Where to tie planer boards

joeh · Post by **joeh** » May 30th, '07, 11:51

Gang,

I am looking for some advice on planer boards for striper fishing in the chesapeake. I own Slainte....see the pics sections. She now has outriggers with the smaller mounts put on the flybridge verticle sides. I had them heavily backed up and want to know thoughts on attaching big planer boards to the mounts. Wisdom has it that the higher you tie the planer boards the better.

Anyone local to Annapolis, the first beer is on me.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Joe H

STeveZ · Post by **STeveZ** » May 30th, '07, 12:34

Hi Joe,

Can't help w/ the planer boards but I'm wondering, are you gas powered?

I'd like to do a little trolling for rocks myself but my boat (28'w/210 diesel) idles at 6 knots minimum, I'm told 3 knots is the max for rock and slower is better. The time or two I idled on one engine it didn't seem to scrub off much speed, plus I lost all steerage.

Maybe if I tow the whaler down to the shipping channel...

joeh · Post by **joeh** » May 30th, '07, 12:41

Steve,

I have diesels. I have the same trolling issue. I had trolling valves put on and they work great. They essentially slip the transmissions. I dont know if there is any difference with gassers. John Patnovic installed them at worton creek marina if you want more info.

I have had luck with the outriggers but planers boards seem to be the ticket. Give me a call 443 534-6224 or jhlatky1969@yahoo.com if you want more info.

Joe

John F. · Post by **John F.** » May 30th, '07, 13:12

Joe-

I live on Kent Island--so we're pretty close. Planers pull pretty hard--that's what I remember from pulling them in. I wouldn't tie 'em to you're outrigger bases.

I've used planers, and found them to be OK. The charters like them because it lets them run 16-20 rods (or more) no problem. As a recreational guy, I run 7-9, usually 7, and I can do that pretty easy without outriggers, although the outriggers do make it easier. A couple of recreational guys I know who catch fish are or have given up their planers. They've kept track of catches, and they aren't catching any more off planers than anywhere else.

If it were me, I wouldn't bother with the planers. Now the hot lure (friend of mine was on a charter and caught 30+ in 4 hours on these)...........

Hope to see you out there

John F.

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » May 30th, '07, 13:18

Greetings Joe,

I'd say you'd be fine attaching the planer board lines to the outrigger mounts considering they're backed well. On my neighbor's Grady 24 we tie them to the hand rail mounted to the hard top and haven't had any issues.

I've had good luck with just 4-6 rods and no real need for the planer boards as I usually only fish with 2-5 and can limit out with that. I fish mainly north of hackets (I'm in the Patapsaco) and I find the boards more neusence than usefull.

We'll have to rattle up some of the CB guy's for a get together some where, it's been a while.

Have you considered attending the Atlantic City Rendezvous either by car or boat? It's a great time.

br,
JohnD

MarkS · Post by **MarkS** » May 30th, '07, 17:08

Joeh,

I have a set of board reels mounted to my flybridge rails. I then run the line down to the top of the gunnel and mounted an eye bolt with a pulley and a spring for shock value. Pay em out and reel em back in easy. If I wasn't so freeking computer illiterate I would post the picture for you to see.

Don't worry about height, the line from the rod and the lure drag the release right down as far as you want it without the aid of gravity.
Give me an e-mail and I will send you a pic if you want.

Mark

joeh · Post by **joeh** » May 30th, '07, 17:35

Mark,

Sounds interesting...please send a pic to jhlatky1969@yahoo.com. Are you in maryland? Thanks,

Joe

MarkS · Post by **MarkS** » May 31st, '07, 09:13

Will do

Hal · Post by **Hal** » May 31st, '07, 16:37

If you've got outrigger bases, I assume you have outriggers. So why use the planer boards if you've already got riggers? Seems a bit strange down here in the land of big fish and saltwater.

joeh · Post by **joeh** » Jun 1st, '07, 06:43

Hal,

Great question! I had the same one. The answer is that Striped Bass(rockfish) tend to hit more as you have lures further out to the sides. I know several 50' plus boats that use planer boards instead of there huge outriggers because the planers get so much further out to the sides.

I wish the outriggers would suffice but it seems to be almost unanimous that they make a difference.

Joe

Doug Crowther · Post by **Doug Crowther** » Jun 1st, '07, 11:39

Joe,
I see your boat often next to the Weems Creek bridge. Lets get together for a beer soon !

