Planer board speed question.

[FishStew]

Alright everyone, I joined this board because no one local to me (South Carolina) uses the large board and mast system. Everyone uses the inline planer boards. So I joined here because I figured you guys would be the right people to talk to to learn this technique. 

Personally I don’t like to run the inline boards designed for striper and catfish trolling because they tend to dive when fighting a fish even after they release and also I like to use a set of medium light striper rods for most of my fishing and these boards pull to much on those setups.

Im thinking my solution is to give the big boards a shot. My plan is to build a set and run a fixed line from my T Top initially to make sure they do well for me before getting a reel system. 

My only concern is speed, which may not be an issue but I have no one here to ask. When trolling for catfish and striper in cold weather we pull as slow as .3 mph and the boards we use here do plane out well at these low speeds. Will these larger boards pull out well at slow speed? The max i typically pull is 1mph in warmer weather with boards. 

On the other end of things, I also troll umbrella rigs and Alabama rigs straight out the back of the boat but not ones as large as used in saltwater. I typically pulled these anywhere from 2.5-4mph. Being able to pull these with the boards or not is not a deal breaker but will a typical big board set up handle this?  

The answers to these questions may be why no one here uses this system but I have no way of knowing till I ask. Thanks for any help and if this seems like a possible technique I’m sure I will be frequenting this board to talk to you guys about it!

 

Thanks,

Steven

[Skipper Sam]

They probably will not pull tight at that speed. Maybe if you make a set of triple words instead of double it’s quite possible they will pull good at that speed.

[EdB]

I've run them down to 1.3 to 1.5 and they pull OK but I don't think there are many trollers in the Great Lakes Region that can answer your question down to .3,  I don't know anyone trolling that slow here.

[Mega Byte]

I know some walleye guys use them and they will troll around 1 to 1.8.

Towing those umbrella rigs might be tricky with the big boards.

Sent from my LG-Q710AL using Great Lakes Fisherman Mobile App

[CapMike]

The only issue you will have at super low speeds is if you are experiencing a moderate to strong crosswind. 

I use 300 coppers and 100yd leadcore set-ups behind big boards. The only problem is getting a pinch pad release to hold against the strong pull. Solved that by putting a #16 rubber band on the line and pinching the rubber band in the pinch pad. The band grips tighter, but when it stretches when a fish pulls, it get's smaller in the grip and will either just break or release from the pinch pad.

You'll probably have better luck running the tether from a Tee-Top than from a center mounted mast. Don't be too quick to switch. It probably won't be money well spent. 

[R3Fishing]

Cap mike is right, we fished big boards for 15 years and made the switch to inline planners. We can’t run them slow, if there is any kind of crosswind they won’t go out or push back into the boat. 
 

Plus if you put them out to far they will drag way behind the boat. Someone said to try a triple board, that might work. My best piece of advice if you do go to the big boards is put a weight on the outside board to get it in the water. If that board isn’t running fully in the water (just your inside board) then it won’t plane correctly either. I know that sounds weird but it made a difference for us when we started doing it about 10 years ago. 

[Timo]

Have you tried Otter Boats? You can redrill the keal mounting holes and change their angle. This puts more resistance on the keal a slow speeds which forces the boat nose out. However they will not pull right at highers speeds with that arrangement. On regular planer boards you can move the attachment point on the board rearward a little, this will force the nose of the board out. I'd start with an inch and adjust from there till you find the optimal spot. Good luck.

[CapMike]

I've been on a couple of boats using Otter Boats. #1 they worked very well. I was impressed. This was at salmon speeds, say 2.5 or so. 

#2 - They are huge!  It's like having a couple of lifeboats in the boat with you when they are on board. No biggy on a boat with a 10 or 12 foot beam, but you might as well bring a couple of extra coolers or a St. Bernard along with you.  

#3 - one of the boats had one that had been patched back together using fiberglass repair stuff because someone had stepped on in or dropped it and it broke. (Probably tripped over it sitting on the back deck.)  If it's going to be bulky, it ought to be tough. 

#4 - Somewhat expensive at $120 each. 

#5 - Currently out of stock at everyplace I checked to see their price. - even Amazon.com

[Timo]

Wow, don't like Otter Boats Cap Mike? I've had a set for about 15 years now, they work far better than any of the 2 or 3 runner boards I've tried, especially with larger lures. They are big, they are not cheap but they will run very slow if set up correctly and that's really what he asked about wasn't it.

[CapMike]

Didn't say they don't work - they do and quite well. I'd never put a pair on my boat (21-footer) just because of the amount of room they take up when not in use. I've never did a side by side comparison - left side Otter, starboard side, ski-type, but I'm not sure the difference in performance (if any) would be easily apparent. 

If you go back a few posts and see my comments about side drift on a windy day, I don't think any type or brand can overcome a boat drifting sideways as much as it's moving forward. 

[Timo]

Understood, I run a Triton DC205 and flip them over and strap with my rod holders or put them in my front storage compartments. I fish a lot of species including walleye, salmon and muskies, sub 1 mph up to 5+ mph. Any amount of wind at slow speeds will mess with all types of boards. I have learned to "tune" my boats to the conditions but there is nothing that works all the time under all conditions.

[dan agnello]

When I use my big boards for walleye we run 2.4 to 3.0 SOG. Quite hot for eyes.

Also, I use inlines

My dual boards don’t track very well below 1.8 let alone down to 0.3. Good luck.