Mini Planer Boards

[dsiekman]

Just got my new Offshore Tackle mini planer boards! Looking forward to using them in a couple months. I think these will get my forward rods spread far enough to limit tangles with my aft rods. I'm planning to run hard diving baits forward and more standard trolling lures aft. What do ya think?

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[DOGFISH]

I am not trying to dampen your efforts, because I will be interested in how they workout. One of the tactics that I have adopted while kayak trolling is immediately turning back to an area where I had hooked a fish. Once I land a fish, hooked while kayak trolling, I will turn hard into the direction of rod that is still out. That way I can put the other rod out and the remaining line will just pull back in behind the kayak, so as to not cause a tangle. Stripers being school fish, this has worked well for me. I can sometimes do this 6 to 8 times and catch school fish before they turn off or they move on. With four lines out I would not be able to use that method. However, I would be very interested in your experiences with the planers. If they can handle larger DD lures, they may be good for the open bay in the spring. Good luck.

[dsiekman]

I am not trying to dampen your efforts, because I will be interested in how they workout. One of the tactics that I have adopted while kayak trolling is immediately turning back to an area where I had hooked a fish. Once I land a fish, hooked while kayak trolling, I will turn hard into the direction of rod that is still out. That way I can put the other rod out and the remaining line will just pull back in behind the kayak, so as to not cause a tangle. Stripers being school fish, this has worked well for me. I can sometimes do this 6 to 8 times and catch school fish before they turn off or they move on. With four lines out I would not be able to use that method. However, I would be very interested in your experiences with the planers. If they can handle larger DD lures, they may be good for the open bay in the spring. Good luck.

I'd never really thought about using that tactic. Good thought, though. Where I usually fish in the river, the majority of fish have come out of specific holes or structure. I find that I have to hit those spots in the right direction (depending on current) to get hit. I also am usually only trolling 5-10' deep, so my lines aren't real far back. Maybe 60-80' max. That said, trolling three lines in my SIK I could still make a reasonable turn. I'll post a full report once I get to use them.

[scorpioreno]

I think that method works well when you want to troll your lures close to a shallow drop off along the shore line that parallels a cliff shoreline for a great distance with out taking the kayak directly through there for example. I'm also interested in your results. There are some areas north of the 301 bridge that have steep cliffs along the shoreline that I would like to use that method. When you try it I would like to know about how your kayak tracks and if there is any noticeable drag.

[Steve6902]

I know this is an old thread, BUT does anyone know if dsiekman ever did this and if it worked?? I did send him a PM asking.

[dsiekman]

Hey guys,

It worked to an extent. Yes, it got the baits out to the side, but I'm not sure I ever had a hookup on the boards. Then again, my hours on the kayak have been pretty limited (kids) and last fall I picked up an old center console to make fishing with my 4 y.o. a little more manageable. That said, we are taking the kayak to the OBX this June and I hope to do some fishing in the Sound. We'll see how that goes.

[Steve6902]

How much weight were you running on those, 1/2, 1, 2 ounce?? I usually run tandem about 1 to 1 1/2 oz. was just wondering if they hold the weight. I watched some videos on YouTube University where they run them on the Great Lakes out of Kayaks for walleye.

[dsiekman]

The most I have run was probably 1/2 oz. I usually had diving hard plastics on the outside. XRap or similar. I really never had much luck pulling any traditional trolling tackle, even the smaller stuff. My go-to was either an XRap or a 3/8 oz jighead and a bass assassin. I have the most luck with saltwater assassins in glow with the red tail and a smaller XRap (+/- 3.5") in olive.