Setting the hook with Inline Boards ?

[mcdee]

What's the trick ? Lost 3 fish last night . Fish hits, Pulls down board , Pulls line out from clip down to the swivel, I pull rod out of holder, Reel in hard, Fish gets off ! ?? I'm using a Church board with 10 lb fire line with 12' of line to swivel and 4' from swivel to hook in 6 ' of water trolling the sand bars . What's the trick ? Do you guys set the hook( HARD) as soon as board goes down ?

[Chad]

What's the trick ? Lost 3 fish last night . Fish hits, Pulls down board , Pulls line out from clip down to the swivel, I pull rod out of holder, Reel in hard, Fish gets off ! ?? I'm using a Church board with 10 lb fire line with 12' of line to swivel and 4' from swivel to hook in 6 ' of water trolling the sand bars . What's the trick ? Do you guys set the hook( HARD) as soon as board goes down ?

I'm not a big time board runner but when we do we never set the hook. We just reel em in.
Maybe ck your hooks? Sharper hooks? larger hooks?

[yarcraft91]

I troll crawler harnesses with Offshore and Church planers in Saginaw Bay. Went 8 for 8 yesterday (from 10" to 8 lbs)and all I do is reel in (not hard, generally a fairly loose drag) when the fish hits, unclip the board and land the fish.

Some differences from the set-up you described: I run 10 lb Trilene XT with a snap on the terminal end and otherwise clean. I double-wrap the line onto the front clips to make sure the board won't slide down the line (that would give the fish more leverage to throw the hook or, with the Offshores, leads to too much backtracking to pick up lost boards). I don't "set the hook" and land far more strikes than I lose.

On my crawler harnesses, I use VMC #4 hooks, model 9299, in red and bronze. They seem to do the job.

[KTurner Ul]

try wrapping the fireline around the front clip.... and don't set the hook......

[perchjerker]

they are probably getting off when the line comes out of the clip, causing slack in the line for a second.

Like the others said, get the line to stay (I use Church clips instead of wrapping the line in the clip, I use Power Pro)

then just reel in steady. And when you take the board off the line, make sure you do it without allowing slack in the line also.

[mcdee]

Thanks ! I'll be wrapping that line around the clip . Just a note . I had two lines out, One straight out the back and one with the board out to the side and the board had all the hits ?

[Work Release]

In six feet of water over a sand bar I would doubt you'd get much action pulling straight off the back....spooking the fish as you go over them. I'd pull boards at least 40 feet off the sides under those conditions. Just my humble opinion tho'.

[Sea Nymph]

I use Offshore boards with the red release and I also use Power Pro line. Although it takes a couple more seconds I also double wrap the line. All I run is harness's and 2 or 3 ounce bottom bouncers which I bought thru Perchjerker and rarely the board comes off. This year I switched to #4 circle hooks and all I do is just sweep the rod and not jerk to set the hook. Seem's to work for me. Good Luck!!!!

[teamlund]

All I do is a long,somewhat slow, sweeping motion once forward..... I am not actually setting the hook, just pulling the board forward

[bob oh]

Unless you are barely moving the fish is hooked when he (her too) hits and if you set the hook you are just tearing a bigger hole in its lip, especially with fireline. If you are taking the rod out of a rod holder the fish would be gone if he wasn't hooked. Keep pressure on the fish and let him fight the rod, just don't give him slack, especially if you have "set" the hook and tore a bigger hole in his lips LOL

[T Mac]

What's the trick ? Lost 3 fish last night . Fish hits, Pulls down board , Pulls line out from clip down to the swivel, I pull rod out of holder, Reel in hard, Fish gets off ! ?? I'm using a Church board with 10 lb fire line with 12' of line to swivel and 4' from swivel to hook in 6 ' of water trolling the sand bars . What's the trick ? Do you guys set the hook( HARD) as soon as board goes down ?

Keep your rig in gear... keep moving. Don't set any hook.
There's no need. The boat weighs a ton ..it's forward motion has already set the hook
Longer rods help...for me, anyway.

[walteye]

I would check for hook sharpness. As stated-the forward motion of the boat fairly much sets the hook and reeling in completes the process. If I am losing fish on my boards-I sharpen or change out the hooks.
Walteye

[Guest]

IMO, it sounds like you had the fish, it was the reeling in HARD part that did you in. With Fireline/Powerpro I set my drags lite enough that they often give on the bite or with any speed increase when board fishing with the short lead your using. Then when fighting a big fish, the drag is just tight enough to gain some ground when the fish lets me. You can go a bit tighter but too loose might be better than too tight. You put a lot of effort into hooking that fish, what's the hurry? Slow & Steady.

I use a Church clips on the front and rear of Offshore Boards & don't double wrap unless erie is rocking & rolling even with 10/2 Powerpro (or if the clip is). Almost never doublewrap with 20/8 or 30/8. Are the clips on the Church boards adjustable? If so, they will have a spring loaded phillips head screw - crank it down.

If you only have one board you might try using a floating orig rapala on the flatline in order to max out the lead & then do S turns. Rod tip up high will get you back a bit further too.

Good Luck