Planer Boards...
 

Hi Gang;

Glad to see more fishing reports being posted. I hope to add to them soon. Speaking of....

I am getting ready for the fall season and will be making the leap to running planer boards. I grew up in the great lakes and used to run them on my dad's Mako 25 CC when I was a kid. Cant wait to get back to it.

I like to build things and have downloaded several good designs. Before I launch off into a weekend project, I just wanted to check the used market...

Does anyone have a set of used boards they want to sell? I am not looking to buy new ones. I will make my own if I don't find a good used pair.

Thanks folks!!

Remedy (Tim)
MayCraft 2550

Tim; I too am looking forward to more fishing reports. The fall season is apon us:D. I will be trolling six rods (tandems) with tonys, small bucktails, and storm shads (as soon as the blues leave).
I don't start pulling boards until late in the season (when the big boys return). I have been watching the posts on this board and others. Does it appear the rock are more skinny than this time last year:eek:?
Last year we were catching small (22-25 inch) footballs. I hope there is enough bait (bunker) around for them to fatten up. I know there are a lot of silversides and glassminnows in the bay, I hope there are a lot of young bunker as well.
5th (Marty)

Why planer boards in fall? Fish are in schools, working bait, you find a school and run tight circles. can't do that w/ planer boards. I was turning 50' diameter circles on a school last weekend. Imagine trying to do that w/ 50' of planer line out on each side.....while jockying around other boats...or in the river.

Spring time fish are spread out and you need to sweep as much water as possible. Fall time fish are concentrated in schools and you need to be able to keep tight to the school.

Boards for spring/summer, in-line planers for summer/fall. 20-rod spreads for spring, 4-6 rod spread for summer/fall.

Now, I'm sure on the great lakes they run planer boards all year, but people around this here parts make fun of people running planer boards now.....

Tim, Planer boards work great for the fall. I can turn tighter on the with a spread too since there is less risk of tangle. I generally use them in search of big fish and not the schooled up schoolie fish though.

My good buddy Jumbo1 has them for sale. Not sure he would break out the boards from his package but you can ask./ http://www.tidalfish.com/classifieds...p?product=3813

Yep; 6 rod spread from now until maybe Thanksgiving. Then I do get out the planers if the migratory rock come up the bay. I will run planers on weekdays when the boat traffic is minimum.
5th (Marty)

Or save your money and learn to Fish???
Sorry, just kidding. I know this is a trolling board.

Thanks All.

I am still learning to fish the bay, having not grown up here. This is one of the few places I have lived and fished where there are so many techniques.

I started with boat trolling, then on to jigging, then to chunking, and last summer picked up live lining. Many of the guys on this board taught me those techniques and I still rely on them for help occasionally. The only technique I don't know yet (at least on the bay) is board trolling. I am adding boards to my skills in the fall, largely to practice, then to use them in the spring.

The fact that so many people have helped me learn is the best thing about this area. Thanks to all you guys...you know who you are!

Yes it is:D. Please change your name to BroomStix:eek:.
5th (Marty)

There's less risk of a tangle anyhow b/c you're running less lines than the spring. Right?

Sorry but no way a 100' wide boat (i.e. your boat with 50' of planer lines out each side) can turn very tightly unless you're completley slacking your inner board so its dead in the water.

In the rivers where you find bigguns in the next month or so, try dragging boards. Good luck!

5thTuition,
If you teach me how to troll (never done it) I will change my name just for you, as you appear to be the only useful contributor to this board!

For the naysayers......I have run boards in the fall very successfully for many years.....and yes I can turn pretty tight with a 100 ft out on each side......pivot right around the inside board....which drops your lines on that side and almost always results in a hookup.
As for tangling lines.....a properly spaced and weighted spread shouldn't tangle....regardless of boards or not.
And to strike down the myth that fall fish are deeper.......my logs reflect the same catch percentages in both spring and fall for board rods vs boat rods......the WX seems to be a bigger factor......on clear sunny days the boards will catch more, on cloudy days the deep stuff will be favored.

Finally...the board are done. Ready to hit the water next weekend!
I took some shots of the detailing on the flag and the bolt eye. You guys had some good recommendations. I put an extra hole in the bolt eye inside board to allow for trimming should they need it. See ya'll on the water.

looks good tim! for the flag, I just have a whole drilled into the board and shove the flag down in it. :)

a whole what?

Bahh.. a whole hole :)

That is probably the cleanest solution to this. I did not want to leave an open hole into the board where water could get into the wood and split it potentially. The side mounts came with the flags so I just used them. Going out Saturday out of Breezy to figure out how to work them! I think I will just run one side until I get into a groove.

Thinking of running curtain rings with rubber bands...any other (tried and true) suggestions panelists??

FWIW : I stopped using the bracket that comes with bike flags.
They are only a plated metal and will start to rust after 2-3 seasons.

Once it got rusted badly - I removed the bracket and used a 4 inch piece of heat shrink tubing over the flag staff. This prevents it from splintering.

Some guys drill a hole in the board - others fasten a pole holding.
I've seen two small straps fastened as well as 3/8 tubing used.

Great looking boards - you'll get the hang of them fast.

One tip - keep a firm drag on rods/reels on the boards.
If a fish hits and does not release the clip / break the rubberband - a light drag will allow the clip to go down the towline and tangle the next line.

thanks skip...good tip.

Tried the boards today out of breezy pt. Man it was honking out there and the north wind waves were rolling against the incoming tide from the south. Me and my 15 year old son set both sides and ran three lines off of each and two deep umbrellas off the boat. They worked great. Never flipped. Never tangled. It was a beautiful spread! My first.

As far as the fishing goes...saw piles of bait but nothing was biting. We were going to head over to the choptank but turned around when we hit the shipping channel rollers! They were really, really big and breaking.

Big shout out to who ever said run the board in rough weather with 4 feed of shock chord. They absorbed the rolls and kept the boards in the water. When its that rough, I will probably hang 15 or 20 oz on the outside of the board to keep the outside board in the water and pulling.

Next on the learning curve, finding hungry fish!