Question about boards

[MIke2]

I read all the posts about Off Shore boards, but the last couple of times fishing with a group of friends, someone was always having to pick everything up and go find a board. One day on the radio someone was saying they found an Off Shore floating and were looking for the owner. I use Church boards, and while these get very little play on this board, it is impossible to lose one unless you either put it on wrong, or break your line. Church boards are extreemly easy to get on and off your line. I also believe they have a better line clip than Off Shore. I know some people have put Church line clips on Off Shore boards. I started using Church boards when I started trolling with Fireline. I don't have to double wrap them to get the clip to hold the line.

Do people on this board really believe the Off Shore boards are better, or does Off Shore just do a better job marketing and sponsoring tournament fishermen? Could someone please explain to me the advantage of Off Shore over the Church boards.

Maybe this is just another Ranger vs Triton vs Lund question.

Mike

[It is a]

It's a preferance thing mostly, however I have used most brands of boards and do find the Offshore very very good boards. easy to use the clips are superior, I feel to any out there. Especially with the new snapper clip. The tattle flag is a great feature too. Once you use one correctly, you will wonder how you ever fished boards without them. I have also found the offshore to run better with less work, and run better in bumpy waves. But then it is just my opinion. My last thought is this. If the offshore boards were all hype, would they have sold so many and continue to sell so many? Many many many regular joe anglers use offshore. Just go to saginaw bay, Green Bay. little Bay or winnebago on a busy fishing non tourney weekend and cout how many yellow offshore boards you see. BTW, if you have to keep reeling up and chasing an offshore, you are not connecting them properly. Use the heavy clip with the pin or the snapper and they wont come off with a baseball bat!! Good fishin and thats my humble little opinion.

[TK_551]

Ditto. I have only used one other board type than Off Shore and that was Yellow Bird. Lets just say that they did not agree with me. Upgrade the clips to OR-16 and you should have no problems. I do not troll with superlines so I have not tried the Snappers. I have heard good things about them though. It is all about what you are comfortable with. Good Luck!

Tom
#551

[FROGMAN]

This past week at the PWT tournament on Lake Erie, one of my amateur partners was absolutely amazed at the performance of the Off Shore boards I was trolling. Now granted I had them tricked out with Tattle flags, and the new OR-18 "snapper" releases, but he was excited to see that he could "read" the boards easily when set up in this fashion.
I have run other brands before, and quite honestly I run Off Shore because they work for me!
Good luck this year!

Keith Segar
NPAA #260

[MIke2]

I have heard that God adds another minute to your life for every minute you spend watching boards, and it doesn't matter what kind they are.

Mike

[Ness]

I think I'll stick my humble two cents into this post. I've had the pleasure of being out on the water with several of the walleye boys from this board, some tournament fishermen, some not. One thing that I've seen them all do the same... they're all running Off Shore boards. Of course, this has been out on Lake Erie and they all tell me the same thing, Off Shore boards run truer in rougher water. ( Lake Erie seems to have her share of rough days ;-))
Myself, I have my own reason for running Off Shore boards. I have that bad bass habit yet(Sorry, but bass are like chocolate and good looking men... hard to resist) and since I'm running my boards off of a bass boat, I only have room to run one board on either side. One board gets real tricky to read when it's out there by it's lonely self. Off Shore makes a board that you can't beat when it comes to easier reading. There is no way that I could ever run one Church board or one Yellow Bird to a side and ever have a prayer of being able to tell whether there's a fish on or if the lines are okay.
I do agree that Off Shore does do a better job of marketing and wisely sponsors good tournament fishermen to promote their products but that's good business sense and shows how well run the company is. You can bet that any company that well run is definitely striving to bring you the best possible product.
Oh, and the Ranger vs. Triton vs. Lund question is a much harder choice. Though lately Rangers are growing on me :-)

[Boatnut]

Mike,
I've tried both and while I think the Offshore board is a good one, I just find the Mr. Walleye boards to be much easier to use. I fish a lot by myself and the ease at which they go on and off is a real plus for me. Also you dont have to spend a lot of money upgrading the clips to use superlines. I've used them in 6 footers on lake erie as well as inland lakes and they track fine for me and I have no problem "reading" them at all.
I think you hit the nail on the head....marketing and sponsorship have a lot to do with their popularity. Naturally when people see pro's using/being sponsored by a product, they are more inclined to use the same thing.
Again, they are great boards, but I just love my Mr. Walleye boards!

[MIke2]

I fish Lake Erie, Lake Michigan, Winnebago,and Green Bay and I have never found the Church boards to track poorly in any water condition. Maybe if you buy the red clips (or is it the black clips), the super clips, and the tattle flags with the 012 springs you can keep the Off Shore boards from coming off your line. For for the average Joe that sees all the Pros using these boards, they buy some and for the next year they spend half of their time going back to find their boards, and the other half driving around trying to buy all of the parts to make their boards work. With Church boards you buy them and use them. No learning curve. No picking up everything and turning around to go find your board, and if you don't find it you are out about $40 after all of the accessories you had to mount on them. I have owned both and used both and to me (who is not sponsored by anyone) the Church boards just make more sense.

IMHO Mike

[MIke2]

Just because a product is marketed well, doesn't mean it is the best possible product. One of the best marketed fishing products ever was the Pocket Fisherman. I would not necessarily call this a great fishing tool.

Mike

[Jess]

On Church boards I like...
The adjustable weight allows me to run these boards more true.
The pin feature to the rear allows you to get it off much faster than unwrapping a clip.
The front clip dose not slip and dose not require a double wrap.It is also very easy to release. It has popped on be before though. The pin holds it on the line but it id still aggrivating.
Onn the offshores I like...
I love the new snapper release! It is ausome. I like having the flags.
I hate the fact they charge way too much for the upgrades. (but I did buy them) I don't like the tattle. The offshores are always dragging but with deep divers in higher speeds while my adjustable church are running perfect.
I'd like to combine things on both boards. I like features on both.
My 2cents,
Jess

[paulisan1]

First I've heared of church boards who sells them and are they competitive in price?

[Boatnut]

Cabela's master spring catalog 2002 page 140. Very competitive. I'm sure Bass Pro carry's them too.

[Jess]

Church Tackle. Price is about the same but concidering you won't be robbed for upgrades that should already be on the board they are much less.

[FROGMAN]

Jess, please try to keep in mind that Off Shore Tackle markets their boards to many different types of angler. By selling the boards as a basic package anglers can customize the boards as much, or as little as they wish. For instance Steelhead trollers on the great lakes want the board to break free and slide down the line for their type of fishing. Walleye anglers will set them up diffrently. I have found them to be very useful, and productive for my trolling needs.
Tight lines

Keith Segar
NPAA #260

[TP180]

My first set of boards were the Church boards. Then I gave into the marketing and bought Off Shore for my second set. I had the same problem of losing boards on Fireline. Then I bought the tattle flags. Then I bought the heavier clips. Now they have clips with a point on them. After all that, I sold the Off Shore and bought another set of Church boards. Much easier to use, you don't have to keep upgrading, and you don't have to worry about losing them. As far as tracking goes, I have not experienced any problems. We were even using the smaller #12 on Erie this spring.