"It's sending out a flash and vibration to draw fish in to investigate," added Ramsey. "On small lakes, you get can by with small flashers, but it depends. It's a trial and error thing."

Today's technology has begun a new wave of ultra-light flashers that don't cause as much pull on your line. However, many anglers shy away from them simply because they've been employing Ford Fenders and Cow Bells -- standard flashers that have been on the market for decades.

"Some flashers create more vibration," says Ramsey. "The fish are drawn to the flash and the vibration."

It's important to consider the speed, size and finish of whatever flasher you're using. For the most part, the slower you go, the better. It's standard to run flashers from 0.5 to 1.2 mph. Some anglers fish them faster and still catch fish, but flashers' design makes them perform best at slower speeds.

"Generally speaking, trout are a 1- to 2-mph fish; I lean more toward 1 mph," Ramsey added. "But it's always good to experiment and try it out. A lot of anglers go slow, maybe as slow as a half mph, because that's where the blades get that thumpy action trout seem to like."

On the other hand, the size of the flash can play an important role. When you're dealing with murky or off-colored water, it can be effective to employ up to a 1/0 dodger or larger flasher to draw trout. Under these adverse conditions, the vibration and flash can be more potent and draw fish in more effectively.

Keep in mind that different finishes emit varying flashes into the water. For example, a hammered flasher kicks off a different ray of light than a standard flasher. There's no wrong or right method to decide which to employ under certain conditions. Again, it's trial and error. Follow these simple guidelines: Nickel blades produce best in bright weather, while copper is ideal on overcast days.

"Sometimes they'll surprise you," Ramsey said. "Sometimes color will affect them more. (The fishing industry) is offering more colors than we ever have. When it's overcast, I like a 50/50 nickel brass, but some would disagree."

On the other hand, there are times when flashers and dodgers can actually decrease catch rates In some clear-water lakes, the attractor does its job by drawing trout in, yet when they get close and see the flasher or dodger, they're often spooked by it. When this occurs, it may be time to lengthen your leader. Often that will do the trick.

At other times, though, a shorter leader is necessary. When fishing a dodger, short leaders impart more action to a lure than longer ones do. Anglers mostly use a six- to 22-inch leader. This can be the difference between catching a limit of fish and seeing maybe only a few strikes When you have a short leader and your lure is dancing, the trout will strike the lure at times out of aggression or curiosity, rather than hunger.

"Sometimes in clear water, they'll be attracted to your troll, but they just won't bite," Ramsey said. "They just don't want to get too close to it, because they aren't quite sure what it is, so they stay back. A lot of times they'll follow it for a long while. Lengthen your leader and sometimes you'll get them to bite. I've gone with a leader as long as six feet."

Many anglers believe that with a flasher or dodger, you can use only night crawlers as your bait, but that's not the case. There's no wrong lure to use in conjunction with either one. With these setups, anglers can fish with stickbaits, night crawlers, spoons and spinners. Fortunately, they're effective on every trout species in small and large lakes.

From a boat, flashers and dodgers can be used in just about any application. Whether you are slow-drifting, fast-trolling or slow-trolling, each can be used. You can fish them on the surface, with lead core or on downriggers. When using a downrigger, the only consideration is that the deeper you fish, the less visible it may be because less light penetrates. When fishing at these greater depths, you'll want to use a glow-in-the-dark pattern or a color that reflects well in low-light conditions.