Dodgers VS Flashers

[Bduck]

How would you rate dodgers vs using the common bladed flaher setup? I prefer dodgers since they can control the action of your presentation and they can be bent to change action. I rarely use flashers except when I have a kid(s) with me that want to catch fish. Its always good to keep a couple of sets. The only time you can change the action on a flasher is different blade style, bigger or smaller blades, and in some cases reversing the blade. But it still doesn't give the action a dodger gives. Also trolling speed plays a big part into this as well. I also don't find flashers as productive catching kokes. Dodgers seem to do well for all around.

 

[SuperD]

I could use someone to explain to me why flashers like Pro Troll and Abe & Al's look like dodgers but they call them flashers.

 

[Fallriverguy]

SD, it is my understanding that dodgers are designed to have back and forth action without rolling over. Flashers are designed to roll over. I have never tried to use a flasher as a dodger. My guess is it would not work very well.

Bduck: Ball Trolls, or flashers as you call them, have their place. On some days they will out fish dodgers. I don't start with them, but if the fishing is slow they will go on the ball as added attraction. Silver Bullets has a good method to see what the fish want that day.

 

[SuperD]

My guess is it would not work very well.

You would guess wrong.

 

[SilverBullets]

Flashers are meant to rotate, dodgers dodge back and forth. Even if they look close to the same, I think that is the only difference.
As far as useing dodgers and gang trolls (in line string of rotating blades) I sometimes use both at the same time with excellent results. The dodger is ahead of my lure which is clipped above the downrigger ball that has a set of gang trolls attached to it for attraction. I always use a dodger on my line also, useing gang trolls takes away from the fight too much in my opinion. There are however some small trolls and flash lites that work pretty good at times.
That's interesting about reversing the blades. What happens when this is done? Are you reversing every other blade on your gang trolls? Or are you useing the whole troll backwards to achieve a different action? If that is the case, do the blades flutter instead of spin?
A report I found interesting last year was that after trolling with a dodger and hoochie with not much success, the dodger was removed and a small set of trolls was added....couldn't keep the koks off! I had never heard of this before...usually you want a dodger to give the hoochie some action, but on that day they were looking for something a little different I guess!

 

[Fallriverguy]

You would guess wrong.

That is good to know.thumbsup As I typed that response I thought about sling blade type dodgers and how small of a kick they have and wondered if the flasher would be similar.

 

[Fallriverguy]

A report I found interesting last year was that after trolling with a dodger and hoochie with not much success, the dodger was removed and a small set of trolls was added....couldn't keep the koks off! I had never heard of this before...usually you want a dodger to give the hoochie some action, but on that day they were looking for something a little different I guess!

I have seen a few things like this too. A guy was using a spoon type lure with a treble hook with corn on each barb. This set-up was fished behind a set of ball trolls trolling no more than 1 mph. The combination of the speed and the corn on each barb with no dodger meant the lure was barely wiggling. Yet, this combination was deadly. Maybe less is more some days. In my early days at Green Peter I would fish a Needle fish very slow and it worked. Hmmm, one more thing to try this coming season.

 

[Kokonuts]

I have also tried both, But I think I did better last year with a ball troll & dodger like Silver Bullets said.

I have made up several ball trolls this winter using Spin & Glows and Bass Buzz bait wings. Also some other "Secret Stuff" that I want to try out first so you guys wont laught at me too much! laugh hyst Kokonuts

 

[Kokehead83]

As stated dodges dart/flutter/swing in the water flashers rotate. Now the are board flashers that look like dodgers but have different action and then their are in line/gang/ball trolls that are called flashers as well. Dave I have no clue why they are different and have the same name I would guess some guy was drunk and said flasher who knows, Us fisher men have weird names for things we tads for example.

As to dodgers or flashers or combo, they all catch fish it really comes down to what the fish want that day. My bigest kokanee ever came on a seps silver and gold dodger with a threaded crawler behind it fish 100 pulls behind the boat top lined in the middle of a lake not a typical kokanee spot on this lake. This past year I had great luck with small in line Flashers not to say I didn't catch fish on dodgers I did but I caught more on flashers could have been the body of after I was on, the time of day who knows. Either way I wont hit the water with out both in the boat.

