Monic has a new product on the market that you might find interesting, the activator pad….huh?
Sounds like something either from a Thor movie or a female hygiene spot but it’s just another unfortunate name for a really cool product.
The activator pad is a clip on accessory with a small foam pad for holding 6-8 flies. It comes with six pre-tied flies (a small bait fish pattern) that are suitable for tuna, albies, striped bass and bluefish. They would probably work on snook, small tarpon and mahi-mahi as well. The flies are a basic bait fish in 3 colors, black, green & blue.
They are well tied with epoxy heads that do not spin. The hooks are not labeled but appear to be size #2 and are not flimsy.
What is interesting about the flies is the little dot of material that glows after being charged with natural or artificial light. The dot is made from an eco-friendly polymer that is odorless and colorless and is almost invisible until charged.
The “glow” is an fish attractant and is subtle.
It does not appear to spook fish and has worked for us on snapper, peacock bass and false albacore although the hooks are somewhat small as we mentioned previously.
It is an innovative product and from what Monic says, they are planning an array of known fly patterns for the activator pad technology that are productive and species specific. Look for these offerings in 2018.
So far, we can say we like the activator pad and have used the flies successfully in several settings, both low light and full sun. So far we only have two minor issues. One, there is only one fly pattern currently available. We would like to see some new patterns and sizes for favorite species which is forthcoming. Two, the clip on feature of the activator pad is super convenient when wading and for changing on the fly but it does blow in the wind and could be a potential snag hazard if not placed correctly. Fortunately it’s just a clip on card, similar ot an ID badge and can easily moved if you do have this issue with wind or snag.
Would be interesting to try this technology on a black and purple tarpon toad or a worm pattern during dusk and dawn fishing. Might become the new secret weapon for spring tarpon in low light situations. Try them out and send us you experiences whether good or not good.
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