The clear advantage of the 360 flasher is that it has a very large attraction radius—it can draw fish from a long ways away—and it also provides very enticing movement to bait or lures, especially small, light baits or lures. This movement imparted to the bait or lure will often close the deal where other presentations fail.
Nick Bohrer hefts a wild Columbia springer for a quick photo before release while the author and Hambly photo-bomb. A naked spinner behind a 360 was the ticket.
The monotonous beat-per-second throb of the rod tip was about to put me to sleep. Then it happened—the rod tip buried. Line peeled off the level-wind reel. I lifted the rod from the rod holder and did my best to maintain a low rod angle, perpendicular to the fish. The Chinook changed directions, swimming towards the boat. I cranked hard, but smoothly, trying to keep the line straight to the fish, maintaining a low rod angle. A few seconds later, 20 feet behind the boat, the fish wallowed on the surface and rapidly swam out and around the boat, ripping more line from the reel. I felt and saw the flasher vibrating, slightly behind and to the side of the fish’s head. I kept the rod angle low to try to keep the flasher in the water and to maintain tension on the fish. In my experience, pumping and winding is a sure-fire way to lose fish with “360 flashers.” I carefully wound line and worked the fish closer to the boat. Just out of net range, the fish shook its head a few times, changed direction 180 degrees and was gone. What did I do wrong? Nothing, really. We just lose a lot of fish when we’re trolling with 360 flashers, a technique sometimes referred to as “Pro-Trollin,” named after the first flasher of its type, the Pro-Troll ProChip 11. Many consider the Pro-Chip 11 to be the best of the 360 flashers. Though I lost the fish, I wasn’t terribly discouraged. The technique is so effective we usually don’t have to wait long for another chance.
The hottest trolling technique for Chinook and coho salmon all up and down the West Coast is undoubtedly Pro-Trollin’. The technique was employed first on the Columbia River in eastern Washington and Oregon several years ago. Its use has since migrated west down the Columbia all the way to the coast and has spread up and down the West Coast in saltwater from California to Alaska, especially in areas where maturing salmon are gathering. It flat out works. It is highly effective at attracting fish and then stimulating them to bite—even maturing fish that have slowed or stopped feeding. It makes even mediocre anglers look great. Sometimes.
The key to this technique is the use of what many refer to as “360 flashers.” That’s a little ambiguous, as all elongated, skateboard-shaped flashers rotate 360 degrees while being trolled, as long as the boat is traveling fast enough. Popular 360s that I’ve used include the Pro-Troll ProChip, Shortbus Super Series, Mack’s Lure ScentFlash™ UV Paddle Flasher, and the Leo’s Flasher.
Flashers have been used in salmon fisheries much longer than the flat-bill generation has. Some of you may be old enough to remember the metal Luhr Jensen Abe & Al flashers that were so popular decades ago. The particular flashers that make this technique work so well, though—the ones we refer to as 360 flashers—are those that have the addition of a kicker fin, or “agitator fin,” (sometimes more than one) usually located near the aft end of the flasher. These fins on the flasher grab more water than an un-finned flasher, and this results in consistent, aggressive rotation of the flasher. The kicker fin(s) also allows the flasher to rotate at slower speeds than flashers that don’t have them. The effect of this increased traction in the water is that the bait or lure in tow gets jerked around significantly more than with a non-finned flasher, even at low speeds. This added lure movement, combined with the flash and thump of the flasher, seems to be the trigger that makes this technique so effective.
This Sitka Chinook took a Silver Horde Coho Killer fished behind a lighted Pro-Troll ProChip 11 flasher, deployed with a downrigger down to 110 feet.
360 flashers can be used on a downrigger setup, or with lead. On a downrigger setup, the flasher is simply tied inline as you would with any flasher, and a leader of your desired length and pound-test connects the lure to the flasher. Lures run the gamut from herring to thin-bladed spoons, spinners, hoochies, Super Baits, Spin-N-Fish, Simon Spin Dawgs, and other lures. Leader strengths from 25- to 50-pound-test are typical. Leader length can vary from 16 inches to 4 feet or more, depending on what lure or bait is being towed behind the flasher, and the aggressiveness of the fish.
