My .02, don't worry about crappie-sizing or changing much -
just pretend you are fishing for 'eyes, and do it where there are crappie,
it'll work. I like the yellow Offshore w/ tattle-flags and crankbaits.
I've been hearing of some guys using planer boards to fish for crappie. Anybody know how? Who's using them? How are they being used (for crappie) Who makes crappie sized boards. I'm familiar with using them for walleyes and stripers but curious about crappie. Thanks for your input.
PLG
My .02, don't worry about crappie-sizing or changing much -
just pretend you are fishing for 'eyes, and do it where there are crappie,
it'll work. I like the yellow Offshore w/ tattle-flags and crankbaits.
Shoals Area Crappie Association
My first time trolling with boards this year and I got the Church TX-6's and they are too small if any wind is blowing. IMHO. I also have a hard time telling when I have a bite and can't put flags on the TX-6's. Listen to Jeff, he does a lot of Bandit trolling for crappie.
http://www.crappie.com/jeff/
Proud Member of Team Geezer
Southern Sickle Jigs Pro Staff
I fish on the Finger lakes of NY, and also Lake Ontario. Planer boards are used here extensively in the spring and fall when the trout and salmon are on the surface. Up here big boards and planer masts are more popular than the inline boards such as Church's and Offshore's. With a mast and big boards, you can get the board out up to 100 feet, then you send your fishing line out on a release clip via the planer board line. You can probably run as many as 6 lines off each side, and you don't have the board on the line to deal with once you hook a fish. I think a mast and boards would be dynamite for crappie down south where you have the larger reserviors. I run a mast and boards on my Wellcraft when salmon and trout fishing, but don't have a setup for it on my crappie boat. The waters I crappie fish just aren't practical for trolling a wide setup.
you might try somthing called RIVER RAT DIRECTIONAL FLOAT. i use them now and then for slow speed trolling they are only about 4 inch. long with several attachment points to adjust how much pull to the side you want. wont work in chopy water but small enough to see crappie pullin on your line.