# Tattle flag or not



## mtkjay8869 (Nov 18, 2011)

I am considering weather or not to put tattle flags on my church walleye boards. Any of you out there have pros vs cons or did u make the decision to add them and like or regret it? I fish Erie for walleye and sometimes we have had a fish on and not realized it and drug him around for a bit before we pulled him in. I will easily spend over a hundred dollars adding these to all my boards and want to see if it's worth it or not before I do


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## ldrjay (Apr 2, 2009)

I wouldnt. Im gonna take mine off more than likely.


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

If you mostly troll cranks I would not bother adding the flags. Pulling worm harnesses it might help detecting small farm animals going for the ride behind the board. Maybe I'm lucky because I seam to always find the big sheep bite and have to sort them out to get on gators.


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## triton175 (Feb 21, 2006)

Harnesses or cranks, it's much easier to tell if a small fish is on with the flags than without. If you can find just the flags, not the kit, it's easy and inexpensive to put them on.
Do a search for a step-by-step posted by Hetfieldinn and you'll see how easy it is.


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## mtkjay8869 (Nov 18, 2011)

Thanks guys I do already have the standard flags on my boards but not having any luck searching for the post u speak of triton 175 do u remember which forum it was in


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## triton175 (Feb 21, 2006)

http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/threads/home-made-tattle-flags.142726/

Here you go.
You'll notice that Het is using Offshore boards, don't worry it works the same with Church's boards (that's what I use too).
Good luck


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## mtkjay8869 (Nov 18, 2011)

Thank u much triton175 for going out of your way to help me out I'm not sure y I couldn't get to the thread doing a search but none the less that is a big help


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## tomb (Oct 9, 2004)

Well worth doing Het's mod.


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## capt j-rod (Feb 14, 2008)

I like my flags for the white bass. They aren't a glowing beacon, but it gives you more things to compare when you think you have a hitch hiker. I love big boards, but if it's only 2 or three guys, then it's a big p.i.a. To run big boards. A little off topic, but still relevant, a matched set of rods is important for detecting fish


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## EYEFISHER2 (May 11, 2008)

From my experiance i think going over 1.8 mph really helps show that the fish is there...i made mine own tattles with rubber bands instead of springs, stock flag, eye screw and a bead. Then bought some wire used to make spinner baits from cabelas( you get enough wire for like 12$ to do ALL of your boards plus EVERYONE you fish with prolly haha) its extremely simple to do and i prolly have less than 20$ in all 8 boards. For white bass more times than not i will see the flag bounce and maybe not stay down but at least its a indicator. My thoughts are if it helps 25% of the time it was worth the hour it took me to make them


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## jamesbalog (Jul 6, 2011)

last week we caught an 11.4lb walleye on our outside board. She didnt pull the board back, all we saw was the flag bounce up and down a few times like there was a small trash fish on the line.

yes the flags do help catch some fish, i think they are worth the cost


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## ErieRider (Mar 23, 2010)

Flags will help without a doubt. There are times when we have less experienced folks on board. We just tell them watch the flag. That will help them. But if you run matched gear (ie same rods) just watch your tips. Sometimes even with flags you may have something or you are just not sure. Over time with experience, you will say that board just does not seem right but the flag isn't really doing much. Checking the rod tips and seeing them out of sync and reeling that rod in will usually reveal either a junk fish, debris on the line or a improper tracking lure. So yes the flags are great but the rod tips won't lie either. Check your lines if you are not sure. Better to check it than have that one "out of service" when it has some issue.


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## Dcummins (Jul 19, 2013)

In my experience only time flags don't do much is trolling heavy at 2 plus in rough water. Watch eBay for tattle kits I got 6 of my kits for $22 for all of them. Rare but it happens. The release on the rear of the board on the church's helps let the board come to the middle of the boat to avoid tangles.


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