When using lead, the overall rig is a little more complicated. The distance from bait or lure to flasher is the same, but things change as you assemble the pieces towards the rod tip. The leader is tied to the flasher, then a flasher leash or bumper connects the flasher to a bead-chain swivel or Sampo ball-bearing swivel. This leash, or bumper, can be from 18- to 36 inches long and is often constructed of heavy monofilament (150- to 200-pound-test). Some anglers prefer wire for bumpers. 18 and 24 inches are very popular lengths for bumpers. Above the ball-bearing swivel or bead-chain swivel, a slider rides on the main line. The slider (BnR Tackle and VIP Outdoors make good ones) has a Duo-Lock snap on it, to which a cannon-ball weight of 8- to 20 ounces is attached. Sometimes a monofilament dropper is used, especially when fishing close to the bottom. The most popular weight sizes are 12 ounces and 16 ounces. Yes, it’s a lot of gear. But the technique is so unbelievably effective, guides and private anglers are willing to use the heavy gear required.
The clear advantage of the 360 flasher is that it has a very large attraction radius—it can draw fish from a long ways away—and it also provides very enticing movement to bait or lures, especially small, light baits or lures. This movement imparted to the bait or lure will often close the deal where other presentations fail.
However, the 360-flasher technique has one persistent Achilles heel: The 360 flasher has a tremendous amount of drag in the water when you’re hooked up on a fish, particularly when the fish is travelling perpendicular to the line. It has considerably more drag than flashers without kicker fins. The result is that it is difficult to keep the line straight and tight to the fish, and this is exacerbated when fishing with heavy lead. The result is that leaders sometimes break—even 40-pound-test (the shorter the leader, the more likely it is to break)—and hooks often pull out. So, the primary disadvantage of the 360 flasher is a poor hook-to-land ratio. If you’re landing more than 60% of the fish you hook with this method, you’re doing good. Even very skilled anglers with hundreds of salmon under their belts frequently lose fish when fishing with 360s. But because it is so effective at getting salmon to bite, we keep using them.
This Willamette Chinook took a soft spinner. Note that there is no release mechanism on the flasher.
Saltwater salmon like this Sitka Chinook are also susceptible to the allure of 360 flashers.
All the author’s 360 rods have this terminal tackle on them: Gumpuckie, 8 mm bead, slider (either BnR E-Z slider or VIP Line Lock) then a Sampo ball-bearing swivel with Coastlock snap. The bead-chain swivel is actually part of the flasher bumper.
Many experienced anglers have experimented with different hooks (octopus, sickle, treble), different hooks sizes (from size 2 to size 4/0), and different hook configurations (hang-back, two single hooks, two treble hooks, hangback circle hooks) to find something that results in a higher hook-to-land ratio. I’m one of those anglers. I remember one summer trip to the Columbia River a few years ago with Jason Hambly of Pro-Cure and another friend, Nick Bohrer, pulling 360s with spinners. That day we used spinners built on monofilament—two size 1/0 octopus hooks rigged about an inch apart. We used ProChip 11 flashers with no break-away system. We went seven for seven on Chinook (we had to release the wild fish). We really thought we were on to something. The next day, the same rig went 3 for 11. Back to the drawing board. The moral of the story is that regardless of hook size, style, or configuration, you’re still going to lose a lot of fish when pulling 360s.
The good news is there are things you can do to lessen the drag of the flasher (and therefore improve your hook-to-land ratio) during a fish fight. It all has to do with how you rig the flasher itself. Mainly, incorporating a release mechanism, or break-away system, which releases the aft end of the flasher, which lessens fish-losing drag considerably. Below are several 360-flasher setups along with the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Traditional Rigging—No Break-away
Not all anglers are fans of break-away systems. Legendary angler Jason Hambly of Pro-Cure Bait Scents doesn’t use them. Like many anglers, he’s tried them in the past. But today, he generally prefers to not use them. Traditionally, 360 flashers are simply tied to your main line or attached to your bumper, and your leader is tied to the rear end of the flasher. There are some inherent advantages to not using a break-away system. First, you get maximum action out of the flasher, and maximum movement is imparted to the lure, at all trolling speeds. Second, you never have to re-set the break-away. Third, the gear is always fishing properly, even if you get a bite and the fish doesn’t stick. Fourth, it’s simpler to not have to manage the break-away gear. But without a break-away, you’ll experience tremendous flasher drag while fighting fish and your landing percentage will likely suffer. Newbies typically are not good at maintaining enough tension (due to the long rods used, heavy weights, and drag of the system) to keep fish pinned all the way to the net.
