Need help with in-line planar board selection

[TheDL]

I'm looking to try in-line planar boards this year for early-spring walleye.  I've looked at a few and I'm a little lost on which to choose.  I will be fishing walleye in the bay of quinte - not BIG water, but not a calm-inland lake either.  I would be fishing for walleye in the 3-15 lb range, with average size around 5-10 lbs.

What brand/size is best for this type of fishing?  Any tips for setups?  I was thinking of using it simply to get my shallow running stick bait out from the boat while trolling, but then I read about snap weights, tattle-flags, releases, different rods/lines... 

[bailey63]

I use the offshore boards i replace rear release with or16 to keep boards online, wally boards have a pin you put line behind. I use jet divers behind them and after a day out you will learn to read the strikes pretty easy. When flat lining behind boards it is tricky at times to see if eyes are hooked up but you will figure it out. Dipsys work great if you are in enough water. Tattle flags can be made cheaper than buying kit. Info available on line for them. Good luck

[TheDL]

thanks guys.  I am pretty new to trolling and looking to increase my numbers...I do pretty bad with 'eyes.  I do have a dipsy, haven't tried it yet, but I'll be doing shallower water  in the spring and looking to get crank baits out and away from the boat.   I ordered a OR-12 board from basspro, it comes with the OR-19 clips which say they'll work with 10-25 mono, and I have 25lb big-game mono on a line counter reel on a big 8'6" trolling rod, I'm hoping I can just throw a big stick bait on that setup and get trolling.

any tips much welcomed, both for the dipsy or planar.

[Coldfeet]

I use the Church brand in-lines. Been useing them for about 8 years.  If you wish to run the flags get them. I realy dont think useing them adds anything but they can be helpful when running spinner harneses. With cranks or stickbaits. just get a idea of where the board run in respect to the boat. When the board slips backwards or more rearward you are either into a fish or are dragging weeds. It takes a whole 5 miniutes to figure this out. As far as other items for this method think of a heavier rod and reel. I run Cabelas combo's with 20lb superbraid line. No stretch is key when long lineing. The heavier long rod 8ft to 9ft helps to get the planer board up and out of the water while reeling it in. A second person to release the planer board while keeping pressure on the fish helps from loosing fish too. At times its like a Chineese fire drill when you are into fish.  Talk about Dipsies I see has its place too except when you need to run them far out from the boat and in shallow waters. Dipsies have a tendency to dive deep whith longer line out and this doesnt work in shallow water. So in my opinion and my usage I have found BOTH the Dipsy and planer boards go with us all the time we are fishing. I can run the boards 100 ft off to the side lure back another 100 ft off the relase of the board and run a stick bait in 5 FOW or less if needed. On the other side of the boat I can run a dipsy down 25 FOW out 100 ft from boat and run the stick bait 6 to 8 ft behind the Dipsy at that 25 ft area it all depends on what I set the line out at distance wise. A Line counter reel is key or knowing how many feet of line goes out per pass of the line leveler on your reel. Again Braided line is key with no stretch and running 8 to 10 ft of Floro leader is another key.

[TheDL]

awesome info there coldfeet, thanks alot!  You mention using Braid - which is my line of choice for general purpose I use 20lb suffix 832.  however, in reading about the planar boards I got the impression I'd want to use a larger diameter line i.e. mono. 

My "big rod" 8'6" shimano with a penn 209 line counter reel has 25 lb big game mono on it and I intended to use that for the planar board and hopefully double-duty for dipsy fishing.  I HATE mono for the stretch factor, but I thought I'd need the extra diameter for the release clip on the planar board? 

I did read about a trick of wrapping the braid line around the front planar release to prevent slipping, but I don't see how that would work with a fish on - how would you release the braid if it was wrapped around the release and had a fish pulling on it? 

Back to the dipsy's - I haven't tried mine yet, but I've heard the stretch in the mono line will make it tough to trip the release, and I should be using braid?    I'm so lost with trolling...I don't want to buy a bunch more rods/reels.

Any help is much appreciated

[Coldfeet]

Braided line is the way to go with both planer boards and Dipsies just for the lack of stretch like you mentioned. The floro is used as a leader just a confidence thing for the fishermen. For the most I use like 6 ft of leader. Now the clip release on the Inline Planer is NOT supposed to release with a fish hooked. You manualy relase it when you get the board in the boat then procede to fight the fish. If it releases it will surely bang on the line at the point where the mainline ties to the leader or possibly slip back further into the fish itself which will loose the fish for sure. To hook up the planer board wrap the line around the release under to over and clip like the instructions say. Braided line will wear the rubber on the clip slightly faster but it can be repaired with DIP IT rubber compound. This is for the Church brand boards now I believe the Yellow birds require the same set up with its releases but I wont swear to it.

