Freshwater trolling with planers?

[marty_scher]

Need information on using planers for trolling planers.<br /><br />Is speed a major factor when using them? If so, is slower better?<br /><br />Thanks for any input.

 

[kev_alaska]

Re: Freshwater trolling with planers?

Not much experience with freshwater planers. We use them in Saltwater and between currents and boat positioning, it drives me nuts. I have decided to go with downriggers and flashers. You might try looking on some of the downrigger web sites, or someone that makes your planers. I got good information from the Luhr-Jensen site for the flashers and setups....<br /><br />Kev_Alask***

 

[down_time_1]

Re: Freshwater trolling with planers?

WE USE PLANERS AT NORRIS LAKE IN TENNESEE TO CATCH STRIPERS. WE HAVE FOUND 2 TO 2.5 MPH IS BEST. TO FAST THEY PULL HARD , TO SLOW THEY FALL OVER. HOPE THIS HELPS.<br /> PAUL

 

[Downrigger39]

Re: Freshwater trolling with planers?

I have used them on stripers and Kokannee, Fouind for different fish different speeds usaly 11/2 to 2 mph, It is like trolling with downrigger what ever catches or turns the fish on lol , speed color elct!
Good fishing

 

[rolmops]

Re: Freshwater trolling with planers?

We do a lot of that here on Lake Ontario.
It is a bit involved because you really cannot do it well without a planer mast in the front end of your boat.
You may want to try dipsy divers instead.Those will get your line off to the side of your boat and they will also get your lines down.
I find that my boat scares the fish off to the sides and there my diver lures are waiting for them.The dipsy divers always catch fish high in the water,while the down riggers have to be either deep down or far back in order to be succesful.

 

[rndn]

Re: Freshwater trolling with planers?

The trolling speed all depends on what fish you're trying to catch. I tend to agree with the above post that at times dipsy divers are easier to use. You can adjust them to go left or right quite a distance from the boat. There are times though that you need the shallow running the planer boards will offer. I have recently used the planer boards that just attach to the line without the need for a line or mast. You just bring the fish in with the board on the line. You unclip the board once it gets to the boat. They work great but would not do well in rough water of the great lakes. If you're not planning to use them in the great lakes or other big waters, then the smaller single boards will work fine for you.

 

[LongLine]

Re: Freshwater trolling with planers?

On Lake Ontario, I have a set of double boards & use clips that hold the line & slide out to them. Very stable in up to 2 ft'rs. I simply tie them to my window supports at the front of the boat & let them out 40-50 ft..

Straightline boat speed somewhere in the 2-2.5 range. What I really like about them is that by slightly turning the boat I can make lures stop & fluttter down or zip through the water. Generally spoons work best for me on the flutter down & plugs on the zip.

Tom B.
(LongLine)

 

[evinice66]

Re: Freshwater trolling with planers?

i troll boards when i can go as deep as i want with diving lures, as far as using them i put the farthest one away from the boat out first. with the walleye planer boards you can set the hook and release it so the board sinks to the fish or you can keep it out of the water intill you have someone unclip it for you, and they are impossible to loose. other people mentioned dipsy divers and those i run wen im fishing deep and want to present a lure that wouldnt normally do that. i definately want some downriggers one day though... and linecounter reel never hurt anything. i also like to use my planerboard from shore in a perfect spot,(edit) in a river with nice walleyes, multiple species of Steelys, 17 lb browns, seasonal salmon, lake trout. gotta love milwaukee.

 

[Seon]

Re: Freshwater trolling with planers?

I have used them on stripers and Kokannee, Fouind for different fish different speeds usaly 11/2 to 2 mph, It is like trolling with downrigger what ever catches or turns the fish on lol , speed color elct!
Good fishing

Where abouts do you use planers for Stripers?

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Freshwater trolling with planers?

I made my own planer mast and boards. Did an interesting job with the mast- quilted maple pulleyblocks and nice high-impact plastic rollers, many coats of spar varnish (spar varnish, grasshopper, not urethane). They look...stunning.

Anyway, you can catch fish on them- they will let multiple lines stagger on the line out and they can run even 100 feet off the side of the boat. I use 80# flourescent orange mono for line.

My buddy likes the clip-on Yellow Bird planers- I have removed them many times from his line on his getting a fish on. I prefer the planer mast, however- nothing to do but land the fish.

We run as slow as under 1mph on a GPS and up to 3mph at other times for Walleye. I use an "automatic" trolling plate and aim for about 2mph for Salmon and Lakers, and almost anything for smallmouth will do. Rainbows I start around 1, running up to two if nothing is happening.

We overheard some Vermont rednecks talking on another boat on Lake Carmi one calm early morning this fall: "Whater they doin'?" "I dunno- lookatem!" "Their draggin sumpin!" "Naw! No- Yeah, they are! What ar they doin? What ar they draggin?" "They've gotta net! They do! Lookit that! They're draggin a net!" "That's a net?" "Yep- they are draggin one big net."

So planer board fishing can be entertaining as well.

Mark

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Freshwater trolling with planers?

Hey another VT person!! Welcome aboard to iboats! I think you will enjoy it here.

I am in Castleton and do alot of fishing in Bomoseen and Champlain (below the bridge).

I have noticed the ice forming in the channels......

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Freshwater trolling with planers?

Hey another VT person!! Welcome aboard to iboats! I think you will enjoy it here.
I am in Castleton and do alot of fishing in Bomoseen and Champlain (below the bridge).
I have noticed the ice forming in the channels......

Hey, thanks for the welcome.

Lake Elmore (nearby) is all iced in! But that is a shallow mountain lake. Weird weather in Vermont as usual- 43 this am but two nights ago it was below zero.

Near the end of Trout/Salmon in Vermont we had a few chunks of slushy ice hit the hull on Seymour. When we got on the water at dawn it was about 17 degrees Fahrenheit; the boat got nicely iced up from the moisture off the water, and it took a few minutes to get the idle down due to ice on the carburetor, but after a few minutes of warm-up it straightened out. I backed away from the dock about 100 yards over about 6 feet of water, and then eased the helm into forward, throttling up. Ha! The teleflex cable must have some moisture in it. I couldn't steer! but we wiggled stuff around and got going. It was a great day after that, yielding a couple of nice salmon.

Ice happens but I can't wait for April/May! I tolerate winter, but that is about it.

 

[jennis9]

Re: Freshwater trolling with planers?

Where abouts do you use planers for Stripers?

Lake Cumberland is a good place for that presentation. Great success using big boards and inlines. Some of my favorite fishing!!!

To answer the original question: take a look at fishcrazycharters dot com -- he has a nice page of information on inlines and night trolling for eyes.

 

[Downrigger39]

Re: Freshwater trolling with planers?

You are on the lake I use them on for stippers,,,, Lake Camanche Ca kokes at New melones