what is the best flasher for Kokes

[Salmonheadsoup]

ok , if I am not jigging, whats the best flasher to use?
luhr jen kokanee trolls
luhr jen model A / T
macks ultra lights
school o minnows
les davis cowbells . jack of diamonds?
sepps
shasta sling blades

thanks

[greenbuttskunk]

for bigger kokes, I'd go with a sling blade followed by a pink koke hootchie about 9-10" behind.

[Doc_Rhen]

Slingblade with hootchie, apex or spinner would be my first choice. After that we have a number of different flasher sets that work just fine. I picked up some flashers with metal rudders and a series of 4 willowleaf blades and geen beads coupled with a Green glow weddingring that seems to be the most consistent of the gang troll sets for us.

[Cannon]

Originally Posted by Salmonheadsoup

ok , if I am not jigging, whats the best flasher to use?
luhr jen kokanee trolls
luhr jen model A / T
macks ultra lights
school o minnows
les davis cowbells . jack of diamonds?
sepps
shasta sling blades

thanks

All of the gang trolls work just fine, but in saying that, when you get a fish on it is more like reeling in a boot. Try running the gang troll on the downrigger ball if you have one and run a dodger like the sling blade on your line as opposed to the trolls. If you don't have a DR, then long line with the sling blade (my preference)or one of the other dodgers out there. When long lining, I like to be 200' behind the boat with my presentation. The problem you will encounter when fishing with gang trolls and long lining is one of being able to get to the target zone. This time of year the fish are shallow so it is not such an issue but as the water warms, the fish will go deeper and that is where the rub lies. One more thing, you will land more fish if you run a snubber behind the gang troll if that is route you choose to go.

[crafty1]

Originally Posted by Cannon

All of the gang trolls work just fine, but in saying that, when you get a fish on it is more like reeling in a boot. Try running the gang troll on the downrigger ball if you have one and run a dodger like the sling blade on your line as opposed to the trolls. If you don't have a DR, then long line with the sling blade (my preference)or one of the other dodgers out there. When long lining, I like to be 200' behind the boat with my presentation. The problem you will encounter when fishing with gang trolls and long lining is one of being able to get to the target zone. This time of year the fish are shallow so it is not such an issue but as the water warms, the fish will go deeper and that is where the rub lies. One more thing, you will land more fish if you run a snubber behind the gang troll if that is route you choose to go.

Excellent advice. One thing I might add is a really limber pole helps if you forego the snubber.

[No Wishin Just Fishin]

Definitely UV Sling Blades from Shasta Bait Co.

[skeetshtr]

I like sling blades and downrigger trolling, but that said, a good lake troll fished up top is very hard to beat at this time of the year. At Merwin a Slim Willie or a Ford fender followed by a baited spinner is a killer rig while the fish are shallow. The Slim Willie will not create as much drag as some other trolls and pulls fish in great. Try different baits on the spinner and also different scents. This can make the difference between a OK and a GREAT day. I also like the downrigger ball trolls but think they are more effective when the fish are deeper. I have had some success this spring with them, but have noticed that they are more effective when using the electric trolling motor when fishing at shallow depths.Just my worth. Good luck with whatever you try.

[Cannon]

Originally Posted by crafty1

Excellent advice. One thing I might add is a really limber pole helps if you forego the snubber.

If you are fishing with all of that hardware, a limber pole won't do the trick. But, if you go with just the sling blade, definitely a more limber pole!

[Chesapeake]

Originally Posted by Doc_Rhen

Slingblade with hootchie, apex or spinner would be my first choice. After that we have a number of different flasher sets that work just fine. I picked up some flashers with metal rudders and a series of 4 willowleaf blades and geen beads coupled with a Green glow weddingring that seems to be the most consistent of the gang troll sets for us.

I have several of those flashers. Sounders is the brand I use. Used to be able to get them at Sportsmans, but now I get them from a dealer on E-bay. They are a bit better quality than the big tackle company stuff and a little heavier so they seem to fish deeper.

Me personaly if I could only choose one flasher it would have 4 chrome Colorado or Cowbell or Indiana blades with silver prism tape. The first 2 blades #6 or #7 and the last 2 blades #4's. With green beeds and chrome fin.

If I could only choose one rig then it would be that flasher followed 4' back by a green wedding ring with hammerd brass blade tied on 4# fluorocarbon with 2, #4 Gamakatsu drop shot hooks.

But who am I kidding. I have several tackleboxes full of stuff to try just to keep it interesting.

The biggest problem I have is not having several sets of each choice. You end up finding the hot combo for the day, and then dont have enough gear to match up the other rods. And now we can use 2 rods each so the problem is even more exacerbated. Soon my Koke gear will look like my Tuna gear and I'll have a dozen of each setup, in each color!!!

[Cannon]

Originally Posted by Chesapeake

But who am I kidding. I have several tackleboxes full of stuff to try just to keep it interesting.

The biggest problem I have is not having several sets of each choice. You end up finding the hot combo for the day, and then dont have enough gear to match up the other rods. And now we can use 2 rods each so the problem is even more exacerbated. Soon my Koke gear will look like my Tuna gear and I'll have a dozen of each setup, in each color!!!

