Planer Boards

Vollmer

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Someone explain using these to me. I've always wanted to try but am worried that my outside line will grab a snag and wreck the whole setup. Is this just part of running planer boards? Does a guy usually run suspended setups on these to avoid snags? Thanks for any tips.
 


eyexer

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running boards can have a big learning curve. First you have to know what depths the cranks you will be using run. Keep all your lines consistent. Meaning use all the same size/diameter of line on all your cranking rods. Or at least do the best you can to insure you fully know the depth of those cranks. Once you have that established you need to familiarize yourself with the area your running boards. Most of the big lake falls off pretty quick if your contour trolling the shoreline. So learn how fast it breaks so you know that if your boat is in 25' of water, thirty feet from the boat on the shore side it'll be 18' or whatever. And vice versa for the other side. I can run two boards out each side and two rods without boards for a total of six lines. It takes a lot of practice and patience. You'll still have an occasional fubar but the more you do it the better it gets.
rd
If I'm contour trolling a shore I'll be running cranks at six different depths. Now if your trolling a big flat then it's very easy. Generally what happens when you hit a fish is it initially goes up. that will give you time to grab the rod and bring it to the back of boat over the motor. If it was an outside board you generally have to have your partner crank in the inner board on that side and real in the crank. Not always but usually. If it's the inner board your good. I have a rod wrangler that sits in a seat base right in front of the main motor. I mounted a rod holder on the top so if I grab a fish on a board I can stick the inner rod that isn't on the board in that rod holder with the tip way up. Then crank in the board, disconnect it and bring the fish in. Things don't always work the same way. So it just takes time, patience and practice.
 

Vollmer

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running boards can have a big learning curve. First you have to know what depths the cranks you will be using run. Keep all your lines consistent. Meaning use all the same size/diameter of line on all your cranking rods. Or at least do the best you can to insure you fully know the depth of those cranks. Once you have that established you need to familiarize yourself with the area your running boards. Most of the big lake falls off pretty quick if your contour trolling the shoreline. So learn how fast it breaks so you know that if your boat is in 25' of water, thirty feet from the boat on the shore side it'll be 18' or whatever. And vice versa for the other side. I can run two boards out each side and two rods without boards for a total of six lines. It takes a lot of practice and patience. You'll still have an occasional fubar but the more you do it the better it gets.
rd
If I'm contour trolling a shore I'll be running cranks at six different depths. Now if your trolling a big flat then it's very easy. Generally what happens when you hit a fish is it initially goes up. that will give you time to grab the rod and bring it to the back of boat over the motor. If it was an outside board you generally have to have your partner crank in the inner board on that side and real in the crank. Not always but usually. If it's the inner board your good. I have a rod wrangler that sits in a seat base right in front of the main motor. I mounted a rod holder on the top so if I grab a fish on a board I can stick the inner rod that isn't on the board in that rod holder with the tip way up. Then crank in the board, disconnect it and bring the fish in. Things don't always work the same way. So it just takes time, patience and practice.

That was an excellent run thru. Thanks very much! I look forward to adding it to my repertoire, haha.
 

eyexer

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If you want to just try some boards and roads some day without investing let me know. I half half a dozen boards and probably eight rod setups. They're not for everybody.
 

DirtyMike

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I've only ran them a couple times in my life. Works pretty slick and if you can develop a pattern for what you do when each rod is hit, you'll be just fine. I can't get past the initial cost of the dang things.
 


Kurtr

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I have used them a bunch on erie where you wont snag and had to get away from the boat. I was fishing this little lake for crappies right along the weed lines and if you got to close or casted with a big splash they would spook out. So i saw these mini planer boards and had an idea that i could use them so i experimented different amount of line behind it and speed got it right and we caught the heck out of them that summer. it looked crazy four planner boards out of the duck boat but worked great
 

Vollmer

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I have used them a bunch on erie where you wont snag and had to get away from the boat. I was fishing this little lake for crappies right along the weed lines and if you got to close or casted with a big splash they would spook out. So i saw these mini planer boards and had an idea that i could use them so i experimented different amount of line behind it and speed got it right and we caught the heck out of them that summer. it looked crazy four planner boards out of the duck boat but worked great

Now that's what fishing is all about. Well done.
 

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