In-Line Planer Boards for Musky Baits

[wet the net]

Hi all,

I am wondering how well in line planer boards work with musky baits. Considering the bigger size of musky baits and the higher speeds while trolling I didn't know if they work. If so, what brand and model do you guys use?

[NitroMusky]

I use offshore brand with the orange release but change to a snap on the rear so it slides down to the leader. Correct in that you can't go super fast, 3-3.5 is about it and that is with smaller, shallow diving baits. It will still take a lot of line to get it out so it will be well back of the boat when its all said and done. Anything bigger and you need a mast system

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[Nalod]

I have tried to use planar boards in the past, but have had limited success with them. I have tried using church's walleye boards and have tried it using large boards/mast system.

Smaller lures and lures that just do not disperse a lot of water have been what I have tried to work with (small newmanns, XJ-13 Xraps, sledges, etc). We normally do not get slow on our trolling, so I want to say that at our slowest, we were still going 4 mph.

The mast system can take a lot more abuse. We had an outcast legend running once. I was amazed that it was able to run, but the boards were digging hard into the water. Bakers and wileys were also able to run off of these boards. As far as I am concerned, you should be able to run almost any lure (almost -- as in plows are not going to happen).

I would like to spend some time this year giving it a better try. I know there is a guy on Chautauqua that is fishing a set of homemade boards...he has to be having success since I see him out there all the time.

--Joe

[solgrande]

i keep a pair of church walleye boards in my boat.small lip shallow divers.Great for pike as well running bomber long A`s,6"jakes and 5"muskellunch.Don`t use`m much as i`m normally running solo but this year allowed 3 lines i may try it more.2 flatlines and 1 planer?dunno....2 lines i can run a better pattern without worrying `bout the 3rd.I`m gonna give the swimwhizz a try behind one-might pull too much tho.

sol

[wet the net]

Thanks everyone for the responses. Come on spring.

[mostlymuskies]

On Chautauqua Lake you would need 10 FOOT Boards--Bright Orange--Flashing Strobe's and Mines attached! If boards don't get run over by a pontoon boat,a weed pile hit might drag your boat down! Just to much boat traffic most of the time,maybe early am.

[zach]

IMO boards are good for early and late season fishing when the weeds are not floating. Last fall a father and son team from PA crushed fish on Chaut draggin' boards with my baits and Tuffs last November in the south end. Small baits on boards in late season? Yeah they crushed em with off beat tactic and were doing like 20 fish a weekend. This same team also crushed fish on $9 Bass foils on LSC. They did more fish on my baits then anything else but due to them being associated with another "baitmaker" it could never be told and they didn't even tell the best man at wedding that stayed with them all the whole time. Nobody knew what they caught fish on until this winter when big orders of $9 Bass foils were ordered from PA, lol. Best luck with the boards but watch those weeds, just more trouble than its worth when you have lots of floaters.

[Ivan]

I just found this site the other day and this post. I am the son of the father/son team Zach was referring to...Hey Zach

I just had to reply. It is funny how rumors get started and things get stretched or blown out of proportion online. Word spreads very fast these days.

Zach makes a great bait, and we did very well on a foil $9bass Baker at LSC last year. We caught alot of fish on that one bait, however I don't lie or keep secrets from my friends. Our two biggest fish of that trip were 50 and 54 and were caught on Wileys, but we did catch a bunch on that one baker. I have just learned not to publicize things as much as I did when I first started muskie fishing 14 yrs ago. We also had a very good fall at Chautauqua, but most of the other details of the story just are not true. I probably wouldn't have even said anything if it wasn't for the thing about me keeping secrets from my best man. I'm not that tight lipped.

Anyway, this seems like a good site, and I recognize some of you guys that are using it, so maybe I'll participate some. I just don't want people to get the wrong impression of me. Even though my name wasn't mentioned in the post, some people can read between the lines.

Adam Andresky

[Ivan]

By the way, when I'm not running my big wood boards off of masts, I think the best in-lines for musky are Church Tackle TX 44s. They hold better, you can use braid, you can run them faster, run bigger baits, etc