Cannonball Flashers

[spinnerspooner]

I saw this rigging method in a recent issue of Salmon Trout Steelheader. It's a simple wire or nylon coated cable perhaps 2-4 feet long with about 4-6 spinner blades attached. The same kind of spinner blades you might see on a Rooster Tail. The spinner blades are spaced anywhere from 3-6" apart on the cable and resemble a row of minnows swimming thru the water. This flasher/cable assy has no hooks that are directly attached. But it is attached to the downrigging cannonball and acts as an attractant to get the fish to hopefully notice the bigger spoon or lure that is trailing a little higher in the water column on the downrigger.

Was wondering if any experienced trollers have tried this while downrigging? If so, what advice can you give if I wanted to construct my own? Silver blades, gold blades, copper blades, colored blades, blade size, spacing?

[Tim Bromund]

Gill-T on here does that quite a bit. Perhaps he will chime in.

I know Becholds makes them commercially.

http://www.fishcatcher.com/

Tim

[Gill-T]

Like Al Gore, I thought I invented these but they probably originated a long time ago on Lake Champlain. There are lots of varieties out there. Don't care for the model Tim mentioned---too much blow back. Luhr Jenson ( I believe) came up with the "six pack" with silver metal fish shaped attractors. Captain Werner "Popeye Charters" run them. Captain Lapiano (spelling?) has various designs on his site. I use simple beads, crimps and Cannon terminations. How you arrange the blades and what colors is up to you to have fun with. The top two sample pictures utilizes components from Big Weenies "grease traps". The bottom example is just a simple bead/crimp/90lb wire extension with blades. All are strung on downrigger cable and use a Black's release. These I use when I am fishing alone and have limited rods to run......they pull fish from a long way. I also use these when my daughters are on board in the middle of the day because they catch smaller sized kings, coho and steelhead when the sun is high.....running a spoon with a 5'-7' lead off the release. They take big Kings in the evening......running a spoon with a approx. 10' lead off the release. Now that the three rod rule has passed, I use these a lot less. On the bottom with a jointed stickbait....they catch lakers in the spring also.

[rolmops]

If you like that sort of attractors, you should look into umbrella rigs which are very popular in Cape Cod and used for stripers and blue fish. The umbrella rigs look like a small school of fish with a wounded one lagging behind. There is a tuna rig that has the attractors in a horizontal V shape again with one seemingly wounded fish behind the center attractor. In salt water these lures work great and as far as I can see they should do well in fresh water.

[Gill-T]

The only problem with umbrella rigs is the additional weight and drag, plus the hassles of trying to net the fish with all that stuff waiting to get snagged in the net. Tried them.....don't like them.

[rolmops]

The only problem with umbrella rigs is the additional weight and drag, plus the hassles of trying to net the fish with all that stuff waiting to get snagged in the net. Tried them.....don't like them.

You just pointed out the big difference. In Cape Cod it is legal to gaff fish.