Rudder Flashers

[Dan Carney]

I have noticed on several fishing shows and some of the videos here that many of the guides run rudder flashers off their downriggers, with the release clip off the back of it and the downrigger ball hung off a rubber snubber. Are there any significant benefits to rigging this way as opposed to connecting the release clip to the back of a downrigger ball and running a standard flasher? Is the idea to save more gear if you hang on the bottom or does this approach catch more fish?
Thanks.
Dan

[Nelly]

Hey Dan,
Great question, it certainly shows that you've been paying close attention!
I'm a HUGE Rudder Flasher (RF) fan but I dislike the snubber. The RF helps your gear run a bit more tangle free as there is a "spreader bar effect" that separates your release from the wire. I feel there's also an attraction component to the RF as I've run them on one side of the boat and not on the other... you guessed it. The RF side wins every time.

The snubbers are another story. Since I use "Retro Ease" http://store.cannondownriggers.com/products/324730/Retro-Easeweight retrievers that pull the ball to the boat, the snubbers allow the downrigger weight to become a "wrecking ball" of sorts. In addition, I've never had a snubber prevent a snagged ball so I really don't see any advantage in their use. Since I like to keep things as simple as possible and I don't see the usefulness of the snubber, I dont bother with them.

Thanks for your question and thanks for joining our forums! Good luck out there Dan!