# Lake MI planer board question



## aquanator

I will be adding a planer board to my Lake MI salmon tackle, but having never used one I'm looking for some info:

Do planer boards attached to the fishing line itself, or are they on their own line similiar to a downrigger weight?
Since I'll be using it in Lake MI, is bigger better? For example Cabela's has one that's 14" vs Church tackles 12" planer board.
I've read that setting them so that they don't "release" may be better when targeting kings (my primary fish target), true or not?
Thanks for any advice and help you can give me!!


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## wartfroggy

There are planer boards that run out on their own line, and there are also inline boards that attatch to the line. Different people have different preferences, but on Lake Michigan you will see more people running the inline version. 

Size of the board isn't effected by the size of the lake you are going to be fishing, but the weight of what you want to pull. If you are just going to be pulling a spoon clean off the board, or with just a couple of colors of leadcore, you can get away with smaller boards like yellow birds, tru-tracks, willy boards, etc. If you are going to be pulling more than 5 colors of lead or any copper, I would suggest you move into a bigger board such as a church tackle walleye board or an offshore board to pull the heavier weight. 

When fishing longer leadcore or copper, most guys will either set them to not trip, or will put a rubber band on the line and through the clip on the back of the board so that when it does trip, it does not slide down the line.


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## BFG

> I will be adding a planer board to my Lake MI salmon tackle, but having never used one I'm looking for some info:
> Do planer boards attached to the fishing line itself, or are they on their own line similiar to a downrigger weight?
> Since I'll be using it in Lake MI, is bigger better? For example Cabela's has one that's 14" vs Church tackles 12" planer board.
> I've read that setting them so that they don't "release" may be better when targeting kings (my primary fish target), true or not?
> Thanks for any advice and help you can give me!!


 
Welcome to the addiction that is salmon fishing. You will get a lot of answers here on this topic. My best suggestion:

Read them..take some notes, but then do a site search here for sponsoring charter captains, then book a trip with one of them in the spring. You will learn more in 4-6 hours about running planer boards, setting downriggers, lure selection, speed, temp, current, etc. etc than you ever will by reading the internet. Based on your question, I am assuming you are just starting out...and you might as well learn things the right way, vs. spending a lot of time (and money) trying to figure things out on your own. 

Some charter captains offer "teaching" charters as well...look for that in their business description. 

Good luck...and yes, you should learn how to set your planer boards to release when fishing for kings.


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## ALLEYES

Church Tackle's walleye board is a good start. It will do most anything you ask of it just by adjusting the moveable keel weight forward for heavier or harder pulling baits to moving it rearward for lighter stuff. They are great boards and easy to use. I use them for both my walleye and salmon trolling programs.


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## aquanator

Thanks for the replies. I did very well last year (first year) with dipseys, leadcore, and one downrigger, and it sounds like an inline planner board will work to get a line farther out from the boat.


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## UBDSLO1

I like Church Tackle boards myself, Walleye boards, and the TX's, 12's, 22's etc. The 12's, I use for stick baits, small spoons and shallow diving cranks for both steel and walleye. Walleye boards are great for pulling 5 and 10 color cores. The 12 will pull a 2 color no problem at all.


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## UltimateOutdoorsman

aquanator said:


> I will be adding a planer board to my Lake MI salmon tackle


What type of tackle? Leadcore? Copper? Flat lines?



UBDSLO1 said:


> I like Church Tackle boards myself, Walleye boards, and the TX's, 12's, 22's etc. The 12's, I use for stick baits, small spoons and shallow diving cranks for both steel and walleye. Walleye boards are great for pulling 5 and 10 color cores. The 12 will pull a 2 color no problem at all.




I'd add that the TX-22's are absolutely awesome for heavy lines like copper.


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## aquanator

Not sure, but since I primarily use leadcore (10 color) and dipseys (large), I'm guessing leadcore makes sense to run off the planer board. On the other hand, dipsey set to run to the side off a planer board get even further from the boat. So I'd like to buy a board that can handle either.

