Blue Knight

Skippers Trophy is right on. The UV lures are produced to absorb the UV rays from the sun. Even on a cloudy day there is still an amount of UV rays and UV is the only type of light that can penetrate water as far down as 500 feet.

I don't know, doesn't matter, Scotty's are better anyway.

Ditto take a look at the boats out west, nothing but Scottys. I'll never change!

Now here's a couple of the best mooching reels. After using these Islanders I'd rather never have to use a level wind again!

Shade I'm not too familiar with your area but Cabela's have them.

Alan it's already been said you can't flatline a flasher/fly or meat rig but if you can't afford a downrigger as yet I suggest you invest in a couple of poor man's downriggrers, in other words a couple of dipsys!

Stan I kept meaning to reply to your thread. I've never seen those flashers so I can't comment on them but I field tested a similar type flasher for Hot Spot several years ago. In fact I think the first one's to come out with a similar action were the "Konezones" & it was a couple of years prior to those coming out on the market. All I can say it took Hot Spot a number of years to finally put them on the market but their design's been there for quite awhile.

Last Sunday I went out of Port Credit. After the first hour in tight went out into 200 fow for some fun. Total number of fish 15, total number on the Agitator combo = 13. I even put another Apex 5.5 Rocket running clean on another rigger as that's always been a good producer & wanted to make sure the hits weren't just the lure that was getting them but I stll couldn't keep Agitator combo in the water!!

The new Hot Spot "Agitator" Flasher comes in 9" & 71/2" sizes in Blue Mountain Dew, Strawberry Mountain Dew, Green Mountain Dew, Chartreuse Mountain Dew, 50/50 Mountain Dew, Red/Chartreuse Mountain Dew, Plaid, Purple Haze, Green & Chartreuse.

My top producer for years has always been an 11" Hot Spot Bullfrog & cut bait but not this year. I rigged two of the 9" Agitators in tandem with a 24" leader at the front & a 16" leader between the two Agitators. What I did was attach the tandem Agitators to the ball & run an Apex 5.5 Rocket 5' behind & above the Agitators. There has never been a time on the water using this set up that it hasn't outfished all my other rods. The Agitator is designed to run at any speed & is to be used trailing a spoon or body bait. It will not interfere with the action of the lure. I'm sold!!

Unfortunately it isn't dispersed enough even down there. There is a method of testing your volts on the riggers I believe on the Scotty website. The Black Box won't catch you more fish, it isn't a fish attractant but it will correct the voltage which will give you a better chance of getting fish. I suggest going with the original Black Box made by Scotty if you do need one.

I used Ambassador 7000's for years then I got a couple of Islander Mooching reels, an MR2 & an MR3. After using them I wouldn't care if I ever used a level wind again. No they're not cheap but you get what you pay for.

Tom I've always had a great respect for you & your product. Obviously, I don't use it anymore being Pro Staff for Howie but I'll never forget the first time an 8" flasher & fly took more fish in one season than did an 11" flasher & cut bait. That was an 8" Hot Spot Yotee & one of your flys. I was one of the first if not the first to use a flasher on the north side of Lake O & I can't remember one year when any other type of system out performed my flashers. As for your colour combinations they're spot on. Hot Spot were the first plastic flasher on the market & my favourite colour has always been a glow green or double white glow or white lightning. I don't think there's a day goes by when I'm out on the lake when the first two rods down are a Hot Spot Bullfrog & a White Lightning or double Glow. Good luck with your book & I definitely recommend anyone interested in learning some good points about salmon fishing to go get it as soon as it comes out.

I was one of the first to run meat & flashers on the North side of Lake O. I also ran charters for close to 30 years. When you've got customers onboard you don't want to waste time tuning your bait head to get the right roll so I've always used a Hot Spot Rollerbaiter head. They're equipped with a rudder that produces the correct roll on your bait. For the regular bait strip use the #3 head.

I'm not much of a blue man but when I put one down it's always the Blue Angel. That's got to be the best blue flasher I've ever had.

