Anyone use small inline planer boards for spring trout trolling? Just wondering how much drag they put on the rod, and if you've found a difference with your lures off to the side instead of right behind the boat.

Thanks,

Moonman.

I like runnin boards but have never done it in canoe country although I have kicked it around some.

One of the main reasons for running a board seems absent though......and that is spooking fish. I can't help but wonder just how put off are fish with a canoe going over. Good fodder for discussion I suppose but one thing is probably sure, they are likely less put off with a canoe than an 18ft boat with it's kicker running. When walleye trolling in Lake Erie or Lake St. Clair a running boat pushes the fish right to your boards every time.

And then there is the physics involved. You have to be trolling fast enough and at a steady speed to get a hook set. And then of course there are all the reefs and points to contend with. Picture getting hung up all the time.

Don't get me wrong........your talking my language and a board is just another tool and I love tools. I actually like the idea of using a board in open water when the fish might be spread out a bit more perhaps a bit later in the year. Could work very nicely.

I suppose I will just stick with the rod in the rod holder flat lining because I like to see the rod go over so much. Plus I can tell exactly how my lure is working by looking at my rod tip. Can't do that so much with a board.

What I really would of liked to do is use a board along with live bait......crawler harness or a small bluegill or perch. That would of been cool 8-).

But my suggestion is you take one in and let us know how it goes. ;)

Hey MT,

I'm in complete agreement with your views on this. I do well just flat lining when using spinning gear so why even think about it ..... but I wonder, maybe you could hit even more fish with the board? That's why I'm wondering if anyone has any experiences with it from a canoe. As you mentioned, a canoe is fairly low noise/disturbance so its hard to know if there would be any benefit.

Maybe I'll get my buddy to bring one in and try it, he always brings a baitcaster along, which would be a better rod to rig it on.

Moonman.

I've never been tempted.  I run them sometimes on my Bayliner but that's on pressured waters.  Seems like an unnecessary hindrance in a canoe.  A planer board will create a ton of drag.  IMHO it's far more of a hassle than it would be worth.

But if you try it, I'd be interested to hear how it goes.

I'd imagine that a planer board would be a lot of drag on a canoe.

If anything, I would probably try a Dipsy Diver or a Jet Diver. Both would produce less drag and pack better.

Ranger- I have used Dipsy's before while canoeing and they do work well and pack light. Not too much drag at all. I used them back in the early 90's chasing big suspended walleyes on large water when deep trolling was the tactic.

I pretty much gave up on using Dipsy's and went to using snap weights for trollong deep.

With the advent of better deep diving cranks I now have abandoned using Dipsy's and snap weights for deep trolling. On underfished Quetico Lakes,  deep diving cranks are easier to use and very efficient. I think that on lakes that do recieve some fishing pressure from motorized watercaft that putting crankbaits away from the boat to catch fish makes sense.

What about a planer board for shore fishing in rivers?  That should work, no?  Essentially still fishing in current, let the current do the work.