Great Lake Fishing System (Planer Boards)

[aero320]

This system consists of a mast on the front of the boat (the one in photo is from Bert's Custom Tackle and it is mounted on a Track system). The two spools hold cord that is attached to the actual planer boards. The movement of the boat (2.5 mph) causes the planer boards to move to the sides. Lines are then let out to the required depth and distance, then attached to a release that slides on the cords. Letting out additional line causes the releases to slide down the cord allowing you to space multiple lines on each side. Once a fish hits, the line slips out of the line release and you have the fish on the rod.

The setup in the photo is being used for stripers/hybrids (can also be used for crappie trolling with 300 Bandits). Three lines are attached to each side of the boat, each with a 1/2 oz. jig with 4" Sassy Shad. There are also down riggers in the rear of the boat pulling small Tennessee Rigs. You catch more fish on the lines that are away from the boat.

Things can get real exciting when you go over a school of linesides. The most I have had on at once was five hybrids. There were three of us in the boat to reel them in and we boated all five fish!


http://i60.tinypic.com/5akl95.jpg

http://i62.tinypic.com/2di1rmf.jpg

http://i61.tinypic.com/358ql1g.jpg

[FloatNFish]

Great write up! This type of rig really interests me. I would love to see it in action sometime if you ever have a free seat.

Alex

[MNfisher]

Awesome setup!


Mike

[TNBronzeback]

Brings a tear to my eyes! awesome rig!
Love to see a go-pro video of all rods down at once with fish on em!

[aero320]

Brings a tear to my eyes! awesome rig!
Love to see a go-pro video of all rods down at once with fish on em!

Merv and I are going to JPP on Saturday morning to test it out. Will have GoPro video unless it rains.

[TNtroller]

I have not tried the planer board system the OP shows, but have tried and use these. http://www.crappiereaper.com/index.html


Well, I have used the original makers boards ( a Mr Bishop) but he is no longer making the boards but someone else is (Jeff Langley), and are exact copies of the original. Jeff talked to Mr. Bishop at length about using his design and apparently has no issues.

I have used Mr. Bishops boards for about two yrs, and are very simple to use, and can be used to pull jigs or crankbaits for crappies. These boards work on the same principle, you can run 2/3/4 rods of each side and cover a lot more water trolling for crappie.

I have no interest in the crappie reaper boards production, and just throwing this out there as an alternative for people.

[bfish]

I never could get Bishops boards to work with crankbaits (at the speeds that I like to troll), however they worked wonderful for pulling jigs and minnows.

For crankbait crappie, I use a dual planer board and mast (modified Spyderlok rod holder), although it is simple enough just to tie off to a bow cleat.

[TNtroller]

I never could get Bishops boards to work with crankbaits (at the speeds that I like to troll), however they worked wonderful for pulling jigs and minnows.

For crankbait crappie, I use a dual planer board and mast (modified Spyderlok rod holder), although it is simple enough just to tie off to a bow cleat.

Check out crappiedot com, there is a thread on pulling cranks with these boards. I have not tried cranks on these boards either but apparently it is possible based on what I've read.

[SalmonDaze]

Hard to tell from the angle, but it looks like your board might need to be tuned a bit. We used to run the big boards so they'd run much further ahead of the port and starboard quarters. Yours look to be well aft of the quarter.

[aero320]

Here is a 16 pound Rockfish that I caught this afternoon on Tims Ford after work using this setup.

http://i59.tinypic.com/20idrx5.jpg

[Pookie]

I'd spend all my fishing time untangling lines.

[aero320]

Hard to tell from the angle, but it looks like your board might need to be tuned a bit. We used to run the big boards so they'd run much further ahead of the port and starboard quarters. Yours look to be well aft of the quarter.

That may be a photo effect. I made the photo as a panorama with the iPhone.

[FloatNFish]

Nice fish, Aero!

Alex

[Reel Tune]

That looks like a lot of work.

[agelesssone]

It is a bit of work to initially set up, but once you are, you can have 8 rods fishing, covering a wide swath of water. We were fishing the boards about 30 yds. off each side so we were covering about 188 ft of lake.

We had two downriggers set down trolling homemade Alabama rigs and 6 side lines each trollinga single 4 inch chartreuse Mister Twister Sassy Shads. And yes, there are occasional tangles.

This is just another option in fishing for hybrids and stripers, just one way of many.

[nomad60]

That is a nice striper and yeah, I have enough trouble using one rod, let alone 6-8 LOL

[fishfindergeneral]

Personally, I would advise anyone against center consoles for trolling. I've been trolling for 25 years and there is a reason no one uses them in the north. Because they are very uncomfortable for a long day of fishing and I could do without the sore back. Looks like a nice rig though.