Big Boards

[IRon]

Well, it's winter project time again, and I know this has been covered in the past a time or three, sooooo..... I've ran inline boards for years with my smaller boat and was thinking maybe it's time to get a pair of big boards set up for spring since I can fish 3 or 4 people in the boat now and can use more lines in my bigger boat. There's a lot of different options out there and any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated on board types, releases, reels ( maybe rail mount etc...), line?????

[Line Dancin]

Are you planning on using them for walleye of salmon?

[IRon]

Mostly salmon, steelhead, browns.

[EdB]

Everyone I know, including every charter I know, uses inline boards for salmon. One of the main reasons is the ability to run different coppers and cores to stagger the depth you're working.

You can't do this with big boards. You need to have your highest lines outside the spread to avoid tangles. If you tried to run a 100 copper, than a 200 copper and 300 copper on a big board, if the 100 copper took a fish, your would have to crank everything in on that side to redeploy using big boards. With inlines, you can run the 100 copper back out over top of everything. You can't do this with big boards.

[Broadcast]

I use big boards in the spring only, when all the lures we are running are at the same depth. If your 3rd line in releases, then just push the others down the planner board line and reset on the inside. However, once we start fishing for salmon at different depths, I move to in line boards as they are easier to reset.

[IRon]

I see your point. I've got coppers and lead core I run off my inlines, so I guess the big boards wouldn't be a very good application in mid- summer. Perhaps spring or steelhead fishing?

[Broadcast]

I just use'em when flat lining mono with cranks for spring coho, browns & shallow kings. Don't want to reel in 5, 7 & 10 colors to reset the 3 on the outside with big boards.

[mattmishler]

The one thing about alot of Manistee Charter is, they all have a set of big boards that we use all year long. We have stacked 2,3,4 and 5 colors on one side and had no problems with resetting them. For example when the fish are 45ft down, we still put 2 10 colors out on one side and 2 8 colors with 2 oz dive bombs and just keep sliding them down. There more fun to fight fish on, easier for customers. We pull customer boards, with 250 pound planar line with offshore OR 17 releases.

[Line Dancin]

I agree with what has been said above. I use my big boards for walleye (hence the question) as you are fishing the same depth with every line (5 lines per board 70 ft back) on that board line. For salmon the big boards are put in the garage and i use inlines for reasons stated above.

Only other time we used big boards was when we used to fish st joe for coho on my dads boat. Again all lines set to the same length like for walleye fishing.

[IRon]

Thanks for the info and specifics. I think they might have a time and place. Another good point is what Matt said about being user friendly for reeling in the fish, which is important for my wife and kids. And with some common sense might be able to use them all summer when conditions allow. Found some plans for some custom triples that look really stable in a chop I might try to fabricate. I'll pick up some OR17's, too.

[tom]

I use Otter Boats all season. I like fighting the fish without dragging a board and a fish to the boat not to mention having to unclamp the board midway through the fight. If I absolutly have to get that 2-3 core back out then I snap on an in line and run it back and around the deeper inside lines on the Otter Boat.

[Lobi]

this will sound like a major rookie question maybe but here goes..

I have big boards / mast / reels. I, like others have mentioned like fighting just the fish after hookup/release.

I understand the way you can re-set your shallow line out over the deeper ones with the inline boards by just sliding over the top of them. Here is my question..

Why can't I just let a little line out on the other rod(s) on my big board line and just re-deploy the high (shorter copper) out inside the deeper copper that I just let out further on the big board line? I mean, why does the 200 copper HAVE to be further out from the boat than the 300 copper? Just because the 200 just took a fish being furthest out doesn't mean if I let the 300 out further and put the 200 on the inside that it won't catch a fish does it?

[Line Dancin]

lobi you would most likely tangle the lines when the next fish comes on the deeper line with the shallow one inside.

[1mainiac]

Lobi as long as the 300 does not catch a fish it won't matter. However if the 300 is outside of a 200 and hits a fish it will also hit the 200. You will not have a double you will have a mess darn near every time. You don't have to completely pull a 300 you can just reel it back to the boat un hook it and hold it on the other side for a min or 2 while you send the shorter line back out. When I fished big boards I always carried close to 50 releases. If i had a good day many of them would be hanging out by the boards. We never retrieved them until we brought the big boards back in. I once considered using one of my bass rods on each side with a dropper loop every 25ft So I could clip them into the releases and use the bass rod to retrieve my lines while still keeping them separate as they came in. I however just switched to all inlines and never tried it.

[SCUM LINE]

just put my big boards on Ebay 2-13-13.. Cannons and otter boats..

[joelsanders]

I think the Michigan Steelheaders web site used to have plans&instructions how to build your own big boards. kinda cool!

[Special K]

Just a quick question. How do you guys set your lines with the big boards without getting them on the divers off the side? I've used them for walleye setting them off the side but it seems like the diver would be in the way especially with a long copper?

[mattmishler]

Just like normal, my high divers are mag divers and have had them out 300+, put a 450 copper on a big board, no problem at all.

[Splillway]

You can go bigger or go smaller and try some new tricks with the DualFin planers if you want to keep the rod in hand. They plane to the side and flip direction when given a tug. Really only good for 1.5 mph. and waves can cause them to flip.

[Nailer]

You can go bigger or go smaller and try some new tricks with the DualFin planers if you want to keep the rod in hand. They plane to the side and flip direction when given a tug. Really only good for 1.5 mph. and waves can cause them to flip.

Welcome to the site Paul.