OffShore Inline Planers

[bigrackmack]

Okay guys just got a boat and was gonna rig it up for walleye trolling in Erie and Saginaw Bay....Got talking to a guy up at Franks, and he ran by me these little boards w/tattle tail fags, seems like a good set up and forsure alot easier to keep in the boat... My question is Cabelas sells a kit for 89.96 which includes 2 boards, 2 kits, and 4 red clips....Do any of you guys know anywhere else that sells the kits? Also any feedback on these from the guys that have been using them? Maybe even some tips? Is it totally nessesary to have line counter reels or can you just count your bars?...Thanks...Mack

[walleye express]

Okay guys just got a boat and was gonna rig it up for walleye trolling in Erie and Saginaw Bay....Got talking to a guy up at Franks, and he ran by me these little boards w/tattle tail fags, seems like a good set up and forsure alot easier to keep in the boat... My question is Cabelas sells a kit for 89.96 which includes 2 boards, 2 kits, and 4 red clips....Do any of you guys know anywhere else that sells the kits? Also any feedback on these from the guys that have been using them? Maybe even some tips? Is it totally nessesary to have line counter reels or can you just count your bars?...Thanks...Mack



Most of us started out "long-lining" and did "Bars" and "Rips" long before the trollers Bible and line counter reels. Only since Pro walleye tournaments and the refinments they ushered in, do people believe there's no other way. I will admit though that those little boards and many of the other modern day gizmos make it easier to duplicate a succesfull pattern when trolling. Having the tattle-tale flags though (in my view) are not essential once you aquire an educated eye, or when running more than one board, that gives you a stable point of view to judge the way each are running.

The different clips you can buy for these boards are made to run different line types for the most part. The red clips having a stronger grip.

[bigrackmack]

Thanks for the info Walleye Express,, Now I'm really confused just talked to my other fishing buddy and he thinks I should just run the big boards with a mast cause I can run more lines and it will be cheaper then buying 8 offshore little boards....Any thoughts...or is it just prefrience?...Thanks again!!!

[adam bomb]

i like the little boards for a couple reasons. if your not going to run allot of lines very often then they are more efficient. what i mean is its allot easier to set up and take down if your only going to fish 4 or 6 rods, plus they dont take up much room. in addition, if you fish crawlers much, its allot easier to pick up your rods and run back into the wave and then troll back down. if you had to do that with planers then obviously theres more work which equals less time fishing.

i will agree with dan and say that the flag is a good tool for the beginner, but once you get a feel for the boards you can tell if you have a weed or a small fish on quite easily, along with the light biters. if there is an advantage to the flag i think it makes the board easier to see when its a little choppy out. as dan mentioned, the different colored offshore releases are for different spring tensions. yellow weak, red moderate, and black stiff. some of the red releases, like the ones on the rear of the board and used for snap weights have a pin in the center of the pinch pad to keep the line from releasing and losing the board.

before making your decision take into consideration how many lines you plan to run on a regular basis. if no more than 6, i would go with the small boards. if you plan to run more than that on a regular basis big boards and a mast are the way to go. after 6 inline boards it gets pretty hairy, so big boards are the best bet. you also have to take storage of the big boards into consideration as well. i would recommend a collapsable design if you decide to go with big boards. i would also figure out a way to store them when under power. you dont want them bouncing around the boat.

happy trolling!;) :D

[Capt Hook]

What size is your boat? A lot of the guys that fished the bay years ago ran bigger boats. The big boards worked great when you could just troll around without worrying about wind or wave direction. When most of us started fishing tournaments we went to smaller faster boats that were also easier to trailer. Trouble was we had to fish down wind unless it was fairly calm. Big boards were such a pain to pull in and put back out everytime you ran up to make a pass on a school of fish. Plus most of the time we were only using 4 rods, even fun fishing you cant easily fish more that 3 people in a 18'. So I guess I'm saying if you are in a 16' to 20' go with the offshore boards, if you are in a bigger boat and will be running a bunch of lines then run big boards. Offshore use to make a real nice mast set up. I would check to see if they still make it if thats the way you end up going.

[Triple_Sparty]

I will admit though that those little boards and many of the other modern day gizmos make it easier to duplicate a succesfull pattern when trolling.

I concur that little boards make it easier to duplicate a pattern. With big boards, each line is going to have a different amount of line in the air from clip to lure due to the line from mast to board being on an angle towards the water. This means it will be harder to set all your poles at the same depth if you find one at which the fish are biting. With the small boards, you can set your lure to board the same and regardless of whether the board is 50 feet or a hundred feet from the boat, all the lures should run at the same depth.

:fish::fish:

[eye terminator]

Northland in pinconning has them for $ 60.00 for 2 boards and flag kits save 30 bucks and they have alot of name brand lures 2 bucks cheaper then franks

[bigrackmack]

Where is northland? I'm gonna be up there this weekend...Phone #...Thanks for all the replys I think I'm gonna go with the small ones....Mack

[pilatusbahn]

It really depends on your boat size and how many guys/rods
you are fishing with.
If you've got the ability to run a mast, its easier to run big boards and clips.
With the clips, the line is set, reel in and just let line out to move the
others down to reset.
With inline boards you've got to really watch the tangles but
if you've got something 16' then inline boards are the way to go.
Like Dan said, tattle flags are only needed at first to get used to them.
Once you know what to look for, a little pull or the way they
swing to the back of the boat is all the indicator you need.