I used to spend my money on tools. Now I have more tools than I can use. Now I spend my money on tackle and tricking out my boat...Oh and guns and ... TOYS and my grand kids

[SilverBullets]

As mentioned run the gang trolls off the ball and attach the dodger to your mainline when the kokes go deep. Run the dodger with trailing lure up above the ball around 4' and let your line out so the dodger is running a couple feet behind the flashers. Using a short set-back will allow you to not only be able to do tight turns to keep over the schools, but your offering will be alot more precise as far as depth goes. Also, with the short set-back your turns will transmit alot more action back to the lure which will trigger more strikes. Dodgers like Seps and Vances are made for trolling slower, while the Shasta type dodgers are used more for a bit higher speed (they can be modified by bending them a bit to provide additional action for slower speeds.)

[Pwillie]

Originally Posted by Silver Bullets

As mentioned run the gang trolls off the ball and attach the dodger to your mainline when the kokes go deep. Run the dodger with trailing lure up above the ball around 4' and let your line out so the dodger is running a couple feet behind the flashers. Using a short set-back will allow you to not only be able to do tight turns to keep over the schools, but your offering will be alot more precise as far as depth goes. Also, with the short set-back your turns will transmit alot more action back to the lure which will trigger more strikes. Dodgers like Seps and Vances are made for trolling slower, while the Shasta type dodgers are used more for a bit higher speed (they can be modified by bending them a bit to provide additional action for slower speeds.)

Hey Silver Bullets I have a question, you mention 'bending the sling blade" are you saying to bend in the middle from front to back or put more of a bend at the front??? i have heard other people here mention to bend the sling blades and I am going to try them out this year for the first time so was just curios. thanks.

[cubsfan]

I like a 4/0 LJ dodger or a sling blade followed by a R/K Kokanee Hoochie. His hoochies are the best on the market imho. He uses flouro leader and the hoochies have a scent head on them too. I will be buying more from him soon

[Doc_Rhen]

I think that most guys are putting the slingblade over their thigh and giving it a gentle curve, but I also watched Gary Miralles on a fishing show take one and put a little tweek at the back end to basically exaggerate the cup. I have been running these both on a DR and with a 1 oz Cannonball weight tied a couple feet up the mainline on a dropper loop so that we can get down in the water column pretty well. My rationalization with this is that the swinging weight reduces the amount of force applied to the fishes mouth due to the weight, don't know if it really works that way but we have been catching fish.

[boatman]

I'ts hard to beat R/K products, just hard to catch him when he is not busy or fishing.

[SilverBullets]

Originally Posted by Pwillie

Hey Silver Bullets I have a question, you mention 'bending the sling blade" are you saying to bend in the middle from front to back or put more of a bend at the front??? i have heard other people here mention to bend the sling blades and I am going to try them out this year for the first time so was just curios. thanks.

I can hardly wait to try out my new R&K hoochies this year...nothing else like them on the market!

As far as bending the sling blade type dodgers I've been told to bend them nose up, tail down. It only takes a small adjustment to change the action.

[VancouverTechie]

Shasta

0/0 Dodger

[VancouverTechie]

Originally Posted by greenbuttskunk

for bigger kokes, I'd go with a sling blade followed by a pink koke hootchie about 9-10" behind.

That is definitely the way to go... I am telling you this setup right now with just a 1/2 oz of weight with a UL pole is just awesome.

7' ugly stick UL is what I am using on a downrigger. Talk about fun, and fighting no weight!

[tsorrels]

big als

[skeetshtr]

Originally Posted by VancouverTechie

That is definitely the way to go... I am telling you this setup right now with just a 1/2 oz of weight with a UL pole is just awesome.

7' ugly stick UL is what I am using on a downrigger. Talk about fun, and fighting no weight!

I bought one of those 7ft UL ugly sticks at Bi-mart last year.Besides being a good downrigger rod it is my favorite for flatlining spoons for trout. It also has enough backbone to pull a small lake troll. And really tough because its an ugly stick.

[classicriverrunner]

Originally Posted by Cannon

All of the gang trolls work just fine, but in saying that, when you get a fish on it is more like reeling in a boot. Try running the gang troll on the downrigger ball if you have one and run a dodger like the sling blade on your line as opposed to the trolls. If you don't have a DR, then long line with the sling blade (my preference)or one of the other dodgers out there. When long lining, I like to be 200' behind the boat with my presentation. The problem you will encounter when fishing with gang trolls and long lining is one of being able to get to the target zone. This time of year the fish are shallow so it is not such an issue but as the water warms, the fish will go deeper and that is where the rub lies. One more thing, you will land more fish if you run a snubber behind the gang troll if that is route you choose to go.

@ what distance do you run the gang troll off of the DR weight. do you vary the length in relation to the lure/wedding ring or do you run them the same length have been going to try this method but not there yet.

[Cannon]

Originally Posted by classicriverrunner

@ what distance do you run the gang troll off of the DR weight. do you vary the length in relation to the lure/wedding ring or do you run them the same length have been going to try this method but not there yet.

You just clip it to the ball with a snap swivel. Too early in the season for that to be effective. You need to be running your dodger no more than 12' behind the troll