Does anyone know how to run a release right off the flasher (Hotsopt) ?? I've tried and the lines foul each other or the Hotspot doesn't work right. I would like to have just the fish on without the flasher if you know what I mean. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

Hi Kingfisher,

A few questions first. Where are you fishing? How fast do you drop the downrigger ball, and to what depth? What is the distance between where you have the flasher on the downrigger ball, and where you have your stacker release?

If you are fishing Sekiu or Neah Bay, the flashers aren't needed now. You can just run a plug cut straight off of the release. If you are fishing areas where the fish are less concentrated, here's a method.

Attach the flasher to your ball with about 5 feet of STRONG leader, and add a ball bearing swivel to the connection.

Five feet or higher up, connect your stacker rig, (two Penn style release clips connected together where one clothespin goes in the cable to hold the correct depth and the other clothespin attaches to your line), if you connect it closer, you may get some fouled lines.

Lower the ball into the water and when your stacker rig hits the water, set your depthmeter to zero. This will be your new measuring point. Strip out ten pulls and then connect the line to the stacker release.

SLOWLY lower the whole thing to your desired depth at about 5 feet every second, and you will have your bait/lure/hoochie about 5 feet above and behind your flasher.

Longer lines get to be more of a hassle, especially when trying to net a fish around a lot of line trailing behind the boat.

Sportco also has some low drag flashers that are shaped like a triangle with bent wingtips. They are called "fish flash" or something similar. These work as well, and you end up with a lot less resistance than a dodger or traditional flasher.

Best of luck, Andy

The flasher is nothing more than an attractor. Clip about 20 of line to the downrigger ball and attach the flasher to it. About 10-15' above the ball, clip your main line without a flasher. Use a stacker to hold your mainline in place.

Hey dogfish thanks for the come back. I'm fishing the south sound areas 11 and 13.
I'm aware of the methods you describe and I thank you for your suggestions. I fish the hootchie on 32 to 40 inch leaders behind the flasher and that gives the allusion that it is trying to escape the "feeding" salmon ie: flasher thus attracting the strike. I wonder if running it just above and behind the lower flasher with absolutely no action at all will attract hits ??? I was of the opinion it would not, but I guess I'll give it try after I have the skunk out of the box next time. Thanks again.

Dakingfisher,

You'll want to use a lure that has some action of it's own. Here's the setup I have had the best luck with:

12' of #80 Tuffline. Large ball-bearing swivel on one end, full sized green Hotspot flasher with the leader end swivels removed on the other.

Attatch ball bearing swivel to downrigger weight just like Andy described above. I like to set my stacker clip about 8 to 10' above. This allows the Hotspot to rotate fully, without tangling the lure. I use a 3.5" chartreuse/chrome Coyote spoon as my lure of choice. Be sure to tie a bead chain swivel onto your mainline about 4' up, to keep the line from twisting at higher trolling speeds. Set the lure back so it's about 2 to 3' farther back than the flasher. Clip it in to the release, lower to the desired depth, and get ready to reel in those silvers.