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Jun 1st, '07, 12:58

Montauk is big-time Striper country and the fish are caught either via 250-300' of wire line, 25' mono leader and umbrella rigs or parachute jigs. If bait fishing, it's drifting live eels or Porgies (Scup) off the bottom. Downriggers are rarely used, and most of us don't even know what a planer for bass is or how they are used. The thought of being able to troll more than two lines at a time needs explaining. If planers run out wide on both sides, our trolling traffic might earn us a sinker through the windshield as it usually takes about 5 years to learn the protocol of dragging 300 ft of wire without hanging up or crossing someone elses lines. How do planers/multiple lines/lures work? Walter

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Jun 1st, '07, 13:41

Walter-

Here are the basics.

http://www.downtimecharters.com/Ideas/P ... boards.htm

I've used them, and they do work, although I'm not convinced they make that big a difference. Like I said, some guys I know who really liked them are giving them up--they are a little bit of a hassle. And, when the Bay is full of weeds, planers make it a little tougher to check your lines. There have been a number of "disagreements" over planer etiquette with alot of boats out working one spot....a charter pulling planers can take up a 200' path...get a few working the same place at the same time, with a couple of recreatonal guys using them thrown into the mix, and it can be fun to watch.

They aren't made for wire, or really for going deep. On the Bay, we pull alot of tandemn bucktails/chutes, and the weight of the heads gets them down. If not, a 4-20 oz. inline sinker will do it (umbrellas or billy bars), or we run a 18" leader down from a three-way to a big bell sinker and let the sinker ride the bottom with the tubes/tsunamis/whatever trailing behind on a 10 or 15 foot leader running just off the bottom. How does UV put it? There's more than one way to skin a cat...

John F.

MarkS · Post by **MarkS** » Jun 1st, '07, 16:01

John,
Some of that is very valuable information, some of it is bunk. Big jon makes a great set of board reels that both pay out and reel in very nicely. Also height of the board line at the boat really doesn't matter. What matters is you have good boards that pull hard and keep the line tight. Also you need some rubber snubbers at the boards and a spring at the reel to absorb some of the shock and to help the boards run true in any chop or swell. Boards run with no shock absorbing ability jump out of the water and can't keep the board line tight. They have even been know to flip and dive, and you thought flounder were tough to pull off the bottom!

Bright colors such as blaze anything works great, and anything over 100' away from your boat is fair game for any other boat and bound for another prop.

There are also in line boards that clip onto your fishing line and as you pay out line they go further away from the boat. when the fish hits, the board pops a releases and make for easy retrieval. These also have been used with great success, and in multiple line sets. I have one friend who runs 6 of these on each side of his boat. These type boards are less cumbersome and depending on how many you buy, less expensive to get involved with as you have nothing invested for mast or reels or large heavy boards, etc,....

Offshore tackle makes a great in line board for around $30.00 each. of course you need a port and a starboard and they are not interchangable.

Big jon also makes a removeable mast and reels that are top shelf stuff. I know where a big jon mast and set of 36" fish shaped planer boards are for sale locally if anyone is interested.

I could go on and on so I'll shut up but good luck whatever you decide,
Mark

In Memory Walter K · Post by **In Memory Walter K** » Jun 1st, '07, 19:47

John- Is that Captain Frank Tuma of Montauk fame? He's in my book if it is, and comes from a long family line of Charterboat Captains. Walter

scooter28 · Post by **scooter28** » Jun 1st, '07, 21:21

i went out a few times in april and every striper i caught was off my planer boards. The lines going straight out never caught a fish. The biggest advantage with the boards is keeping the lures out of all the noise created by the boat. Im in the middle/lower bay we're for the most part not even trolling anymore. Are you guys up north still trolling? I thought you'd be on eels or chumming by now.

John F. · Post by **John F.** » Jun 1st, '07, 22:01

Walter-

Rather than writing out how planers work, etc., I looked for an easy article to post and found Cap. Frank Tuma's on Tidalfish. I know Frank through a friend, and he does catch alot of fish. So, no, this Capt. Frank Tuma is from around here.

Scooter- Mid-Bay is still primarily trolling. For whatever reason, there isn't alot of eeling around here. Live bait are mainly spot, perch, or hardhead. Talked to a friend tonight, and he's been catching every time out livelining at the Bridge.

John F.

bertram31.com

Where to tie planer boards

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