flashers for reef fish

[freediver48]

Hi,

Does anyone have any pointers on using flashers to attract fish?
We have been using fresh water gang troll flashers with some success. We hang them from the float line just off the bottom in slack tide, and try to set them in the current if it is running.

Fd48

 

[SASpearo]

Flasher ...

I've had some major success with a simple home made system - a couple of plastic squids, bent / straight table spoons, all strung on a line. You can either let it float halfway between the top of the reef and the surface, close to the surface, or if you've got a nice current running at the bottom, right on the sand - 2 inches off the bottom is perfect.

The main idea is movement and color - if the water is clear, use bright colors. If it's not that clear, use more flashware - spoons, spinners what have you.

Or make like Anderson and chuck spoons and knifes at them

 

[icarus pacific]

I think Anderson got the throwing of forks and spoons from the poor bastards that tried to eat his cooking, and started chucking the flatware at him, thus his asking for recipes...

Rico Svene' rofl :

 

[andrsn]

hey now, mr. marty cohen!

misery doesn't necessarily like company! i've got quite a few proven drawer moistening recipes up my sleeve.

as for flashers, we've done the cheap route where you scavenge up all the free AOL cd's you can get a hold of. take two and glue them together(flashy side out) and drill a hole somewhere near an edge(can't say top, sven would drive himself nuts trying to locate it). then just run mono/chord through the new hole, tie a knot behind it and space/add cd's as desired. we've found that it's better to congregate them instead of even distances on the entire line. we like to hang them 2/3's of the way down on a bouy behind our boat.

i used to hang them off my float, but aquiles would always be shooting at me cause the fish would obviously be between us.

not too long ago i got this lady from crate&barrel to hook me up w/ all of their defects. i've acquired some huge, honkin stainless salad spoons that are about the size of your palm. these work great, but i dare not throw them(speaking of which, i need to visit denny's soon). we just hang them. we're looking to add some plastic, hookless baits to our rigs next time out. let's see... that's about 33 days!

good flashing,
anderson

 

[ahinalu]

flashers

Have you guys tried putting flashers/plastic squids at the end of your gun? This does work very well here in Hawaii. I also know a few guys who swear by reflective tape at the end of your gun.

I have seen fish swim right up to my spear tip and as they were wondering what to make of it; they soon found themselves wondering how they got on my stringer. :blackeye

I never have tried tying off flashers/lures from the boat except when trolling

Thanks for the idea

Aloha Chris

 

[andrsn]

chris, what kind of gun do you use? i don't think there's much surface area on the end of my gun to make much of a difference. well, maybe my bluewater.

thanks for the idea as well. my brain's a' churnin right now.

andrsn

 

[ahinalu]

gun?

Anderson,
I'm using a JBL 450 magnum, it's not the best gun in the world but until I can afford a Daryl Wong hybrid it's what I use. Basically, what i've seen is just wrap 1" strips of reflective tape around the gun towards the tip app. 1" apart. This is not to attract fish from a great distance but to get them close when they can see.

I've found a lot of fish to be curious (at least here), which might be what you need. What I use is a plastic squid skirt (the kind use for trolling) small 4 or 7". Attach this with a lenth of mono at the end. BTW-a hole punch works great for hole in skirt. If I get a fish that just doesn't want to get too close, I'll lay on the bottom and "wiggle" the lure. Use a lure that attracts fish in your area (blue/silver and red/white works for me). I haven't tried it but I'm sure a small spoon might work.

Like I said this isn't really to get fish in the area but to get them closer to your spear tip One really good way is if you can get behind a rock and just "poke" the tip out so the fish can see.

Think of is as a duck call for fish (grunting works REAL good as well, lot's of bait fish here grunt when scared)

Good luck. If you happen to be coming to Kauai drop me a line.

Aloha Chris

 

[andrsn]

great, i just wrote a long response to this and they said i had too many frikken smilies on the damn post. :rcard bastards!

anyways, i was wondering how you could rig the lures so that they don't interfere w/ the shooting line. then i was thinking how you might have it to the side when you're wrapping.

and thanks for the invite. i'm trying to plan a trip out there towards the end of the year. daryl wants to show me how to use his bluewater lumber on wahoo out there.

later,
anderson

 

[icarus pacific]

Don't use perma-glue on the reflective stuff- here in the murk, if it shines, flashes or is white, you go home hungry, bow bow...

sven

 

[ahinalu]

perma glue?

I don't know what perma glue is. What I'm talking about does need to be replaced every couple of outings. I make my own big-game lures (ie, resin head poppers, jumpers etc.) and what I see being used is the same stuff I put into my lures before casting. It's not reflective tape like you would put on a life jacket but comes in many different colors and patterns, try a craft store.