Northland is located 1 block east of the light in Pinconning.
Gas station on SE corner/Subway on NE corner.
Turn right at light if coming from South/Frank's.
Turn right if coming from the North/Standish.
Go 1 block and turn right. Building is immediately on your left with
a couple of older boats infront under their sign.
They have some pretty good deals but sometimes you've got to do a
bit of searching. yes, their prices are usually $1.00 less than Frank's
but most of the time they dont have the quantity that Frank's does.

[brdhntr]

I run homemade little boards and a combo of dypsies and jet divers. I set the boards so they will not release and just take them off once you get them to the boat for Erie eyes. I was running up to 6 rods of my 14'. No problems on calm days.

[double trouble]

i run both depending on the troll.big boards are great on erie where you can troll crankbaits for miles . small boards are good for test runs where you are establishing a pattern. i have done much better with big boards over the years. once you set them its easy to adjust your spread.just drive and listen for that ping. i had run up to 10 lines on my 17 footer with the kids aboard.my current boat has a mast too.with the electric motor we can troll harnesses sitting in the bow all day without tangling.3/4-2 ounce bouncer and you can troll 1 mph or less with the lines spread out.beats running the big noisy motor.

i have aquired 3 sets of different brands of small boards over the years and like them a lot for salmon. they are great for getting leadcore off to the side. the way they skip and dodge must attract big fish.they are also nice because i can clear one or 2 in a hurry if i need to.

its a toss up.for a beginner i would go inlines but if you are getting offshores you can save some cash and make the tattle flag setup yourself for about a dollar or 2. we ahd a thread last year and in my gallery is a pic of it. mine worked great.

[fishinmachine2]

Its Northwoods 1st light in Pinconning heading north take a right go down about 2 tenths of a mile make another right and go down just a little bit and its on the left ,they have alot of stuff. If you have a smaller boat I would get the inline boards, much easier to use and easier to store. The only advantage of having the flags is if you get weeds or a small fish (perch) on it will pull back. Good Luck!!

Scott

[roger23]

I really like big boards on big water where you have plenty of room to turn around I would run 3 rods off each side and 4 down riggers when I could get enough guys to go .That is the main reason I don't have a big boat .If you run that many lines you need to have guys that can set and clear lines when you get a steelhead on he can foul all your line on the boards .Walleye are not a problem .You sure don't want to be the only one that can set lines also you need someone that can run the boat and follow a coarse and not wander all over the place. With big boards make sure you have flags that can be seen from a distance some JERK will not see your boards and run to close to you they have the whole lake but trollers all ways attract jerks

[bigrackmack]

Northwoods is on 704 S. Mable 989 879 3833 if anyone else needs to know...Did a google searh....They have the or-31 for 19.99 but I thought those were the bigger ones? Another question arises now, wouldn't you want to buy the bigger ones right from the start so if you wanted to use them for muskie or samon you would have it all covered? Or do the little boards just work better for the walleyes....Thanks for all your help on this just want to get the right ones......Mack

[chamookman]

double trouble hit the nail on the head. Small boards empart action to the trailing baits, so IMHO that makes a BIG differance. So do the tattle flags. Many times, I've had boards stay in "formation" and the only indication of a hit was the flag ever so slightly pulled back - a Walleye swimming with the bait (harnesses). My .02 - Bob

[walleye express]

I guess if a man could afford it and has the room, having both types would cover all bases. I've seen days when I know that "whip-slap" the big boards are giving the lures, when fastened to that thether line, are making all the difference.

And as mentioned, each line will run a little shallower depending where it is up the tether line to the mast. But if you think about it, that gives you a nice spread thoughout the water column when all lines are set at the same length to start with. And if the 3rd one up the line keeps getting hit, use your head and shorten all the lines some. It's really not that hard to zero in on a successful depth with either type, when you learn and understand the dynamics of each type.

[roger23]

What you say is true . you have to use line counters .or count raps. We use to keep a log you can not remember everything. It was a pain but it really worked for us .we allways made the person running the boat do it . ;) A lure on the outside may catch fish but when you put it back out on the inside it may not catch a fish. One thing big boards do get expensive I forgot about all the releases you need we use to make a bunch of our own shower curtian hangers and small aligator clips.We also ran a string out to the boards to pull the releases back to the boat.

[Rex]

If you decide to go the big board route, which may be the best for starters, you might consider building your own boards. Go here for some plans: http://www.mssfa.com/stplaner_board_plans.htm

We built our own, had fun doing it, and they continue to work great. BTW, I would certainly invest in reels with line counters. Built-in line counters are worth every penny.

[double trouble]

i have three or four sets of big boards lying arround . i also have an old penn reel with weed wacker line on it. you are welcome to use any of it for the summer and if you want to buy them i'll sell them cheap to get you started.