Avoiding Flasher Fly/Cut bait from tangles.

[av8er219]

I'm looking for suggestions regarding trolling a flasher fly or flasher cut bait rigs. I understand about tangles with the other lines, my issue is, they seem to tangle on themselves. Hook of the fly or cut bait seems to get caught on the main line or downrigger weight. I have electric riggers so they decend fairly slow. Not sure if it's the currents. Seems to happen 8 out of 10 times when I send one down.

Any thoughts?

Edited September 3, 2019 by av8er219

[Gill-T]

Are you using pinch pad style releases?

[Tyee II]

What typically is your setback from the downrigger ball? I'm assuming it's pretty short for that to occur regularly like that. Maybe try longer setbacks, increase speed, and/or make sure you aren't turning when setting rods?

[bluegiller]

If your getting it caught on the main line from the rod to the cannon ball my guess is you are letting the main line get to much slack. Keep the reel in gear and just back the drag off so the rod stays bent some . I normally put it in free spool but keep my thumb on the spool to control it . The other thing is try and keep the boat a going as straight as possible while setting the lines. Also when posable set your deepest rigger first so it does not have to go by the already set rigger .. if you catch a fish and the other riggers are down still just make sure your going straight when you send the deep rigger past the others .

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[av8er219]

I am using Black's releases. I have pad and rubber band releases, though, but I wasnt using them at time. My set back from cannon ball is anywhere between 15-25 feet tops, no futhe,r with the flasher. Spin Doctors seem to be the worst so I switched to just paddles.

[Gill-T]

If you are using blacks just make sure you give a good amount of twists before inserting the loop in the release to prevent slippage when you tighten down to load rod. As bluegiller suggests, as the ball descends, keep line taught. If you use a Scotty downrigger with manual clutch, descend slowly and don’t freefall. Make sure everything is angled straight out the back, paralleling the down-current direction so things don’t go sideways upon descent. If you are doing all these things now and still getting tangled, I don’t know what to tell you. 

[Chas0218]

Are you twisting the line before putting it in the release? I usually do 8 twists before clipping it in. Also if you are letting it down too fast it can tangle sometimes when going really deep.

[av8er219]

Yes, 8-10 times I have been. Thanks for the info guys. Will give it a shot. If I keep having issues I will stick with the spoon only program. Thanks again.

[HB2]

Try longer leads, of 25 to 35 ft 

 

Ditto on the to much slack on decent of ball . 

 

I keep it in the rod holder and loosen drag  tension on line from rod to ball . 

 

A lot and of time the flasher will stay on the surface when you first drop the ball and will come back toward the boat . If you have shorter leads and a lot of slack I can see that being the problem . Let it down some and look to see , if so stop the weight and let the flasher catch up . 

 

This happens to me a lot . I don't tangle but the flasher kind of surfs . 

 

 

Edited September 4, 2019 by HB2

[av8er219]

That's exactly what I'm seeing, I though longer leads would be worse, but i'll give it a shot and just drop the ball enough so the flasher finally catches up and make sure the flasher lools good below the surface before I send it lower. Thanks

[Firechief48]

On 9/4/2019 at 8:24 AM, bluegiller said:

If your getting it caught on the main line from the rod to the cannon ball my guess is you are letting the main line get to much slack. Keep the reel in gear and just back the drag off so the rod stays bent some . I normally put it in free spool but keep my thumb on the spool to control it . The other thing is try and keep the boat a going as straight as possible while setting the lines. Also when posable set your deepest rigger first so it does not have to go by the already set rigger .. if you catch a fish and the other riggers are down still just make sure your going straight when you send the deep rigger past the others .

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Lake Ontario United mobile app
 

 

This pretty much sums it up. I myself like shorter leads, 10'-15' usually and never have an issue.

[garrymny]

I all but quit using big paddles on my riggers. Not because of the problem you describe but because they make such big circle they tangle with other lines when a fish is caught. Terrible tangles, and lost fish. No more. I put the big 11 inch paddles on dipseys now.

 

Sent from my moto z3 using Lake Ontario United mobile app