Inline Side Planer Boards

[greenhornet73]

Does anyone have any experience with inline planer boards such as the Luhr Jensen side planer or the SideWinder?  I would like to use one for trolling 2 lines out of my kayak and think it will help with keeping the lines from crossing but I heard one review stating the sidewinder trips too easily but I like the streamlined shape and simplicity of its design?  Any info on these would be very helpful.

[alex1young]

Are you using leadcore, copper, or just mono flatlines?  That should be the most important consideration when selecting a board.  Personally, I'm a huge fan of Church boards.  My TX-22s can handle anything I've thrown at them.  

[greenhornet73]

I run braid for the main line with a mono leader.   I have used the Offshore boards off a boat and they worked great but would release off the line completely at times with a big fish and would have to go back to track it down after bringing in the fish. Keep in mind I am fishing out of a kayak and a 1 man operation so the simpler the rig the better. Thanks

Edited April 6, 2016 by greenhornet73

[henrybud]

I have run these with success.  Very simple to rig up.  http://www.Unapproved LOU Sponsor.com/

[JakeyBaby]

Off shores won't come off if the rear pinch pad has a pin in the center of it. I also replaced the front punch pad with Sam's Pro Releases, they are fully adjustable and release just like a rigger would every time. That setup is unmatched as far as in line planners go.

[greenhornet73]

Henrybud, that is exactly the type of planer I am looking for and haven't seen these.  I like the gator clip release so it should be able to hold a deep crank without a false release and it stays on the line without resistance while fighting the fish.  I might even try it for river bank fishing for salmon and steelhead.  Thanks for posting.

[JakeyBaby]

http://www.anglersavenueproshop.com/sams-pro-release/

This is the Sam's Pro...... I'm pretty sure Russell from Anglers Avenue in Michigan has a how to video on theese check it out!

[greenhornet73]

JakeyBaby I don't recall using the pin on the rear release that is probably why we were always playing "go fetch" and having to retreat off our path. Thanks

[henrybud]

Right on.  I did use them in the Genny and especially the Niagara.  They are great and very stealthy too.  The foam ones that fold are made to "flip".  I didn't like that feature.  The other ones worked better.  

 

The foams ones can be rigged to stay port or starboard though.  There's a diy on that.  After a few trips, they become automatic to use too.  

[greenhornet73]

Oh so they may "flip" over from a wave?  Do they stay on course after that or twist up the rig at all?

[henrybud]

No, the ones that are foam and slide together flip easily, the other plastic ones do not.  I like the weight and how portable the foam ones are, but the plastic ones do run beautiful and don't flip over on you.  I was surprised how well they ran actually.   

[Sk8man]

Why not skip the release and go with the old style Yellow birds? Very light weight and can be used on light tackle and less drag than other inlines only limitation is the distance of the leader behind them if don't hand line the fish

Edited April 6, 2016 by Sk8man

[Chas0218]

I run braid for the main line with a mono leader.   I have used the Offshore boards off a boat and they worked great but would release off the line completely at times with a big fish and would have to go back to track it down after bringing in the fish. Keep in mind I am fishing out of a kayak and a 1 man operation so the simpler the rig the better. Thanks

Add a swivel at the rear of the board in place of the pinch pad and clip it over your main line. This will keep it on your line and allow it to slide back to the fish/leader. The smaller the swivel the more likely to get caught on your leader. I would rather it go all the way to the fish being in a Yak you can get the fish and board at the same time.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Chas0218

[greenhornet73]

ahhh yes I do remember hearing about that tip a few years ago with the rear swivel but wasn't trolling at the time and forgot about it.  Thanks

[greenhornet73]

Awesome feedback guys, maybe I won't have to go to a such an ultra-light option especially since I do most of my fishing in big water.  I typically run my lures at least 100' back out of my kayak but with the boards can I run the leads a lot shorter especially for browns?

[d_balm24]

I run braid for the main line with a mono leader. I have used the Offshore boards off a boat and they worked great but would release off the line completely at times with a big fish and would have to go back to track it down after bringing in the fish. Keep in mind I am fishing out of a kayak and a 1 man operation so the simpler the rig the better. Thanks

OR-16 clip. They won't come off ever again unless of user error. Make sure the line goes under the tit in the middle of the clip

[FlounderPounder]

Been fishing Lake Ontario about 8 years now and we have used a few different inline planer boards, one being the sidewinder. We used the side winder boards a few years in a row with good success when the fishing was on. They are light weight and allow you to fight the fish without fighting the board. This board is best for calm days ! The cons would be it doesn't get out to far away from the boat, it can release easily, and it's no good on windy or rough days. Just last year we switched to the new yellow bird 100 boards with tattle flag becuase we got tired of letting the sidewinder board out to have it release as soon as you put the rod in the holder, they also flip and spin a lot when it's windy. Yellow bird Boards ran well in all weather and tattle flag worked great. For the price both sidewinder and yellow bird are good to have on board if your looking for lighter inline planers these have been the best for us.

[Chas0218]

I prefer the cabelas boards over the off shore just because of the releases and adjustable keel weight. They are a lot cheaper to boot. They are a opti tackle I think with better releases. The releases on the cabelas boards are the best for braid and small diameter mono. I broke 1 release trying to clip it on 50lbs. mono.

[King Slammin]

Opti tackle boards suck. They are cheap Chinese knock offs and the rear release is the worst of all boards. Church walleye boards or tx 22's will handle any situation from flat lining sticks to towing 300' of copper or even dipsey divers. You can use the rear pin and front release if you want the board to slide down upon release. If you do that, I would recommend upgrading to the stainless steel rear pin.

[Chas0218]

Opti tackle boards suck. They are cheap Chinese knock offs and the rear release is the worst of all boards. Church walleye boards or tx 22's will handle any situation from flat lining sticks to towing 300' of copper or even dipsey divers. You can use the rear pin and front release if you want the board to slide down upon release. If you do that, I would recommend upgrading to the stainless steel rear pin.

I agree but the cabelas are a knock off of the off shore/opti tackle design with very nice releases.

[ut_falcon]

I do alot of kayak fishing for spring browns and use the church tx-6. Small board hardly and drag when pulling them, they get out to the side decently in the kayak but not as far as the larger boards but can be rigged to slide down when a fish hits. The clips won't work well with braid so you'd need to replace them. Good for spoons and sticks.

[outdoorsman00]

I bought those opti tackle boards the green ones for $20 apice and the front release broke on the 4 that I bought. It's made from hard plastic and seems to just snap at the base. So I just went out and got the church walleye boards.. I run the small church 15s in and the offshore and bigger church boards on the outside. In a kayak ID say in MHO the smaller church boards you couldn't go wrong with. And they stay on your line good also. Also when running braid just double wrap the front release and it stays in place just fine..

Edited April 10, 2016 by outdoorsman00

[King Slammin]

I bought those opti tackle boards the green ones for $20 apice and the front release broke on the 4 that I bought. It's made from hard plastic and seems to just snap at the base. So I just went out and got the church walleye boards.. I run the small church 15s in and the offshore and bigger church boards on the outside. In a kayak ID say in MHO the smaller church boards you couldn't go wrong with. And they stay on your line good also. Also when running braid just double wrap the front release and it stays in place just fine..

Exactly what I do. The walleye boards are tough to beat as far as versatility.