Several years ago before Konezone came out I field tested a product almost identical to Konezone. Never caught a fish on one & obviously my report back wasn't good. As for the actual product I've never used one so perhaps they're an improvement on what I was using.

A good thing to know about Hot Spot flashers is they are the only flasher that can change direction of rotation. If anything that causes a fish to strike it's a change of speed or direction. Hey 90 per cent of the commercial fleet from Alaska to California use them. But there again everyone to their own opinion.

Scotty booms are VERY strong. Anything lighter than a truck you should be OK. LOL

I believe Scottys are rated for 20 Lbs.

Glen

Right on. You don't have to worry about that with a Scotty. The majority of west coast boys all use Scottys & most are using 16 to 20lb balls. They fish a lot deeper than we ever will.

Team H I think we've conversed before. I'm the Pro Staff for Hot Spot in Ontario. Cabela's have quite a number of colours available in the 5.5 as does Wholesale Sports. The latter is a Canadian company. Their main store is in Calgary. I don't know if their toll free number will work for you but here it is. 1-800-696-0253. I called them today & they do stock most of the Apex colours in all sizes including 4.5, 5.5 & 6.25. On their website, www.wholesalesports.com they show only about 5 colours in the 5.5 but when I called their Fishing Department they pretty well have all the colours & can give you the product numbers then put you through to the mail order department.

Maverick there's a post on Spoonpullers which states there is a Weigh Station on the Canadian side of the Lake & at least one more in the process. There are a lot of boys on the North side that are dying to get in on this derby. Can you confrim this.

Woodschurch, if you're concerned that you're putting out the wrong charge on your downriggers go on the Scotty website at www.scotty.com & look for the "Black Box". There is a PDF you can download which gives you step by step instructions on how to check what type if any charge is going on. All you need to do this is a voltmeter. Then if it's really necessary get yourself a "Black Box". They will control your charge but they won't catch more fish!

The first rod & deepest rod I put down always has an 11" Hot Spot Bullfrog & meat. I've always used the Hot Spot Rollerbaiter for a bait holder. You don't have to worry about getting the right roll because they have a built ion rudder that does the trick. Very rarely have I ever taken off the Bullfrog. The second deepest rod I use meat again behind an 11" Hot Spot White Lightning flasher. When the sun comes up I may change that over to an 11" clear Stealth UV Hot Spot & meat. They're always on my deepest rods. I'll run an 8" & fly above them.

Hey Tom I hope if Tim reads this he's got a sense of humour LOL!

TC just to correct you slightly they're not from Pro Troll they're Hot Spot flashers!

I run slide divers on my dipsy rods. I attach a swivel to my main line with a three foot leader to the flasher. I find that a lot easier when bringing the fish in & it still doesn't interfere with the flasher when fighting the fish. That way I can run the diver at any distance I want from the flasher.

The only time I'll run that slow is if I'm fishing right in front of the mouth for staging Kings. Normally I'm running between 2.8 & 3.2 mph. Being Pro staff for Hot Spot I don't run Spin Docs but my deep rod's always an 11" Bullfrog with meat. First thing in the morning that's a killer. Second deepest is another 11" White Lightning again with meat. I'll run an 8" Bullfrog with a white glow Howie on one dipsy & another 8" with an Apex trailing behind it. The two inside riggers I'll run a spoon & first thing either a 5.5 glow ladderback Apex with a piece of meat wrapped on the belly or a Glow Jelly UV Apex. The main thing is don't be afraid to experiment. What they want one day can be entirely different the next.

I run only Hot Spot Flashers but the same goes for most. If you're running a spoon then yes, about 4' behind the flasher. If you're running a fly then somewhere between 18 & 22" behind the flasher & that's an 8" flasher with the fly. When I was out in BC they use the 11" Hot Spot & run a Hoochie anywhere between 33 & 42" behind the flasher. I tried that when I came back with a Howie fly & an 11" Hot Spot & it worked well. With the shortage of cut bait it's something to consider.