This is the second year my fellow anglers have taken up the challenge. It’s a fun challenge, and win or lose, the boat gets two Wigglefin Hellrazor Dodgers and two Amundson outdoors trolling salmon spoons as rewards for participating.

The sponsors are Amundson Outdoors, which produces the TMX5 reels, the TMX Mooching rod, the Savvy Captain X4 Downrigger Rod, and their Salmon UV reflection trolling lures.

Wigglefin Tackle, their 12″ Hellrazor Dart ( dodger ) and their Swarm Flasher System

Trolling flashers and dodgers have their own movement to create action.

Each Dodger model has two highly reflective colour sides. The Amundson lures have a highly absorbing UV surface on the concave side of the lure.

Pro Tip: Even though there is natural UV, a UV flashlight brings it up to another level.

The flasher is more speed-sensitive, best at 3-5 mph, while the original dodger is designed to maintain optimal performance at one speed.

The Wigglegin Hellrazor Dart ( dodger ) can maintain optimal movement even at slower speeds under 3 mph, but can maintain performance at higher speeds.

In addition to being trolling attractors, flashers and dodgers create different vibrations and actions in the water to attract fish to your bait.

Flasher movement is a 360-degree rotation, while a dodger is a side-to-side sway. Both add movement to the lure that mimics bait fish. This is an advantage to lures that do not create action independently, like hootchies and salmon bucktail flies.

“Traditional Flasher, original tin Dodger, Wigglefin Hellrazor Dodger“

Flashers create strong resistance while flowing through the water, which can make slipping the trolling downrigger clip more difficult and exert extra force on the salmon hooked. Also, there is instant slack when the flasher reaches and breaks through the surface. This slack often causes issues maintaining the salmon hook-up, and the anglers must be prepared to pick up the slack fast.

The Dodgers sway side to side, have little resistance, and slide smoothly through the surface when breaking through it, allowing the angler to maintain a tight hook-up.

Pro Tip: A multi-reflective system attached to the downrigger balls increases the attraction to the salmon.

Both flashers and dodgers were used inline, as the dummy flasher technique and each down rigger ball had the Wigglefin Swarm Flashers attached directly, creating our own bait ball for attraction.

Most anglers use the flasher, but the dodgers slowly return to the market.