specific lures without sparking our own debate.
Choosing leader diameters must first be dictated by whether the lure or bait has it’s own built in action or not. As a general rule of thumb, lures/baits that have their own movement, e.g., spoons, will have less action in the water with heavier leader diameters compared to thinner diameters which allow the lure/bait to swim more freely. Next to consider with these baits is type of salmon pursuing and even location. For the most part an angler can target all species within Puget Sound using 20# leader material for lures with their own movement. However, for those venturing out of the coast or strait where Mr. Chinook can grow much larger, the common practice is bumping the leader diameters up to 25# or 30#, and in some instances even 40# to avoid break offs during vicious strikes and/or chaffing from the salmon’s sharp teeth. One tip for anglers using larger diameter leaders for spoons is tying the leader to the spoon with a Uni-knot. This opens the eye of the knot and allows more movement or freedom of the spoon rather than tying directly to a ring. The practice of using heavier leader material for spoons within Puget Sound seems to be gaining popularity. Again, not necessarily for breaking off fish, rather imparting more action. Personally, having experimented with these larger leader diameters for spoon, I have seen no improvement in the numbers of strikes nor catch ratios.
For lures/baits that have no action when fished by themselves (flies and hoochies), you will want to use leaders diameters much heavier. This heavier diameter leader is not used to discourage breaking off large fish, it is use to transfer the maximum amount of action from the flasher or dodger through the heavier leader material to the fly or hoochie. This ultimately leads to more strikes and fish because of the extra action imparted by the thicker diameter line. As such 40#, 50# or even 60# leader material will suffice for all angling needs when fishing with flies or hoochies from Alaska to San Francisco.
General leader lengths
Again, leader lengths are highly subjected to personal preference. Some anglers like longer leaders and some anglers like very short leaders. Each angler has their own theory as to way these leader lengths works better than others. I have personally caught large chinook on leaders as short as 20-inches when targeting coho and have heard numerous accounts of fish caught outside of the general rules of thumb for leader lengths. Nothing in salmon fishing is conclusive! However, I do believe some leader lengths are far more consist that others. The following leader lengths and trolling speeds are the same information contained on every Captain Downriggin’s Custom-tied Hoochie package. These lengths and speeds are based on the use of an 11-inch plastic flasher - the most common is use - with nearly 35-years of solid and precise note taking. Admittedly, I no longer use an 8-inch plastic flasher nor the metal flashers enough to justify sharing . However, resorting to the rules of thumb for leader lengths of these flashers should sufficiently suffice as these near exacting lengths were + 1-inch of my lengths used.
Species Leader Length Trolling Speed
Blackmouth 32-38 inches 2.2 to 3.5 knots
Adult Chinook 36-42 inches 2.0 to 3.0 knots
Coho 24-33 inches 2.2 to 3.5 knots
Leader lengths for spoons
Species Leader Length Trolling Speed
Blackmouth 34-44 inches 2.0 to 2.7 kts
Adult Chinook 38-48 inches 2.0 to 2.7 kts
Coho 28-36 inches 2.4 to 2.9 kts
A quick note on measuring. If you have purchased one of my hoochies and read the packaging, you will have noticed an exacting measuring method. The main reason for this to give the angler specific guidance in determining a leader length. Most manufactures only give generic information on measuring. I.e. “Best leader lengths are 36 to 40-inches” or “measure to the head of the lure.” I could never figure out why this information is presented in this manner- it’s too confusing or vague in nature. I certainly feel the action of the lure is the most important and would definitely want this included in my leader length equation- not to the head to the lure. Additionally, this doesn’t take in to account how anglers measure leader lengths nor does it account for connections such as bead chain to the snap. Everyone is different! Most anglers will follow these directions, cut the leader to the recommended length, and then tie on their connection not realizing they added possibly up to four or more inches of leader (factoring connections), nor did they figured the length of the lure. Does this really make a difference? Absolutely! When measuring leader lengths, I measure from the end (edge) of the flasher to the end of the bait as shown in the diagram below. This is truly the business portion of the leader. Any connection method to flasher automatically becomes an extension of the leader to the flasher and the end of the lure/bait is what the fish focuses on- not the hooks. In this manner of measuring, a 36-inch leader is a true 36-inches long
Measure between these distances
Drop Back
Drop back is a term commonly used to reference the distance between release and the flasher. As with most techniques and methods, this too, is highly subjected to personal preference and numerous theories. In fact, there are even locale preferences on drop back distances.
When I ask members of a presentation or seminar what their typical drop back is using flashers, I usually get several different answers in distances ranging from 10 to 75-feet with most answering 20 to 30-feet. I then ask different questions such as hook-up ratio, tangling lines on the boat or with other boats, thoughts on maneuvering sharply, etc… At this point anglers tend to perk up and eagerly await the answers.
Drop back is extremely important to consistent successful fishing and certain guidelines should be strongly considered. If anything, I will hopefully save you some future headaches, frustrations, and put a few more fish in the box for you.
Drop Back Distances
Drop back distance are determined by several factors. Ideally these distance should be in the neighborhood of 6 to 15-feet. However, I would recommend never exceeding 20-feet unless fishing a plug or having electrolysis issues. Let’s take a look at the finer points to shorter distances of drop back:
1) What do I feel is the most important attribute of shorter drop back lengths? Hook-up ratios! The shorter distance equals less slack line in the water when the fish first comes off the release. Vice versa for longer drop back lengths, which is further magnified by fishing deeper- even more slack.
2) Maneuverability. With two or more downriggers in the water, shorter drop back distances give you more room to maneuvering with sharper turns away from other boats when you hook a fish or to avoid collision. These tighter turns will also help you closely following a depth contour or structure without constant operation of the downriggers.
A quick guideline to drop back distance with two downrigger riggers in the water. Take the total lengths of your downrigger booms extended and add the lengths of your boat’s beam. E.g., The downrigger booms add up to 10-feet and length of beam is 8’ 6” equating to approximately 18 ˝ feet. With a total drop back distance of 15-feet, including leader and lure/bait, you can turn pretty darn sharp without fear of tangles on the boat.
If you fish by yourself, drop back can be effectively fished at distances to 20-feet. Additionally, drop back can be increased when using two or more downriggers if you troll involves straighter longer distances.
3) Line tangles from other boats. The inevitable will happen! Boats coming in at all angles and one crossing close to your stern and then overtakes. Too many anglers don’t pay attention, don’t know the Rules of the Road, and/or simply don’t care about their seamanship skills. There’s always the “big boat” angler that feels the rule of tonnage exceeds all other navigation rules… Don’t believe me? Take a quick look around any terminal fishery or high traffic summer fishing grounds! Odds are you’ve experienced once or twice already. Nothing is more frustrating than untangling lines when the bite is hot. Keeping those drop back lengths manageable means less chance of tangling liens with other boats.
4) Flasher rotation. We briefly discussed this earlier. Remember the further the flasher is away from the release, the larger the rotation diameter. Especially trolling at slower speeds. Ideally, keeping your drop back 10 to 15-feet ensures a steady and tight rotation of the flasher.
There's always exceptions to this guideline and one is the use of salmon plugs. In order to maximize the action and movement of the plug, drop back should a minimum of 40-feet.