If you don't spin or troll for the species you're trying to spear, maybe talk to the guys around the dock/ shore. These guys/gals might be able to help with colors and patterns. If there are no shinning flashing bait then it won't work using shinning.....tape.

But, for instance. If you were going to go to a quarry in N. Carolina to spear bigmouth bass try some thin strips of yellow (crappy fish colors) or some green or purple colors (worms and salamanders). But I'd just string on a pruple plastic worm (it worked best for me when I lived there)

Of course, it just might not work where you spear ( I know a lot of my lures don't work in other places even for the same sp. of fish):head

The nice thing about the squid skirt is that it's very easy /quick to change if the shore casters are catching on a certain color.

As far as attachment: it doesn't have to be a long line as the lure doesn't need to "swim". A 1" lead is all that's neccesary. Attach to the end where the rubbers go through. If it doesn't work, cut it off in the water put the skirt in you bag....easy to try

The reflective tape is cut just short of the track so not to interfere.

Good hunting! I'm going to L.A. next week. I hope to get hooked up w/ a friend and do some spearing there (I'd love to get a yellow tail :t )

Aloha Chris

BTW- Sven, how do you stop you spear tip from shinning?

 

[icarus pacific]

Pretty much the only shiney ythings on my guns are the very tips of the tips. Everything else is at least dull so as not to reflect light or be lighter against a background.

I point out not permanently gluiing a reflective strip on Anderson's gun as he'll end up in different water where it isn't going to work in attracting the fish.

Any subliminal messages about Anderson being dull are all on the reader...


sven

 

[ahinalu]

shinny/dull

Sven,
How do you get your shaft to be dull? My shaft, wishbones, trigger, carbine that attaches gun to float line are all stainless and shinny (not polished but...) Everything else is dull (except me of course rofl )Do you use something to make this stuff dull (600grt sandpaper)?

I'm always willing to try something that might help get more fish to me (except the one about buying a green wetsuit because "they think you're scared so will come closer"... can't afford another wetsuit...got four already :hmm ) , and I like hearing other peoples ideas. Some things I've tried work awesome ( picking up sand and letting it fall out of your hands I found works good for parrot fish, and giant travale; after killing a fish..lay it on the bottom, hide, and some fish will come by and sniff!) These were all ideas I heard from guys in CA and FL. I found out the sand thing is being done all over!

A lot of trolling ideas from CA have worked great for me over here too. You probably have to work harder for your fish than I do, so I'd love to here any "secrets" you might have (if you don't mind

Mahalo for any "tips"
Aloha Chris

BTW- Anderson the tape I'm talking about will come off, although I might be hesitant using it on a $800.00 varnished teak Riffe

 

[andrsn]

hey chris,

i'm opting for the plastic squid on the end of my omer. actually, instead of hooking that up to it, why not hook a live baitfish? wow, now that would be interesting!

anderson

 

[icarus pacific]

Would (wood) that be called a Colorado tickler, Anderson?

Chris, most of the parts and pieces on my rock gun(s) are dull merely from use, despite the fact that I wash and care for them really well. They are old Voit and Mares Custom's. I tape the barrels with electrical tape as paint will just scratch off, my bands are black as is the handle and muzzle and the shaft has been wiped down with Scotchbrite pads more to clean them than to dull them. The tips just get hammered so their wings and the very tip are about the only things that have any shine to them at all.

I have replicated this look on my 60-somthing inch JBL Magnum and it seems to work with the midwater stuff here, mid water here meaning cruising around the perimeters and corriders of the kelpbeds. Being already aimed in the general direction helps even more. I see that JBL is going with a black coating on their upper-end line of guns as well. And Riffe went this route on the MetalTech series; I have the #1 size and it's just a sweet unit.

I can't see doing anything in the way of dulling up my Island, as I see it more of a piece of furniture...

sven

 

[Aquiles]

Hey there andrsn,
remember that last tourney that we won; remember when you tried the live teaser on the end of the gun. Remember who almost bit rookie in half? Stick to the artificials that they tend to not attract unwanted visitors. :hmm

I want to try the reflective stuff but not on my gun. I want to try and make a teaser with the riffe reel that we have left over from that old gun. I can bolt that on to the float, tie whatever the heck on to it and coil it out of the way if necessary. It was either that or the use of a Cuban yoyo (wood hand spool) I think that the setup of the riffe reel will probably be neater.

 

[icarus pacific]

Cuban yo-yo? Colorado tickler? Hmmm. :hmm

sven

 

[andrsn]

aquiles-"yeah, here anderson, let me help you put that wetsuit on. no, no, i'm not putting reflective tape on your ass, why would i want fish following you?! i'd never do something like that, now would i? "

the reel sounds good. do you have it? bolt that puppy on the float you killed.