Mastering Flasher-Fly Programs for Great Lakes Salmon with Captain Chris Ingalls

Posted by Chris Larsen on 19th Aug 2025

Mastering Flasher-Fly Programs for Great Lakes Salmon with Captain Chris Ingalls

Mastering Flasher-Fly Programs for Great Lakes Salmon: Pro Insights from Captain Chris Ingalls

When it comes to targeting trophy salmon on the Great Lakes, few tools are as powerful as a well-run flasher-fly program. For many anglers, these setups are a game-changer—consistently putting fish in the boat when other presentations come up short.

To dig deep into the details of running flashers and flies, we turned to Captain Chris Ingalls of Dark Blue Charters in Manistee, Michigan. With decades of Lake Michigan experience and countless kings landed, Chris shared his proven strategies on the Great Lakes Fishing Podcast with host Chris Larsen and co-host Captain Craig Sleeman. What follows is a breakdown of his best tips, favorite gear, and hard-earned wisdom on running a successful flasher-fly spread.

Why Flashers and Flies Work

Before diving into setups, it’s important to understand what makes flashers so effective. These attractors are designed to rotate and pulse in the water, creating big loops that generate both visual flash and vibration. The action mimics the commotion of baitfish schools, drawing salmon in from a distance.

As Captain Ingalls explained:

“These things are cutting through the water, making big loops, and that makes your fly dance. The shorter the leader, the more action you’ll get. The longer the leader, the more subtle it becomes.”

It’s not just about catching fish directly on the flasher-fly rod. Often, the turbulence and flash bring curious salmon into the spread, where they’ll hit other lines. In other words, even when not firing, flashers still pull fish into your zone.

Essential Big Paddles: Three Must-Have Patterns

Chris emphasized that every boat targeting salmon should be running at least one 11-inch paddle—often on the deepest downrigger. These large attractors throw out a ton of commotion, making them indispensable in a spread.

His top three big-paddle patterns include:

Double Pearl (aka Double Slick)
- Works in nearly all conditions—sun, clouds, or rain.
- An “all-day, every-day” producer.
Double Pearl with Black Blade
- Shines on darker, foggy, or rainy days.
- A subtle twist that often outperforms when skies are gray.
Charlies Special
- A newer Dreamweaver release that quickly proved itself.
- Chris often fishes it shallower (upper 70–80 feet) where it’s been a standout, though tournament boats have success deeper too.

“These three color patterns are ones you’ve got to have on big paddles,” Chris stressed. “Put those in the boat and you’re going to catch more fish.”

Placement & depth: Chris commonly runs his big paddle on the deepest presentation—usually the center downrigger—setting it at or slightly below the thermocline in the morning, then dropping it deeper as the day progresses to pick up that later bite.

Proven Spin Doctor Setups

While paddles are a must, 8-inch Spin Doctors are the backbone of many flasher-fly programs. Chris highlighted several proven patterns:

1) Kevin’s Girlfriend

Perhaps the most famous of them all. Chris recounted a season where it produced two kings over 30 pounds.

“I have a love-hate relationship with it. Sometimes it goes cold, but when it’s on—it’s ON. It usually puts really big fish in the boat.”

2) Double Pearl

The eight-inch Double Pearl Spin Doctor is Chris’s confidence bait:

“That thing is on one of my lines all day, almost every day. If you’re not running it, you’re missing the boat.”

3) White Crush

With its glowing finish, the White Crush excels in low-light conditions:

“If you’re out there at 3:30 a.m. at dawn, this one with a glowing fly will absolutely produce.”

4) Double Pearl with Black Blade

Like its paddle cousin, this version comes alive on overcast days.

5) Dragon Slayer

A long-time Lake Michigan staple, the Dragon Slayer pairs well with both flies and meat rigs. “It’s been so good for so long,” Chris noted.

Where they run: Chris often prefers flasher-flies on divers—especially high divers—with meat rigs more commonly on low divers paired to 10-inch attractors. But he won’t hesitate to run flasher-fly combos on downriggers, long lines, and lead core when the bite calls for it.

Flies That Consistently Catch Fish

When it comes to trailing flies, Chris shared five that belong in every angler’s arsenal. Importantly, he emphasized not to get hung up on “matching” flasher and fly colors perfectly.

“Some combinations just work, even if the colors don’t look like they should. Once you find a combo that catches fish, stick with it.”

1) Pickled Sunshine (Dreamweaver)

A tube fly that has accounted for more kings than almost any other pattern.

2) Riverside (KRW)

Nearly identical to Pickled Sunshine, but tied on a bullet head. Chris considers both essential.

Tip: With Dreamweaver tube flies, many anglers (Chris included) run them with the thread showing—it just seems to get bit more.

3) Blue Green Dolphin (KRW)

A newer fly that immediately impressed:

“The first day I ran it, it outperformed all my other flies two-to-one. It hasn’t left my gear since.”

4) Money Shot (KRW)

A recent standout that proved deadly on kings, coho, and lake trout.

“By season’s end, mine were shredded down to just a few strands—and they were still getting hit.”

5) Aqua Gold Glow (KRW)

An old-school fly Chris has trusted since his early days on Lake Michigan. A consistent producer year after year.

Rigging Notes: Holes, Hardware & Action

Spin Doctors have two holes on the front and two on the rear (one near the fin, one away from it). Chris always runs the front hole for connection.

Rear hole near fin: Adds more action to the trailing fly.
Rear hole away from fin: Yields a wider rotation.

