smokey,
I tried some new planer boards. I broke one of m Church T-x 6 boards. Funny...when you sit on them they break. I ran across Dualfin boards from Bullet bobbers. These boards are lighter, fold up and fit in my tackle bag pocket. I have been trolling for trout with them and they work well. They don't spread as far as my Church tackle boards, but from a canoe, I think they would be great. the fish might not spook as much from a canoe as from a 16 ft starcraft with a gas engine.
Wind is a problem here, and planer boards are tougher to use in the wind. You may not have that as much where you are.