Planer Boards

[Kokanee Troller]

Has anyone used a Planer Board?
With my small Alu Boat it is difficult to use two downriggers especially during a turn. I understand doing some research you can use leadcore
with Planer Boards to get your lure down deep. I'm not sure if they are
worth the troble or not. But with 2 guys in the boat, 4 poles in the water,
it can be challenging to say the least in a small Alum Boat. Anyone have
any expereince with Planer Boards?

[metalheadgene]

KT, I have a buddy who uses planer boards with no problem. Not knowing how small your boat is, I would offer some other suggestions as well.

I use 2 down riggers, ,one on the port side and one off the back end and try to keep the depth atleast 10" apart.

Then a lead core on the starboard side and then a top water rig meaning just pulling a beercan or a ford fender and wedding ring.

I am amazed at how often the top water rig will get as much if not more action then the deep rigs at times.

In other words, I suggest trying 3 or 4 rods, at all different depths and I guarantee you will not be wasting your time.

good luck!

[kodiak1]

I have 2 Sidewinder planer boards (I love 'em; they were recommended to me by Black Sheep and Fins and Feathers in Coeur d' Alene, and have used them extensively on Lake CDA for chinook, and for big Gerrards and Dollys on Kootenay Lake. They work great, and produce just as well as most planer boards 10 and 20X the price. However, I have tried them in the ocean and on Lucky Peak, and never again. In both cases, there was lots of boat traffic, and boats don't look for planers out there.....and nor should they. It was a pain in the butt, and I didn't use them for very long. In Kootenay, where you might see another boat once or twice in an entire day, no prob. But think twice if planning on using them in crowded waters. Mike

[MMDON]

Planer boards can be used as close as 10' to the boat if adjusted correctly to pull away from the boat. In heavy traffic simply run them closer! The only problem you run into is if you are toplining, other boats may cut behind you and cut off your lines.

I'd rather run lines with banana trolling weights then lead core. Accomplishes the same thing with out all of that line drag!

[RalphL]

Planer boards can be used as close as 10' to the boat if adjusted correctly to pull away from the boat. In heavy traffic simply run them closer! The only problem you run into is if you are toplining, other boats may cut behind you and cut off your lines.

I'd rather run lines with banana trolling weights then lead core. Accomplishes the same thing with out all of that line drag!

try the sinker dropper and dump all the weight

[Ken Jones]

Interesting subject- MMDON- You say you don't use leaded line because of the drag. You like Banana weights and accomplish the same as leaded line. What size weight do you use most of the time trolling? How far back is your presentation going out and down? Do you use a line counter? I use leaded line and down riggers. Most of my fish are caught on leaded line. The best we did one day was 60 fish. This was at Anderson Ranch Res.

[RalphL]

60 fish, wow.. What is the per fisherman limit there? Sounds like it would be a great destination for a week with the boat and camper.. Well worth a non res. licensce.. Any size to the fish??

[spoons]

limit is 25 per at The Ranch.

[spoons]

limit is 25 per at The Ranch.
most are under 15 inches.

http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/

[kodiak1]

Don, you're right, you can run them tight to the boat. However, the only time I like to use them is when there is a bit of chop on the water, and run a big streamer for Gerrards or a hoochie combo or helmeted herring for the Coeur d' Alene chinook. The Canadians tell me to get the Sidewinder at least 60 feet out, crank it up to 2.5 to 4 mph, and run the flies 15-200 feet back. They feel that flies dragged behind the boat rarely produce, and who am I to argue with the guys that live on the lake!! The other reason I don't like using them for kokanee and small trout is that the Sidewinder runs back to the hook setup. It is not a problem with the big fish at all, but is awkward with smaller fish. Mike

[Kokanee Troller]

Thanks Guys for the info. I agree that LP when full of Boats is not a good
idea. I have watched video, and when the Boards get a hook-up they reel
the boards in with the fish. I'm thinking that is a bad idea with Kokanee.
Can they be fixed so when you get a hook-up, your line pulls away from
the board ? More like a downrigger....after you get your fish, reel in the
board, set your line on it and put the board back in the water. You would
need another reel to pull in the Planer board. ??

[SuperD]

Kodiak1, do you run a large bead above your swivel? An 8mm - 10mm bead above your swivel acts as a stop to the inline planer board.

[kodiak1]

Yes, I do. The great thing about them is that when the fish hits the line comes out and it brings the fish up to the surface and behind the boat.

[MMDON]

Interesting subject- MMDON- You say you don't use leaded line because of the drag. You like Banana weights and accomplish the same as leaded line. What size weight do you use most of the time trolling? How far back is your presentation going out and down? Do you use a line counter? I use leaded line and down riggers. Most of my fish are caught on leaded line. The best we did one day was 60 fish. This was at Anderson Ranch Res.

Unlike trolling weights, leaded line creates constant line water resistance and will only sink a certain distance in the water column before it flat lines. I mostly fish with downriggers unless I have more people on the boat then they can handle. At that time I will run large Frisky Jenny planer boards out both sides of the boat. Your fishing line is independent of the planers and release from a clip as was said. I carry weights on board from 1/2 ounce up to 4 ounces. 2 ounce weights are probably most commonly used and replicate the depth of most leadcore with only a 100' set back. All weight type trolling gear is speed dependent as to how deep it will go.

[Kokanee Troller]

One last thought...If you use 2 poles per planer board, 1 with a lure, 1 tied
to the Planer Board..so after your fish hits and releases from the Planer Board,
you can reel the PB in...Does that 2nd pole count as a Legal Fishing Pole
as per fish&game? I would think No, because it does not have a lure (hook)
you are not fishing with it. What do you think.

[SuperD]

One last thought...If you use 2 poles per planer board, 1 with a lure, 1 tied
to the Planer Board..so after your fish hits and releases from the Planer Board,
you can reel the PB in...Does that 2nd pole count as a Legal Fishing Pole
as per fish&game? I would think No, because it does not have a lure (hook)
you are not fishing with it. What do you think.
In your description, the second rod is really a poor man's planer mast. That rod should be ocean stout and as tall as possible to be the most efficient make shift mast.

[autorick]

I run full size planer boards off of planer reels mounted 7' above the water. I run the boards out any where from 50-125 feet from the boat, all depending on the traffic. I have a collection of the big jon planer board clips that hook onto your line line just like a downrigger clip and is has a large ring that it is hooked onto and I snap that onto the planer board line. Then you let the line out and the trolling gear pulls the line down the planer board line. I can stack up many lines onto each planer board this way and when a line comes off due to a fish, I let more line out of the other reels so they slide further down the line and it makes more room for letting getting my pole back out there. I just keep adding clips and they just slide to the board when the line comes off. At the end of the morning I reel in the boards and unhook all of my planer clips. I don't like to do this but I have ran 4 lines on downriggers and 6 lines on boards all at the same time. This can become a cluster #*$% very quickly if the wind picks up.

[MMDON]

I too have a wind allergy. I carry about 40 sliding clips so I don't reel in my planer boards until we are through fishing unless the bite is off the hook and we simply need to retrieve clips. I run a Big Jon mast with twin electrics mounted on the hard top of my boat. Height is about 10' off the water.