Why are there rudders on flasher sets?

[The Pew]

I have often wondered why flashers have rudders. Today I read an article on setting up for trolling that described attaching your mainline to the rudder and a six inch dropper/cannon ball to the bottom of the rudder. (I looked and most mine have two attachment points) I have always used a mooching weight in-line attached to the rudder of the flasher.

It would seem like the dropper/cannon ball would be prone to tangling.

Is there a benefit to setting up that way? Is that the proper setup with a rudder? Have I been doing it wrong my whole life?

[fish-on-bend]

As I understand it, the rudder keeps the flasher rig from allowing your mainline to twist as the flasher blades rotate. I sometimes use a rudder while running herring to keep my mainline from twisting. There is no "WRONG" way to rig anything if your stuff runs right in the water and it catches fish. I have stumbled on some weird presentations on slow days while experimenting, that have become hot set-ups. :twocents:

[Blind Bobber]

I have a few "Zep's" lake trolls with rudders that have no dropper line hole. I have tangled dropper lines arouhnd the lake troll when I run too long a dropper line or use too little weight. That dropper line can get in the way when netting as well. Wrong way? Right way? I do it both ways. Whatever works.
BLIND BOBBER :cool:

[eric71m]

When your talking about lake troll rudders, sometimes I use the extra hole to add some weight (sometimes on a droper, sometime just to a snap directly on the rudder) when I am long lineing, just to get a lil deeper, with out haveing run my down rigger.

[Doc_Rhen]

What F-O-B said about twisting the mainline. I have seen folks attach a banana weight directly to the bottom hole in the rudder using the snap of a snap swivel. I have never attached a lake troll to my fishing pole so my personal experience is limited. I have used them a couple times attached to the cannonball.

[deeptrout]

try using a doc shelton at high speed for awhile. You will know why there is a rudder on the bigger lake trolls.

[6wapiti6]

We attach 1 or 2 oz canonball weights with a duo lock swivel directly to the rudder.

[Jedcraft]

Wapiti's got it. The in line weight will inhibit the action of your lake troll(especially smaller ones)while a cannon ball clipped to a duolock on the bottom rudder hole will sway like a clock pendulum. If you watch your set-up most gang trolls not only provide flash but also "jig" your trailing bait/lure if your leader isn't too long. Leaders 3' or more seem to kill the jig action. Just my :twocents:.