Planner Board Tow Eye Placement

[horsehunter]

How does tow eye placement affect the running of boards both vertical and horizontal. My boat came with a pair of homemade boards that were marked left and right  and I have been running them as if they were marked for facing the back of the boat otherwise the tow eye would be mounted really low on the board which just didn't look right to me. They pull ok the way i have run them with the tow eye above center. The Cannon folding boards I have been hoping to stumble across used and that i have used on a friends boat have the eye vertically centered. . Curious about the fore aft positioning.

[justtracytrolling]

The fore and aft placement will affect how hard they pull and how far out they run. On my old homemade boards it took a few tries to get them to run right. Are you using them on tigers and musky? If so the high speed is a problem if you have them pulling too hard. I made custom angled keels for my otters and they will cut right thru weed mats and work very well at high speed.

Sent from my E6810 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[horsehunter]

Watched a video on You Tube guy trolling on Arrow lake i BC. His attachment was about a 5 inch chain mounted on both ends so he could attach anywhere along its length.

[horsehunter]

50 minutes ago, justtracytrolling said:

The fore and aft placement will affect how hard they pull and how far out they run. On my old homemade boards it took a few tries to get them to run right. Are you using them on tigers and musky? If so the high speed is a problem if you have them pulling too hard. I made custom angled keels for my otters and they will cut right thru weed mats and work very well at high speed.

Sent from my E6810 using Lake Ontario United mobile app
 

Occasionally used for muskie but more often for muskie I use Hose Fatties behind a modified church walleye board . The big boards will be mostly for trout and salmon.

[horsehunter]

How about vertical  placement I see most homemade boards the tow eye is above center Cannon folders are on center would lower positioning cause the outside board to dig more?

[anytime]

Your using the boards backwards if used as you describe. Left and right as you face forward not backward. That's why the eyebolt is in the lower half of the board. 

[horsehunter]

24 minutes ago, anytime said:

Your using the boards backwards if used as you describe. Left and right as you face forward not backward. That's why the eyebolt is in the lower half of the board. 

 

I'm using them with the eye above center the way I see most other boards, to my way of thinking the previous owner of the boat who I have lost contact for must have marked the boards for facing the stern and setting lines. My initial question was what effect does moving the eye forward and back and up and down?

[mr 580]

Variety of factors in the design of the boards effect position of the tow point.  In general terms the vertical placement should be as high as possible as you want tow line as high off water as possible.  Once tow line hits water that is effective distance from boat.  The horizontal location needs to be back so boards bite and pull out.  Many double board designs place the outside board forward of the inside board to help bite.  Performance on most double board setups can also be enhanced  by using weight on the outside board.  I use homemade boards and pull with an eyebolt on top of inside board.  The process of locating tow points with something homemade is a trial and error process.  Over the years I’ve made several sets before settling with a design that I’m satisfied with.

[youp50]

Try one third, that's what I was taught.  One third from the front, one third from the top.  The last set I made I used about six inches of quarter inch threaded rod and a rod coupler to an eye.  I could tweak the rod fore or aft as I wanted to to change the pull point.  

 

I am a in liner now.

[Chas0218]

On 3/6/2019 at 8:04 AM, horsehunter said:

 

I'm using them with the eye above center the way I see most other boards, to my way of thinking the previous owner of the boat who I have lost contact for must have marked the boards for facing the stern and setting lines. My initial question was what effect does moving the eye forward and back and up and down?

Further forward has less pull on the mast and further behind the boat. Further towards the back the harder they will pull. You can't go any further than the exact middle of the board towards the back. If you do they will not work. General rule of thumb is 1/3 down from the top and 1/3 back from the front. 

[garrymny]

On 3/3/2019 at 8:55 PM, horsehunter said:

Watched a video on You Tube guy trolling on Arrow lake i BC. His attachment was about a 5 inch chain mounted on both ends so he could attach anywhere along its length.

GREAT IDEA!