How to Troll With a Planer Board

Planer boards do a couple things for anglers. First, they carry your lure to the side of the boat, which helps you catch fish that are spooked out of the boat's path. Second, they allow you to place multiple lines on either side of the boat to cover a wider swath of water as you troll. Planer boards help you cover a lot of water to find active fish. They are most commonly used while fishing for walleyes, trout or salmon.

Things You'll Need

  • Crankbait or other lure
  • In-line planer boards
  • Trolling rod
  • Line-counter reel
  • 12- to 20-pound-test monofilament line
  • Barrel swivel
  • Snap
  • Rod holder
  • Net
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Instructions

  1. Rigging a Planer Board

    • 1

      Tie a barrel swivel to the end of the main line with an improved clinch knot.

    • 2

      Attach 6-feet of 12- to 20-pound-test monofilament line to the rear of the barrel swivel.

    • 3

      Attach a snap to the end of the monofilament leader.

    • 4

      Clip a crankbait or other lure to the snap.

    Deploying the Planer Board

    • 5

      Drop the crankbait overboard with the boat in motion. Let out the desired amount of line. Fifty to 150 feet is common.

    • 6

      Clip the snap on the rear of the planer board (if it has one) over the main line.

    • 7

      Pinch the padded jaws of the planer board over the main line.

    • 8

      Continue to let out line, once the planer board is attached to the line. The beveled front edge of the planer board carries the planer board -- and your lure -- away from the boat. The more line you let out, the farther to the side the planer board planes.

    • 9

      Place the rod in a rod holder and start trolling. When a fish bites, the board may pop free of the line on a hard strike. More likely, however, the board will drop back and gradually swing inward toward the boat's propwash.

    • 10

      Let out additional lines, if legal, to cover more water. Run shallow-diving lures on the outer lines, which can be reeled over the deeper-running inner lines if a fish hits on an outside line.

    • 11

      Reel in the line to the planer board when a fish is hooked.

    • 12

      Unclip the planer board's padded jaws from the main line and drop the planer board into the boat if the board is not equipped with a rear snap. Allow the planer board to slide down to the barrel swivel if the board is equipped with a rear snap.

    • 13

      Reel in the fish and net it.