Store-Bought Release Mechanisms
Many anglers swear by break-away systems. I’ve waffled back and forth from no break-away for a couple years, to using home-made break-aways for a year, then back to no break-away for a year or two, and currently I’m using them again. As a result of these trials, I believe break-aways improve the hook-to-land ratio when pulling 360s, especially for unskilled anglers or anglers that can’t pull hard enough or wind fast enough to keep enough tension on the fish. The Simon 360 Break-away Flasher System uses magnets to keep the flasher in fishing configuration, but the magnets are easily pulled apart when a fish strikes. The Simon break-away requires minor modification to the hardware that comes on the flasher. The instructions are on the package. This break-away works quite well, and always trips when a fish strikes. That’s good, but it can also be bad. For instance, if a fish strikes but doesn’t get hooked, and no one sees the bite, the flasher will not be rotating properly and will not be jerking the lure around as it should. Second, it must be reset after every bite. Third, the magnets attract particles of sand that could inhibit the strength of the magnets’ attraction to each other. This sand must be wiped off periodically. Lastly, the magnets and cable that make up the break-away have some weight and drag of their own, and at very slow trolling speeds, sometimes inhibit the rotation of the flasher a little. That sounds like a long list of criticisms, but Simon release is definitely effective at lessening flasher drag when you’re playing a fish. If you find you lose more fish than you land, the improved landing percentage of using a release outweighs the disadvantages, especially when bites are few and far between.
This photo shows the aft end of the Brad’s 360 Evolution flasher. Brad’s used an original idea for their fin.
The Simon 360 Break-Away Flasher System uses magnets to keep the flasher in fishing configuration, but the magnets are easily pulled apart when a fish strikes.
The Chrome Junkies 360 Flash Release is an outstanding release. If you haven’t caught many Chinook with 360s or frequently take inexperience anglers, release mechanisms increase the chance of getting fish to the boat.
Another very good release mechanism is the Chrome Junkies 360 Flash Release. It is simple to reset, and it doesn’t release by accident. The release itself is light-weight and has less drag in the water than some other releases, and that allows your flasher to work better. You can also change where you connect the release to the back end of the flasher, thereby changing the action imparted to your lure. Like the Simon release, you do have to cut some hardware off the flasher to use this release. The 360 Flash Release is available for both Pro-Troll and Shortbus 360s.
Homemade Break-Away Device
Before commercially-made break-away systems were available, enterprising anglers frustrated with the poor hook-to-land ratio when using 360s developed their own break-away systems. Josh Cooper showed me the one I used for a couple years. To make it, you cut off the hardware on the aft end of the flasher. Then, using telephone wire, you thread piece around three inches long thru the hole in the rear of the flasher, twisting the wire around itself several times to secure it to the flasher. You then have a piece of wire a little over an inch long sticking out. Set the flasher aside. Next, you make a section of heavy monofilament (80- to 130-pound test) with a small ball-bearing barrel swivel with welded rings at one end of the line, and a Duo-Lock snap at the other. We’ll call this the flasher release line. The total length of the flasher release line, from the end of the swivel to the end of the Duo-Lock snap, should be about 11.5- to 11.75 inches. You can tie the swivel and Duo-Lock on, but it is far more precise to crimp them on. Then, attach the Duo-Lock on the flasher release line to the ring or snap at the top of the flasher. Tie your leader (with the lure on it) to the ball-bearing swivel at the end of flasher release line. Thread the phone wire through the other ring of the ball-bearing swivel, bend the wire to lightly secure it to the swivel, and you’re ready to fish. As soon as a fish bites and shakes its head, the phone wire straightens out, releasing the back end of the flasher from the flasher release line. This break-away system works well at all trolling speeds and reliably releases. The negatives are you have to re-set it every time you get a bite, you have to make the flasher-release lines for each flasher, and since you have to modify each flasher as described above. I have used these homemade releases on both Pro-Troll ProChip 11 flashers and Shortbus Super Series flashers.
Brad’s Evolution 360 Flasher
Brad’s Killer Fishing Gear decided to make their own 360 flasher (the 360 Evolution) a few years back. Guide Chris Turvey of Columbia River Guide Service was heavily involved in its development. The 360 Evolution has several attributes that are quite attractive. First, you can change how fast the flasher rotates by putting the upper bead-chain swivel through one of three holes. Fast, medium, and slow. You don’t even have to tie any knots to change the flasher speed. Second, the flasher-release line incorporates a rubber snubber. This might help keep fish hooked during the head shakes and changes of direction that often cause us to lose fish with 360s. This flasher is easy to reset and comes in nine fish-catching colors (so far). The first day I used this flasher was in May of ’22. I was pulling a soft spinner (spinner rigged on mono with two octopus hooks) at the mouth of the Wind River for springers. I had one bite, and that fish made it to the net—a Chinook about 13 pounds. The combination of the break-away and adjust-ability of the flasher’s rotation to three different speeds make the 360 Evolution just that—an evolution of the traditional 360 flasher. I can see situations where I’m going to be trolling fast, say in the open ocean with downriggers, where I’d set the flasher rotation to the slow setting. I can also see situations where I’m trolling super slow—so slow that traditional 360s don’t want to rotate. For example, think about the turn at the west end of the Toilet Bowl in Drano. In this situation I’d experiment by setting the flasher to rotate at its fastest.
