Modifying the Opti planer boards ...
The idea in large planer board operation is that the board has 2 attachment points that the fishing line connects to - a front attachment point where the line from the rod connects / and a rear attachment point where the line continues back to the bait being trolled thru the water ...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/M5...Wue8yPd0HvCbNA
This allows the planer board to "plane" away from the boat ... while dragging the bait behind (and directly in line with) the planer board ...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/y1...b-NN_kRSLlI9RQ
When a fish is detected, the operation is to "pop" the line from the front attachment point of the planer board with a swift jerk of the rod tip ... The planer board (now losing its "planing bite" in the water) will now turn backwards (being only attached now by the rear attachment point) and can then be allowed to float directly behind the boat where it could be retrieved without tangling into the other planer boards still in fishing formation ...
Once the planer board is directly behind the boat (with the fish hopefully still behind the board) - the board is reeled in and removed from the line completely - whereupon the trailing fish can now also be retrieved ... (Remember the boat never stops ... so the fish is being dragged behind the planer board during this whole process until the board is removed during retrieve) ...
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We found some challenges in the Opti board trial run last week ...
http://www.crappie.com/crappie/main-...shing-uh-yeah/
Challenge #1 was the type of front clip release supplied with the Opti board ...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rP...ayrlloVarmPUzA
This type release was very difficult to get the line to "pop" out of the release so the board would reverse (in order to "guide" the board behind the other planer boards in fishing formation and then be retrieved to the boat) ...
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Challenge 2 was the type of rear clip release supplied with the Opti ...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/df...EOiZ_tc2HU-PSQ
If the line popped out of the rear release (as well as the front release) the board was no longer attached and would float away ... and have to be picked up on a subsequent trolling pass = inefficient ...
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So Doug PM'ed one of our prominent board guys here at crappie.com (I'll let Doug comment on that) and was recommended to try the Offshore clip releases ...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PL...qSPxD0BEwQ8txw
To replace the front release on the planer board = the black OR14 clip release is used (and conveniently even had holes that allowed easily attaching the OR14 to the front arm of the Opti planer board with a pop rivet) ...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Aw...ago51pMMEjb_iQ
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/af...qis0_FaO38NyEg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k...PpNaX5sTRQsWzA
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/lp...zcDQPMr35wYkzw
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/qa...OercjX8E_KENoQ
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/t5...7xstc-uoBppG_A
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To replace the rear release on the planer board = the red OR16 clip release is used. The OR16 has a "pin" in the clamp jaws so that the line can be situated in the clip jaws behind this "pin" to keep the board attached to the line during retrieve (thus eliminating the board floating away unattached) ...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/WY...AtiIOGcfQch99Q
These Offshore release clips should make the Opti board operation extremely more efficient during attaching and unattaching the boards to the fishing line ...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/oi...q9N6w71p9MDlPQ
Now to finish up and wait for Doug to get 'em wet ...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/F1...EnX6sFLe2N87vQ
Rickie