Planer board advice needed

I am going to invest in planer boards for pulling crankbaits and any advice (Off-shore vs Mr Walleye etc...) would be appreciated. Also, how far back does a guy run a crank behind a board? Does it matter, deep diver shads vs shallow stick baits? Just a rookie looking for some good advice. Thanks.

[eyefish2]

I have started running planner boards more and more the last couple of years. I am using the off-shore boards with tattle tale flags. You can run any type of crankbait that you would normally run. You will let out the same amount of line that you would normally to get to your cranks to the desired depth. Next attach the planner board and let out as much line as you need to get the board away from the boat.

A few tips that help while running the boards.

When you put your rods in the holder tip the rods as high as you can. This will keep the boards from catching a wave and diving.

When you catch a fish bring it in steady, don't pump the rod, don't set the rod. As it comes into the boat keep your rod tip high and have another person unhook the board as you are reeling it in. Once the board is unhooked you can play the fish as you normally would.

If a board catches a wave or gets snagged and pulls underwater, you want to get slack in the line as quick as possible to get the board on top of the water. Often times this will release the snag as well.

If you are running more than one board on a side and you get a fish or want to change the lure on the outside board you don't have to reel in the inside board. Just let out more line so the inside board drops behind the outside board and then reel in the outside board. Your inside rod has now became your outside rod.

If you have further questions you can email me and I will try and answer them as best as I can for you.

[Eyez]

That's good advice. The one thing that I would add, is that when using the tattle flags on off-shore boards, if you pull big plugs or troll much faster than 2.5 mph, you may want to look at getting some stiffer springs to put on them.


Eyez

[Gabby_SD]

Also a big must would be a "Precision Trolling" manual, can be purchased at most tackle stores.

[jerry]

Get your hands on the "Precision Trolling" manual. When you buy it, get the sixth edition, which is the latest.

I fish as much salmon as iI do waleye I have Mr. Waleye boards as well as Willey Sideliners which are smaller. I also usually use a big board on one side. My fishing buddy likes the inline boards where all things considered I think I prefer the big boards. I usually don't bother with them unless I am fishing at leasr two or three lines on my side, I will say the Willey Sideliners are much easier to pull in and remove then the Mr. Waleye boards but the Sideliners don't pull leadcore or big lipped baits as well as the Mr Waleye boards do. I relly prwefer to tighten the release and not have the board trip., A friend of mine had great sucess in the westren basin usining 5 colors of 18lb leadcore this year which all the boards will handle. My biggest discovery this year was the user of dippey divers for waleye. I had numerious outtings where all or the mast magority of my fish were caught on dippsy's and spoons. My biggest surprise was that when you had a fish on how easy it was to tell with the dippsy's. I went to the smaller 2 1\2" size dippseys and had great sucess. I usually start with dippsey, crawler harnesses, and boards and find out what is working and switch over to it as much as possible. I probably fished the westeren basin 7 times this year, my worst trip was eight fish with a late start and several trips with 30 plus fish. You don't catch fish if you don't go. So go and try and get your wife to go if your'r married. Good Fishing.
Weekemd Habit