I fish the Shuswap and use a variety of lures for the rainbows, I find in the spring my go to hook is the orange and brass croc, then later on apex variety of colours and coyote spoons, all can be used with flashers as well. Don't be shy on using larger spoons as well, I have had 1/2 lb rainbows strike a lure that are almost the same size as they are. Have a large variety of color and sizes. My rule of thumb is, dark days dark lures, bright days shiny lures. If the fishing is slow I will add the flashers. I use basically three sizes of flashers, the brand names sometimes are different but the design and motion of most are pretty much the same. Rather than an actual size I go with small, medium and large. The smallest one is almost like a willow leaf when in use, especially if you have a spoon or larger lure behind it, it doesn't rotate but swings back and forth, kinda like a dodger. The middle one is the same, get to big a hook behind it and it will only swing rather than rotate, whereas the big mother can handle pretty much anything and will rotate. There really isn't one that I like better or use more, they all have their place on my lines! If you want to use the bigger spoons or Apexs go with the big flasher, you'll get maximum rotation and flash out of the setup. As with all the flashers, the closer your lure to the flasher the more action will be imparted to that lure. Later in the year I put a Hootchie Squirt behind the medium flasher with about 18" of leader and it really spins that thing around and the bows hit it like a salmon!! If the fishing is totally dead I throw on the big flasher with a big spoon, about 5' of leader and put it down at 100', lakers love it and don't be surprised if rainbows hit it as well! I've taken rainbows in this manner down as deep as 125'! The small flasher is used when I just want a bit more attraction to the lure, using 2-3' of leader or what you Apex has on it. Sometimes that little extra flash is all that's needed to turn a slow day into a great day!
