Reviewed by: CAPT. MIKE SCHOONVELD
I don’t know how long ago metal trolling dodgers were invented, but it was long before salmon were introduced to the Great Lakes. With minor variations these relatively flat slabs of thin brass or steel all looked similar and were built with nearly identical proportions. A six-inch dodger was about two inches wide; an eight-inch long dodger was a bit less than three-inches wide.
That’s why I noticed several of the bright orange dodgers dangling on the rods being readied for action on the boat being preparing to launch just ahead of me. I don’t know if the word, “stubby” is what I thought, but I did notice the dodgers were out of proportion compared to every other dodger I’d ever seen. They were proportionately wider than any dodger I’d ever seen – roughly only twice as long as they were wide.
A few hours later I returned to the marina to find the angler with the “stubby” dodgers just finishing his chores at the fish cleaning station and the pile of fillets being packaged showed he’d had a successful trip. When I got home that day, the mailman had delivered my latest issue of Great Lakes Angler magazine and it was in this issue I noticed the advertisement posted by Gold Star for Stubby Dodgers.
Due to the time-zone difference between the Great Lakes and Washington state, I was able to call Kelly Morrison, owner of Silver Hoard Fishing Supplies (who makes Gold Star dodgers), to ask about them. Long story short, Morrison said their Stubbies had earned a solid following by West Coast salmon trollers and they were betting their advertising dollars they’d be a hit in the Great Lakes.
By the end of the week, I had some Stubby Dodgers on my boat and about three minutes after I’d slowed to trolling speed I had a coho thrashing on a trolling fly trailing 18-inches behind one of the Stubbies. About three minutes after coolering that coho, there was another coho on the same dodger and fly pulled under by a Dipsy Diver. If that wasn’t convincing enough, though it took about 10 minutes, the same set-up caught the third fish of the day – and that set-up continued being the “stud-rod” for the rest of the morning.
There’s no better lure for early season cohos in Southern Lake Michigan than a six-inch flame-red metal dodger trailing a half-sized tinsel fly. Most of these cohos are caught within a few feet of the surface, but the dodger fly set-up will continue to work as the surface warms and the fish seek deeper water. Often, once the fish start foraging 30 or more feet deep, many anglers move to eight-inch dodgers to provide more “flash” attractant.
This was the condition when I started fishing Stubby Dodgers. I think the Stubbies boosted the flash to attract the fish but still imparted the same snappy action to the fly as the six-inch regular dodgers. I’m sold! I haven’t had the chance to use them in the early spring when the fish are shallow, but I think these might be a solid choice on those gray-spring days when a bit of extra flash could be helpful.
If you only want to try a couple of them, stick to the 077 Flame color, but they are available in over a dozen traditional colors including one which is quite novel. For me, my second-favorite “coho” dodger color is chartreuse with fire dots. The Stubby does come in that pattern, but there’s also one that’s painted Flame on one side, chartreuse/fire-dot on the other.
Find Stubby Dodgers at some retailers, at on-line sellers or order them direct at http://www.silverhorde.com.
FISHING TOYS 