Using a flasher to catch west coast salmon is by far one of the most productive techniques. Flashers act like a salmon feeding on a bait ball. Other salmon feel the vibration along their lateral line and, see the flasher as a salmon feeding On bait fish. They then swim over looking for an easy meal. At which point the fish will hit your bait whether that is a hoochie, lure, cut plug herring or rigged anchovy teaser head. The best salmon flasher colours are usually the ones matched to the same colour as the local salmon population.
So What are the Best Salmon Flasher Colours ?
Match the colour of the water blue for blue water, green chartreuse in emerald or green colored water. In silty water such as near a river outlet into the ocean you can go with a red flasher.
You have to realize as you get deeper in the water column that some colours will fade Also. Once you hit 40 or 50 feet of water red is not that discernible. Green and yellows are popular also for this reason as they can be seen at most salmon fishing depths. If you’re fishing down around a hundred feet of water or deeper you’re definitely going to want either a white or a silver flasher. Another really popular option is a UV or glow flasher for deep water.
The above are good places to start with matching your flasher colour to what the fish are attracted to. As with all fishing if you arnt getting results mix it up a bit. Try a different colour or a flasher that has a highly reflective stripe. A good chunk of the appeal of a flasher for salmon is the noise vibration which travels well under water.
Standard Salmon Flashers
Below is a selection of standard salmon flashers that you can get from Amazon. They don’t vary an awful lot in price. I have included several of the better-known brands for you to consider. These are primarily 11 in Long flashers some of these various models also come in smaller sizes.
Pro-Troll Fishing Products ProChip 11 Fin Flasher with EChip
Pro troll is a well-known name in salmon flashers. This particular model comes in several different colours. With silver green and red being some of them. It incorporates an 11 inch flasher body made from ABS plastic. Both the head and tail of the flasher have 200 lb test ball bearing swivels on them. In addition to this the pro troll incorporates what they call an Echip. This chip gives off small electronic signals that emulates the signals given off by bait fish, yet another way to attract salmon.
Gibbs-Delta Highliner Flasher
Gibbs Delta is a Canadian fishing tackle company with an over hundred year history of making fishing gear. These are the salmon flashers that I’ve used out in British Columbia both myself and when going on salmon fishing charters. Again this is a standard 11 inch flasher with a swivel on either end and the tapered configuration. It comes in a variety of colours from green ultraviolet ,green stripe or funky colours like UV purple moon jelly.
Triangle salmon flashers
Triangle flashers are another configuration used when salmon fishing. I personally have never used these. Although I think I will add them to my tackle box just for some variety. It never hurts to have more options when fishing. A quick search on YouTube for flasher set ups will show lots of guys that prefer the triangle flashers.
Shortbus Flashers – 8″ Triangle Flasher
These Shortbus flashers are 8 inch inline flashers. They come in a multitude of different patterns. This company seems to have a lot of dual colour flashers. In all your standard colours greens blues red what have you. like the regular oval flashers they also feature a stainless steel ball bearing swivel at either end. they have some pretty wicked looking fins on the tail end where’s your guaranteed to give lots of Flash and movement to your bait.
Rigging a Flasher for Salmon Fishing
Once you have figured out the flashers you are going to run, you will also need several other pieces of tackle to finish off your salmon flasher rig. Firstly if you’re not using a downrigger you are going to need a slider for your sinker. After that you are going to need a bead chain swivel followed by a heavier wire or monofilament leader approximately 2 ft long. This leader will attach to your flasher and then finally on the back end of the Flasher. After that you will have another leader, usually lighter monofilament attaching to your bait or hoochie. The length of this leader will vary based on type of bait/lure used and some other variables. These leaders are typically 2 to 5 feet (60 cm to 150 cm )in length.
How this all comes together maybe a bit confusing. It’s a lot easier to visualize if you watch the video below. I think this guy does a pretty good job of explaining the whole process. Note in the video he does not use a slide for a stinker. His rig is designed to be used with a downrigger. One last note on the flasher make sure it’s the right way round the smaller tapered end goes towards your rod with the thicker end towards your presentation.
Brad’s Killer Fishing Gear Bead Chain Swivels
Bead chain swivels are an important part of salmon flasher rigs. In addition to adding extra spin to your flasher they can also prevent excessive line twist as there is a lot of movement in these rigs. Brad’s bead chain swivels feature 6 1/8 inch stainless steel beads so they are corrosion resistant in the saltwater. This is a 50 pack of swivels so it will last you quite a long time. Make sure you check out the video above to see how these are incorporated into a salmon flasher set up.
Zenrick 10/25/50/100 Packs Fishing Line Sinker Slide with Duo Lock Snap Heavy Duty Sinker Sliders Size 8# Length：2.28INCH
One more thing you will need if you’re fishing without a downrigger is await pull your line down. This is accomplished by using a sinker slide. This Zenrich Sinker slide also features snap which enables quickly being able to change your Sinker weight depending on depth and speed you are trolling at. These are stainless steel construction rated for 220 lb test with a plastic slider.
In addition to the slider you will also need a few beads to prevent the slider from banging against your leader not. Also a good idea is to use a lighter pound test such as 15 or so pounds on your Sinker. So if it does get snagged on the bottom you only lose your Sinker and not your entire flasher rig.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use a Flasher on Downrigger Ball ?
Yes you can use a flasher on a downrigger ball. This is also known as a dummy flasher. There’s a couple reasons for doing this. Firstly if you add a flasher to your downrigger in addition to the one on your rod you’re creating more flash in the water. Considering most people fish with buddies this will mean you’ll have several different flashers going. Which will look like a school of salmon feeding on a school of bait fish.
Alternatively some people like to put their flasher on the downrigger that way they don’t have to have one on their main line. Some people find it easier to bring the salmon in once you hook up without an inline flasher.
How Long Should a Salmon Leader be ?
The type of lure or bait you use will help determine the leader length after a flasher. Most typical sizes are 2 to 5 feet. you might want to experiment with longer leaders as it can change the action on your herring good idea to test this out trial and error.
Another main consideration is the visibility in the water. In stained water you are going to want a shorter leader to keep your presentation close to the flasher. This will make it easier for the salmon to find your bait .
Do you Have to Use a Flasher When Trolling for Salmon?
There are some people that troll for salmon without a flasher. Your best bet is definitely to incorporate a flasher however, as they certainly help attract the fish.
What is the Best Trolling Speed for Salmon?
Before you drop the flasher test it behind the boat to see that the action is correct. Make sure the swivels are functioning properly and you have a full spin and some side to side action. If functioning properly the Flasher should also have a slightly erratic motion to it. Typically you will be trolling at 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 miles per hour ( 2 ½ to 4 KPH).
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