How To Rig A Planer For Trolling
Trolling is a fishing method that has been around for centuries and one that is constantly being updated with the help of modern technology.
If you have been considering getting yourself some accessories to help make trolling a more successful experience, then you may have heard about planers. Planers are underestimated accessories for trolling, but what do they do and how do you rig one up?
Here I have written up a handy guide to planers, including how to rig them up to your lines so you can fill up your cooler with fish in no time.
What Is Trolling?
Trolling is a method of fishing where one or more fishing lines are drawn through the water either behind a moving boat or by slowly winding the line or sweeping it from side to side. It is a technique used to catch fish such as mackerel, kingfish, or salmon although it can be employed to catch a range of other fish as well.
It is practised by both commercial and recreational fishermen for rock fishing or big-game fishing. Trolling can even be used in freshwater, saltwater – pretty much anywhere you can stand with a fishing line. Because of this, it is a method that is used by many fishermen all around the world to catch all kinds of fish.
There are many devices that can be used to help make the trolling method easier to catch more fish. Such devices include an outrigger that can be used to spread the fishing lines more widely and reduce their chances of tangling up with one another, downriggers that are used to keep the lures and baits down at a certain desired depth, and – of course – planers.
What Is A Planer?
Planers and planer boards are devices designed to help with trolling. They come in two different designs: dual and inline.
Inline planer boards enable a bait to be driven deep down in the water by using water pressure. It attaches to your fishing line through the snap swivel on your rod and reel. The snap swivel is connected to the ring of the planer at a 45 degree angle and swims through the water, allowing the line and lure to trail behind your boat horizontally.
Once you get a bite on your line, the planer ‘trips’ and snaps into a flat, streamlined position so the bait or fish rise to the surface. This reduces any resistance and allows you to fight the fight instead of fighting the planer itself.
Dual planer boards are better for stretching your lines out perpendicularly from your boat’s sides instead of the stern. You can set up multiple lines with planer boards, each set a little further from your boat, and you are only limited by how much line you have. This allows you to cover a lot of water and catch more fish.
They are made from two boards that are spaced apart. The board floats on the water and makes it easier for you to have more control over where your lines are going.
Planers are used to not only spread fishing lures out of the way of the boat but also to help sink the line down deeper into the water column. This helps you catch more fish because instead of relying on fish to rise up out of the water’s depths to investigate your line, you are bringing the line down to where the fish are. This helps you catch fish that stay deep down in the water or are too spooked by the commotion to come and investigate.
How To Rig an Inline Planer For Trolling
To rig a planer for trolling, you will need to get the snap swivel of your fishing rod. On your planer, you will notice a sliding ring. Attach the snap swivel to the ring of the planer so it can dangle on its own.
Then, get the snap swivel that is attached to the line that will have the lure and bait, and attach it to the back of the planer.
And that’s it – your planer is now attached to your rod and the rest of the line.
Before putting the planer in the water, make sure that you decrease the speed of your boat to a crawling speed. This speed typically goes up to 9 knots, and there are planers available that are better designed for higher speeds.
Once your boat is crawling in the water, you can lower the planer and line into the water. Make sure that your feet are clear of any cords, and once the planer and line are comfortably tracked into position in the water, you can resume trolling speed.
While you are trolling, your rod should have a steady bend and when a fish bites the line, the bend in your line will go away. It is opposite to normal fishing and what you may be used to but you will quickly adjust.
Once your rod is straight, you can start reeling in the fish as normal. Before you know it, your cooler will be overfilled with fish thanks to this handy little device!
How To Rig A Dual Planer Board For Trolling
To rig a dual planer board that will help you widen the area you want to fish in, you will need to first cast out your line with your bait or lure.
Then you grab the snap swivel on the end of the planer board and bring your line right through. Snap it shut when the line is through the loop.
Once you are at the range that you want, you should grab the line just up from the snap swivel and put it into the release. The further you go back into the release, the tighter it is going to be and it will be harder for a fish to pull off.
However, sometimes it works in your favor not to have the line too tight as this may put more resistance against the fish and you have to work harder because you are fighting both the fish and the planer board.
Conclusion
And that’s how to rig up planers! Both dual and inline planers have their own advantages and disadvantages, so why not try both of them and figure out which one leaves you with the best score at the end of the day?