  To the dipsies. I have taken these and lightly sanded in the release area and trust me I say lightly maybe 4 or 5 strokes will do it. This smooths out the release and gives me more adjustment when I use spinner harneses. Smaller fish and even big Eye's have a tendency to "ride" along while fishing harnesses. Getting the dipsy to trip has given me more hook ups while fishing this way. Again Braid is the way to go for one thing you will see the rod tip bouncing from a light fish and second the releases will work better then mono because again lack of stretch.

 Mono has its place too but not when you run lines back 100 feet or more. I use mono short line trolling or daytime trolling or if I troll harnesses attached to 3 ways or Bottom bouncers. Long line is a Braid thing you will see many more hookups and see more hits. But don't quit on Mono it has its place too when it comes to Eye fishing.

[TheDL]

Awesome info Coldfeet, I really appreciate the detailed insight.  Looks like I'll be spooling up some braid on the big reel - about how much would you spool up?  I already have about 400 feet of 25lb mono on there and the reel barely looks 1/4 full.  Seems like I should be ok with leaving that on as a backing and slapping on a 110yrd spool of braid on top of that then?

I REALLY appreciate the help here! 

[Coldfeet]

Not too sure what reels you run and Yardage they take but putting 110 yrds will be a start. Leave the other line on as backer line which gives you more feet of retrevial rate per crank of handle. Also double check if it is a line counter style how much feet is realy coming off the reel compaired to numbers on the line counter itself. In the great lake region it is not uncomon to run 150 ft back from boat and another 100 ft off side to get bit with the boards at times and very clear water 200+ ft back is needed. Check out Ebay Dyneema braided line. Same stuff as what is marketed by big name high buck companies for 1/10 the cost. Watch color selections Grey's, Greens (Moss) are better suited for this area or Lake Ontario waters. If you are thinking of doing a little Salmon fishing go with something in the 30lb class if just Eye fishing 25 will be just about right. The thickness of this line is simmilar to like 10lb but going any heavier will cause problems if you snag bottom or a log. Breaking 30+ lb line is not fun and a badly cut hand will surely happen. Do yourslef a favor and put a pair of leather gloves in the boat just for this reason.   As far as knots go you will need to learn a few for Braids or do as I do and tie a bearing swivel (Not snap swivel) to mainline with cross lock snaps to pre tied leaders on both ends. I use Palmar knots for all rigs and have had no slippage in the braid useing this knot. There are many other knots I just prefer the Palomar. And having many leaders and harnesses already rigged with snaps makes changing quick and painless even in the dark of night.

[TheDL]

thanks again coldfeet!  I will check out that Dyneema line.  I always run suffix 832 for casting outfits, but I figured with the trolling rod I could cheap-out and just get something tough.   Palomar is all I tie with braid, and I've already learned my braided line=DEEP cut lession 

I will be out on Lake O. a few times with buddies who have bigger boats, but my main fishing with this will be bay of quinte area.    I will likely have som more questions after I get out and try this rig for the first time

[Coldfeet]

I have a feeling you will do fine. The hardest thing to do if fishing alone is releasing the boards from the line. If you got a partner it will become second nature doing it without loosing fish. The biggest thing to remember is keeping track of the drop back footage. Many nights we only drop back 60 to 80 ft daytime we drop back 80 to 100. This changes a lot and when you get on fish you want to copy this as close as possible. Just do not get stuck on it just use it as a reference to start from. Fish moods change hourly and daily. But soon you will find a pattern to rely on. My memory is getting bad so I try to keep notes or journal of our days fishing. What works whats a dud lure wise water temps in  reference to fish locations. Where the fish caught came depth wise and other locations such as open water or weed related. All this will add up to success for you.

[Legerski82]

Offshore

[Special]

I like the ones that you can put the little flag on them. Flag gos down fish on!!!  As for brand I think they all do the same job, the big thing is bright. I have two yellow ones and think if I had to purchase another two they would be the bright orange ones. Also if you do any trollling at night make sure you can attach a glow stick to them.