Tips for Planer Board Fishing

Planer board fishing can seem very complicated and even intimidating to many inexperienced anglers. Here are a few basic tips to make your day on the water more productive and enjoyable. • Tackle should match for each side of the boat. The rods, lures, type of line and length of line must be the same. The reason behind keeping things uniform across the boat is to ensure all lines are running the same depth. This is very important when reeling in fish from your outside lines. The line with the fish will drop back and over top of the other lines. Using the same rods aids in detecting a fish. All the rods should look the same when trolling. If one is bent at a different angle, there is either a fish on the line or something is wrong with the lure. The uniformity also helps avoid tangles when the boat is turning, since all lures should be running at the same length and depth from the boat. • Your first line out should be in the rod holder farthest forward on the boat. Every rod after should follow suit. If you are using a rod tree holder, the first rod out would be in the highest holder, with additional rods following the step-downs. • Make sure all lures are properly tuned. A badly tuned lure can cause massive tangles with the other lines. The Reef Runner Tune-A-Fish Crankbait Tuner is great for adjusting out of tune lures so they run straight again. • Choose a release you are comfortable using. The ideal release is one that takes minimal effort and the least amount of time as possible. Many fish are lost when struggling to release a line from the planer board tow line. Following these basic tips will make your days on the water more enjoyable and productive.