I have copper but don't like it.


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## wartfroggy

aquanator said:


> Not sure, but since I primarily use leadcore (10 color) and dipseys (large), I'm guessing leadcore makes sense to run off the planer board.


Good idea



aquanator said:


> On the other hand, dipsey set to run to the side off a planer board get even further from the boat. So I'd like to buy a board that can handle either.


 Probably not a great idea. Just run the dipsey off the side of the boat, and let the dipsey take it away from the boat on its own. You really don't want to mess with putting a board on a dispey.



aquanator said:


> I have copper but don't like it.


 Keep with it. It catches alot of fish, and with putting it on a board, you will probably find it easier to fish and keep out of other lines. Once you get the hang of running boards, you will find that you will probably start adding more leadcore and copper to the mix.


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## aquanator

Thanks for the input!


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## Duraflame

I made my own planer board mast and boards all for less than $75. They work great and I caught most of my fish off of them. I can run three full cores on each side and they pull them effortlessly. Thats tricky though and strong cross currents or tight turns can cause tangles, which suck with lead line. Therefore i usually run a full core closest to the boat then a 7 or 5 in the middle and usually a clean lure on the outside. Never once had a tangle with a fish on. I am considering getting some inline planers to use when the weather is bad and I have the canopy up, as it gets in the way of the planer board line. 


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## 1mainiac

I have ran just about every in line out there and they all have there places. For most setups I use the Off Shore boards on lighter gear like my Steelhead program these are set to release from the front but not the rear so when a fish hits it flips the board back and you reel it in to remove the board. this helps on Steelhead as the fish can't charge the board and get off. On my longer setups I run the Z Boards set not to release they like the Big birds pull up to a 300 copper pretty good. My 450 coppers go on Church TX 44's as do some of my weirder setups like bottom bouncing 1 lb balls behind boards and my bigger torpedo weights. To run the big boards and mast system you really need all your setups to be about the same. I am considering going to big boards and a mast and dropping the TX 44's as it would make dealing with the 300 and 450 copper much less hassle and I could still run the in lines outside of them.


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## KBUCK

*The Church Walleye board is going to be your all around best bet. Just about every charter boat I know uses this board. They track very well and can pull everything from a clean spoon on mono up to a 300' copper with a flasher/fly combo. If we are running longer copper we switch to the size 44 boards. Both of these boards can be set so they release and slide down your line but 99% of the time we wrap them or use the Lock-Jaw release so they will not release when fighting a fish. As far as where to connect the board, if you are running copper and leadcore, you let out all your line until you get to the backer and then pin the board on the backer. If you are running straight mono all you need to do is let out your desired length of line then clip on the board. Our boat is docked at Bluffton Bay Marina in Muskegon so feel free to swing by anytime in the summer and I'd be happy to go over the different boards and how we rig them. Hope this helps you a little.*

*PS- Dont give up on that copper, it catches a ton of fish. I also have a few tricks I can show you that may really help out with that also.*

*Tight Lines,*
*Kyle*


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## Davelobi

another vote for the big boards run off a planer board mast.

I really like fighting just the fish after the release pops and also don't need to remove a inline board while fish is still out there. Way easier, for me at least to be able to let a kid handle the rod all the way until I net the fish. I'm plenty busy steering and maybe clearing other lines so my rookies can get the most out of their fight.

I know the big boards are way out numbered but some of us still like em.


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## aprils fool

As others have already said the church boards are great we have run everything up to a 300' copper with a large paddle and meat rig on the church "walleye" boards with no problems. That being said I did pick up a set of the YECK boards last year, they ran great also. They are already setup to trip with an otter style plunger release built in and are reversible from side to side and are a little cheaper than the price of the church "walleye" boards. And if you want to set them up to trip you'll spend another $4-$5 each board to change them over.

There are alot of great people on this site if you can make some ties with someone and get a chance to go out with them and see how and why they run there setups it will help you to decide what setups will be the best for what you want to do without spending the $$$ to buy something that may not work as well.

Good Fishing 

Troy


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