Ben

 

[Bduck]

Flashers are meant to rotate, dodgers dodge back and forth. Even if they look close to the same, I think that is the only difference.
As far as useing dodgers and gang trolls (in line string of rotating blades) I sometimes use both at the same time with excellent results. The dodger is ahead of my lure which is clipped above the downrigger ball that has a set of gang trolls attached to it for attraction. I always use a dodger on my line also, useing gang trolls takes away from the fight too much in my opinion. There are however some small trolls and flash lites that work pretty good at times.
That's interesting about reversing the blades. What happens when this is done? Are you reversing every other blade on your gang trolls? Or are you useing the whole troll backwards to achieve a different action? If that is the case, do the blades flutter instead of spin?
A report I found interesting last year was that after trolling with a dodger and hoochie with not much success, the dodger was removed and a small set of trolls was added....couldn't keep the koks off! I had never heard of this before...usually you want a dodger to give the hoochie some action, but on that day they were looking for something a little different I guess!

I have made my own 'flashers'. As you know the blade has a cup side. This side of the blade is always inward towards the line. If you build a set, put 2 cupped blades in and put 2 outward. The outward cupped blades will counter rotate. One reason I got away from them was before I got my downriggers they would tend to stay to close to the surface and this is because of long lining. I lost to many sets from other boats cutting across my lines.I never said that they weren't productive, just something about them that doesn't quite turn the trick for me. But I'm pretty much open minded and I will play around with them a little more than I have. A good place will be the GORGE.

 

[SilverBullets]

I have made my own 'flashers'. As you know the blade has a cup side. This side of the blade is always inward towards the line. If you build a set, put 2 cupped blades in and put 2 outward. The outward cupped blades will counter rotate. One reason I got away from them was before I got my downriggers they would tend to stay to close to the surface and this is because of long lining. I lost to many sets from other boats cutting across my lines.I never said that they weren't productive, just something about them that doesn't quite turn the trick for me. But I'm pretty much open minded and I will play around with them a little more than I have. A good place will be the GORGE.

That's interesting. I just received a package of kokanee lures from a friend up in Canada, he wanted to share what's been working for him up north. One of these lures has a colorado blade, with a smaller colorado blade against it, but reversed. What happens is the two blades spin in opposite directions, and hit against each other producing a noise. Until then, I had never thought of reversing a blade.

 

[jacksonlaker]

Super D, I use both the Pro-Troll and Abe and Al's. The pro troll does rotate slowly, is best used with a hootchie. I fished Palisades in Idaho last season and the pro troll 4" with a white RMT squid was the only thing that would work. I use the 8" pro-troll with a spinner squid for browns and cutts. It will twist your line, I have heard of guys using extra in-line ball bearing swivels to avoid this. As for the Abe and Al's, I cant seem to get them to rotate at 1.5 to 2.0. They do wiggle a lot more that a Jensen or Shast dodger. They come in a variety of sizes, but not many colors. I have not tried them for Kokanee, but I catch a ton of lake trout here in WY on them. I tie a needle fish or serpent 24" back. I call it the Jackson Lake special. !!

 

[Bduck]

That's interesting. I just received a package of kokanee lures from a friend up in Canada, he wanted to share what's been working for him up north. One of these lures has a colorado blade, with a smaller colorado blade against it, but reversed. What happens is the two blades spin in opposite directions, and hit against each other producing a noise. Until then, I had never thought of reversing a blade.

Hey SB, when you think about it, you can hear the blades whipping thru the water with a hum or maybe a buzz type sound. I'm just wandered the sound effect it has with blades counter rotating blades? I haven't done this for a while, but I have enough things to make a new set up.

 

[Kokonuts]

I've also been working on some flashers with some Bass Buzz Baits that have counter rotating blades. I am using the large wing shaped blades with the center open & a smaller blade that fits inside. The blades rotate in opposite directions. They also come in colors. They are made from polished Alu. & are very lite.
I made some up late last year but didn't get a chance to use them much. So now I've made some changes to them & getting ready to add them back to my pile of "STUFF".
You really gotta love this "Kokanee Fishing". thumbsup There are some pictures of them & some other "Stuff" on my picture albums....Kokonuts

 

[Stanson]

Can Some One Just Take A Few Pictures Of The Different Dodgers And Flashers So Some Of The Old Timers Can Get The Drift Of Want You Are Talking About, Can Some Do That It Really Get Confusing Sometimes Fishing Use To Be Simple
The Old Saying Go's A Picture Is Wroth A Thousand Words
Stan