He also prefers attractors with double swivels (e.g., Dreamweaver) because they simplify fly attachment and reduce line twist.

Action basics:

Longer leader = less fly action (more subtle).
Shorter leader or faster speed = more fly action.

Leader Lengths: Finding the Sweet Spot

One of the most common questions Chris gets is how long to tie leaders behind flashers. His advice is refreshingly simple—and repeatable on the boat without a ruler:

8-inch Spin Doctors → ~24 inches
Hook in hand, leader to top of shoulder (Chris is 6’0”; that measures about two feet).
10-inch Spin Doctors → ~30–32 inches
Hook in hand, leader to center of sternum.
11-inch Paddles → longer is better
Sternum to the deck (hook touches the floor with the other end at the sternum).

But leader length is not set in stone. Chris often adjusts based on conditions:

“If I’ve got a flasher in the water for two hours and it hasn’t taken a bite, something’s wrong. If my speed and depth are good, I’ll lengthen the leader—sometimes out to six feet. Some days, lazy kings just want a slower, more subtle fly.”

Rule of thumb: Bigger paddle → longer lead. But don’t be afraid to stretch leaders on 8" and 10" attractors too when you need to coax neutral fish.

Trolling Speed: Slower Is Often Better (and Why Your Fish Hawk Matters)

Many anglers run faster trolling speeds to cover more water, but Chris prefers a slower pace:

“I’m pretty much a slow goer—2.0 to 2.2 mph, sometimes 1.9 in the morning. You don’t cover as much ground, but I think you make it up in quality bites. The bigger fish seem to prefer slower speeds.”

Here’s where Fish Hawk Electronics comes in. Current can make surface speed misleading—your lures can be moving much faster or slower at depth. Chris specifically noted that when something isn’t firing but “everything’s right on my Fish Hawk”—speed, temperature, and depth—he’ll adjust leader length first rather than chase phantom speed issues.

Practical takeaways using a Fish Hawk speed/temperature probe:

Target 2.0–2.2 mph at the ball for most flasher-fly work; slide to ~1.9 mph at first light or when fish are neutral.
Use the thermocline (temp at depth) to set your big paddle on the morning downrigger: start at or 10–20 feet below the break, then follow the fish down as the sun gets higher.
When marks are there, temp is right, and Fish Hawk at-the-ball speed is on target—but your flasher-fly hasn’t been touched in a couple hours—lengthen the leader before you overhaul the spread.

Dialing speed at the lure—not just GPS—is one of the biggest advantages you can have. It’s also why serious salmon anglers consider a Fish Hawk probe must have gear on the Great Lakes.

Line Strength and Material Choices

Should you run mono or fluorocarbon for fly leaders? Chris has tested both.

Most pre-tied flies come with 50-pound Big Game mono, and that’s plenty strong. Lighter leaders (around 35 lb. fluoro) can add more whip and a touch of subtlety, but aren’t strictly necessary.

“If you don’t want to spend the extra money, just run regular old mono. It’ll do you just fine.”

The Devil’s in the Details

If there’s one theme Chris hammered home, it’s that small details make the difference.

Blade finish matters—white pearl vs. white crush can be the difference at dawn.
Glow beads/tape can matter more than color alone in low light.
Leader-length tweaks often trigger reluctant biters.
Color “matching” isn’t mandatory—confidence combos are king.

As co-host Captain Craig Sleeman pointed out:

“As fishermen, everybody can buy this stuff. It’s when and where that makes the difference. White isn’t just white—there are subtle details that matter.”

Quick-Start Checklist: Chris Ingalls’ Confidence Spread

Big Paddles (11")

Double Pearl (Double Slick)
Double Pearl Black Blade
Charlies Special

Spin Doctors (8")

Kevin’s Girlfriend
Double Pearl
White Crush (glow winner at dawn)
Double Pearl Black Blade (overcast)
Dragon Slayer

Flies

Pickled Sunshine (Dreamweaver, tube)
Riverside (KRW, bullet head)
Blue Green Dolphin (KRW)
Money Shot (KRW)
Aqua Gold Glow (KRW)

Leader Lengths

8" SD: ~24" (hook-in-hand → shoulder)
10" SD: ~30–32" (hook-in-hand → sternum)
11" Paddles: Sternum → deck (longer is better)

Speed (with Fish Hawk at the ball)

Most of the day: 2.0–2.2 mph
Low light/neutral fish: ~1.9 mph
If speed/temp/marks look good but no bites: lengthen leaders (even to 6'+ on paddles)

Wrapping It Up

Captain Chris Ingalls’ flasher-fly program isn’t about overcomplicating things—it’s about running proven gear, paying attention to details, and making adjustments when needed.

To recap his must-haves:

Big Paddles: Double Pearl, Double Pearl Black Blade, Charlie Special.
Spin Doctors: Kevin’s Girlfriend, Double Pearl, White Crush, Black Blade, Dragon Slayer.
Flies: Pickled Sunshine, Riverside, Blue Green Dolphin, Money Shot, Aqua Gold Glow.
Fish Hawk at the ball: Use it to hold true speed and temp where your gear actually runs.

If you’re building or refining your own spread, start with these staples and then experiment until you find your confidence rigs.

Chris closed the podcast with an open invite:

“Thanks for having me on. If you want to go fishing with me out of Manistee, check out DarkBlueCharters.com.”

For anglers across the Great Lakes, the message is clear: dial in your Fish Hawk speed, fine-tune those leader lengths, and your flasher-fly program will consistently catch kings.