Bumpers
nglers frequently ask each other about bumper length (referring to the distance from the swivel at the end of your mainline to the flasher). This is the right question—but only if everyone is using the same material (diameter) for a bumper. The question is meaningless, though, if angler A is using a bumper made of 200-pound-test mono, and angler B is us-ing a bumper of 80-pound-test mono. The reason the question is meaningless is that the 200-pound-test mono bumper has much more drag in the water than a section of 80-pound-test that is the same length. So, you need to ask about both length AND diameter of the bumper material to really get a meaningful answer. Otherwise, you’re comparing apples to oranges. Also, you need to know whether the length of the connections at each end of the bumper are included in that length. A size 5 Duo-Lock and a 6-bead-chain swivel will add a little over two inches to the length of the bumper, so they should be included when we talk about bumper length.
A homemade release mechanism can be made with heavy mono, crimps, a Duo-Lock Snap, ball-bearing swivel, and piece of telephone wire. They are a bit of a pain to reset, but they are very effective.
Close-up of the aft end of a homemade release mechanism. Whin a fish stricks, the telephone wire straightens, releasing the aft end of the flasher and greatly minimizing drag.
The back end of a flasher with a Chrome Junkies 360 Flash Release. Note the soft spinner with the VIP G.O.A.T blade—one of the author’s current favorites.
Bumpers can be made of mono, fluorocarbon, stainless-steel wire, titanium wire, and probably other materials, too. All will work. Both wire types have very thin diameters and provide very lively flasher action. But those wires will mess up leaders or other lines if you get some sort of tangle. Because of this, I tend to favor mono or fluorocarbon for bumper material. Fluorocarbon is a little more abrasion resistant, so a fluorocarbon bumper lasts longer than a mono bumper of the same pound-test.
Since thick-diameter bumpers have more drag in the water, they might contribute a small amount to poor hook-to-land ratios. Obviously, I don’t have a scientific way to measure that, but it does stand to reason. However, the flasher itself has far more drag than a thick bumper.
Bumper diameter and length both affect the action of the flasher. Thin-diameter bumpers have less drag and allow the flasher to rotate more freely. This results in a snappier rotation of the flasher, and that imparts more action to your lure. A good compromise between durability and action is 80-pound-test mono or fluorocarbon. It’s heavy enough to be durable, thin enough to provide good action, and thick enough to use crimps to make your bumpers, which speeds up the process and makes it easier to make exact lengths.
These Buoy 10 coho liked naked soft spinners 26 inches behind a Pro-Troll Pro-Chip 11. The bumper was 2 feet of 130-pound-test mono.
A prawn spinner made with Simon Wild Wings and fished behind a 360 was too much for this Wind River springer to take.
Assuming bumper diameters are equal, and speed is consistent, short bumpers rotate faster, and in a smaller-diameter circle. Longer bumpers rotate more slowly, in a larger circle. This changes how much and how quickly your lure or bait is getting jerked around, and some days the smaller, faster circle works. Other days, or with other baits and lures, a larger, slower rotation is more effective. For example, I sometimes fish herring behind a 360 at Bouy 10. When I do, I go slow, I use a 24-inch bumper, and I lengthen my leader to 4 or 5 feet, so the herring doesn’t get ripped apart as it’s getting jerked around behind the flasher. Of course, if you use a helmet like a Dick’s Sure-Spin, you don’t have to worry about the bait getting destroyed.
For consistency of presentation, it is helpful if all the bumpers on rods in your boat are the same diameter. That eliminates a variable that can hide why a certain rod is getting bit, or not bit. It is also helpful to have bumpers that are very specific lengths, such as 18 inches (not 19 or 20) or 24 inches (not 23 or 26). Again, this eliminates variables and makes your gear work consistently.
Many people have been casual in their approach to bumper diameters and lengths for 360s. While it doesn’t matter for triangle flashers, it does matter for 360s.
There is no denying the effectiveness of a 360 flasher in getting salmon to bite the lure that is dancing enticingly behind it. However, the hook-to-land ratio is rather poor most of the time. By incorporating an aftermarket or homemade release mechanism, or buying a flasher like the Brad’s 360 Evolution, you might find you improve your hook-to land ratio, especially if you have anglers on board who don’t fish this way very often. Additionally, by fine-tuning bumper lengths and diameters and eliminating in-consistencies, you will enhance your ability to tell what’s working, and what isn’t.
George Krumm is the Editor for Fish Alaska and Hunt Alaska magazines. He can be reached at george@fishalaskamagazine.com.
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