Thread: planer boards for striper??

Originally Posted by gabowman

Does anyone have any detailed instructions (with diagram or pictures) explaining how to make your own planer boards?:o

I saw a link on making your own. I believe it was Tennessee's Fish & Wildlife Website, I'm looking for the link, if I find it I'll pass it on.

I didn't find the link but I googled "make your own planer boards" and found a few results that looked promising. You may want to give google a try.

The Tennessee Striped Bass Assoc website has instructions, also striperaddiction.com has how to make your own instructions. Really very simple and cheap, I think the most expensive part of mine are the Offshore brand adjustable tension release(line clip release) at about $5.00 each from Cabelas. possum1

Jack,I use live bait on the boards,either shad or trout(in wintertime)I use a fairly large barrel swivel bout 5 ft up from the hook to help keep from line twisting and to keep the board from sliding all the way down to the hook/fish when the line comes out of the release and from no weight at all up to 1/2 ounce.I only use in lake wateree with a # 6 eagle claw featherlight treble hook(have used #8 on small bait) and I use em on the roanoke river in the spring with a eagle claw 197bk circle 3/0 with the barb bent down (required up there single barbless hook).Up there I fish em while ancored down,I just let the current pull the boards out and away.I like to fish em right on the bank.The 2 photos of mine on this thread 1st one is at roanoke and the one saturday was caught pulling boards behind the boat.I have ben with guys using the yellow bird brand of planer board and they can hold up a lot of weight,I think we were using 1 1/2 or so with them,fishing deep.

Bearclaw, Yellowbird makes two sizes of boards, both foam, the smaller one is great for weightless shad, the larger one will easily hold 2 ozs for deeper fishing or trolling cranks I prefer the off shore brand,plastic, for deep water fishing and always use a1.5 oz rubber core sinker. If you want to troll bigger lures with the off shore just cut a piece of foam 3/4 in thick and the size of the board and glue it to the back for extra bouyancy.I like the Eagle claw LS141 wide bend Kahle hook. Always good to hear what others are using, never too old to learn. Good fishin`. possum1

What are some good crankbaits to pull behind those boards? Do any of you troll bucktails behind them?