Planer boards are one of the most useful fishing tools any troller can own. From walleye to salmon, brown trout to stripers, there is almost no limit to the species that can be targeted more effectively with the help of planer boards.

            Planer boards bring much to fishing, but overwhelmingly the biggest advantage of using these trolling aids centers on the ability to target fish that are completely unaware of the presence of the boat. Presenting lures and live baits out to the side of the boat allows anglers the unprecedented advantage of fishing for undisturbed fish that are feeding naturally. Flatline trolling or trolling directly behind the boat often spooks the fish long before the lures reach them.

ARE FISH REALLY AFRAID OF BOATS?

            Anglers often debate if fish are actually afraid of fishing boats. Certainly at times anglers can catch fish by trolling directly behind the boat. It’s also true that fish can’t reason that inside the fishing boat are anglers who’s intentions are to catch the fish.

            What fish are intimidated by is size. Fish live and die in a predator dominated world with simple rules. Big fish eat small fish. To a school of walleye or salmon, a fishing boat represents something big enough to eat them. Plain and simple.

            If you know what to look for, it’s often possible to see signs that fish are spooking away from the boat. Have you ever noticed diagonal lines on a sonar screen? These lines that angle away from the boat are formed when fish rapidly swim out of the transducer cone and away from the boat. This is clear evidence that fish are often spooked by the presence of the boat, making planer boards all the more valuable.

PLANER BOARD TYPES AND APPLICATIONS

            Planer boards are available in several different designs including those designed to be used in combination with a planer board mast system, in-line boards that attach directly onto the fishing line and mini in-line boards that also attach directly onto the line, but are intended for fishing with small or lightweight lures and baits.

            Effectively, all three types of planer boards accomplish the same goal of getting lures and baits out away from the boat. Some general guidelines apply to using planer boards, but which types is best suited for various kinds of fishing applications often boils down to personal choice.

            Boat size in part dictates which type of planer board is most practical. For example a mast planer board system is most efficient when fished in combination with four or five fishing lines per side of the boat. To accommodate this many lines requires a boat big enough to handle several anglers.

            While a mast system can be used on any size fishing boat, these trolling aids are most often seen in use on larger boats capable of handling four or more anglers comfortably. Most anglers fishing with a mast system are going to be employing large planer boards consisting of two or three boards mounted parallel to one another. Two board planers are the most common choice, but three board planers are a little more stable for fishing in rough waters and can handle the additional drag of fishing up to five lines per side of the boat.

            State fishing regulations also play a role in what planer board type is most practical. For example, in a state like Minnesota that only allows each angler one fishing line, using an expensive planer board mast system to deploy a few lines isn’t practical. On the other hand, in states like Michigan or Wisconsin that allow up to three lines per licensed angler, a planer board mast system allows for the maximum number of fishing lines and lures to be used.           

            The various kinds of in-line planer boards tend to get the most use in smaller boats that routinely fish with six or less lines. There are exceptions however to this general rule. In recent years charter captains and salmon fishermen have shown a  distinct preference for using in-line boards when fishing lead core line or copper line rigs. By selecting different lengths of these weighted lines, anglers can stagger their lures in the water column and easily stack two or even three in-line boards per side of the boat without fear of tangling lines.

            The line fished furthest out to the side of the boat needs to be the most shallow running of the board lines. This way, if a fish is hooked on the outside board, the fish can be reeled in over top of deeper fishing lines without having to clear other lines before fighting a fish.

            A common three board set up for fishing lead core and copper lines involves a line with five colors of lead core (fishing approximately 20’ down) deployed on as the outside line. The second line features 10 colors of lead core line (fishing approximately 40’ down) which becomes the middle line. A third and deeper line is deployed closest to the boat using 300 feet of 45 pound test copper wire (fishing approximately 60’ down) to target deeper fish.

            This common three line set up spaces the lures about 20 feet apart in the water column, saturating the water with lures and allowing fish hooked on shallower running lures to be reeled in without having to first clear other lines. Of course, the amount of lead core or copper line used can vary so long as the angler keeps in mind that shallow running lines need to be set on the outside of the spread and deeper running lines positioned on the inside of the spread.

            In general, in-line boards are popular with walleye anglers who routinely fish from 18-22 foot boats that are capable of handling two or three anglers. It’s important to note however that in-line boards can be used to target a wealth of species including northern pike, musky, stripers and even bass.

            The newest in-line boards on the market are the mini versions that are designed for fishing small or lightweight lures and baits. Mini boards are not large enough to effectively pull deep diving lures or weighted lines out to the side of the boat. These smaller cousins in the in-line family of boards are also not buoyant enough to make them effective for fishing in rough water.

            Mini boards shine best when fishing in calm water, shallow water and/or in combination with lighter tackle. Recently, I filmed a segment of Fishing 411 TV featuring both the Off Shore Tackle Side-Planer and Mini-Board in-line planer boards. We were targeting trophy class post-spawn northern pike that often scatter out on shallow water flats to feed. The lures of choice were shallow diving stickbaits that were used to troll over the top of emerging weed beds. Both of these board designs are ideal for fishing with crankbaits that have little resistance in the water.           

            The larger Side-Planer was rigged to stay on the line using two heavy tension OR16 Snap Weight Clips. When a fish was hooked, the fish and board were reeled in together until the board could be physically removed from the line and the fight continued. This standard rigging method is popular with walleye anglers who prefer to keep a steady tension on the fishing line at all times.

            The mini-boards were rigged using a lighter tension OR10 release on the tow arm of the board and a snap swivel at the back of the board. When a fish was hooked, the line would pop free from the tow arm release and slide down the line via the snap swivel. A bead and swivel was added in line a few feet in front of the lure to prevent the board from sliding all the way to the lure. Rigged in this manner two or three lines can be stacked per side of the boat without any need to clear lines should a fish be hooked on an outside board.

NICHE TROLLING

            Planer boards are a niche in the trolling world that provides anglers the ability to fish a few or a lot of lines out away from the boat. Depending on the type of planer board used, just about any fishing lure, live bait, sinking line or even diving planer can be fished in combination with planer boards to gain invaluable outward lure coverage. Getting out away from the boat covers more water and contacts fish that have no clue a fisherman is in the neighborhood.

            Of all the trolling methods, mastering the use of planer boards may well be the single most important step a troller can make. Just about anything that swims is susceptible to being caught with the help of one planer board type or another.