Planer Boards vs. Inline planers

[danno]

I fish out of a 16' fiberglass open bow primarily in the smaller lakes, but spend more time in the big lake from mid/late august on. I want to give browns a shot now and am trying to decide between traditional boards with a mast or inline boards.

Anybody happy using inlines for browns. If I went traditional, anybody have any suggestions for mounting a mast in the open bow of a fiberglass boat?

[Hookedup]

Danno, I have both and I use the small boards more than the big boards, they both have good and bad points but in a small boat I would stick with the small boards.

[lil' troller]

I fish out of a 14' fiberglass (hence lil' troller), and I use regular double planer boards. I have not used in-line planers much, but when I did I wasn't impressed. The guys I went out with that day were new to trolling, and had 3 line breaks at the release for the in-line boards. I'm sure that this was because they were probably cheap boards, or they were set up wrong. So if you go that route do your home work first. Another thing i didn't like is having to fight the board and the fish. So in my opinion, if you can mount a mast and have room to store the boards, i would say go with the double planers. After the boards are out it's fast set up time and reliable releases.

[bottom-feeder]

i have run the inline boards last 4 yrs.... both in my 16 ft and 26 ft boats... alot of times i am fishing alone or with my daughter and was told 3 yrs ago that the inlines catch just as many fish without the expense of the mast and big boards.... i use both the church walleye boards and the off-shore boards.... i prefer the off-shore,, they seem to track better even in rougher water... once you get used to setting them you will not have to fight the board and the fish as the front release will pop and allow the board to fall back to the fish so your not fighting that also ( i've only had 1 fish bumped off in 4 yrs due to the boards)

i have caught walleye/browns/lakers/salmon/northerns...all this spring alone and all on inlines

todd

[stan]

Being an old guy from California and just getting into everything back east. I used the church Walleye boards for one season and caught plenty of fish off them. I used a 30lb braid and 50' 10lb leader, never had one line brake. I always hooked the braid to the release.

But have now gone to a mast and 34" boards and catch twice the fish as I did with the in-line boards. Are lakes are vary small compared to yours out there . Now I have a number of friends that are getting into in-line and the mast set up with great success with both. On boats that are 12' to 22'

One thing I can say , I never picked up a brown on the in-line boards , but the mast set up I sure have bagged my share if not more.

Good luck on ripping some lips out there

[LongLine]

I believe a small boat is better off using boards than inlines, especially if fishing solo. Reason is simply the board can stay out in the water when you have a fish on. Inlines have to be unclipped and you have other things to worry about besides clearing the inline.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[J.D.]

I agree with LongLine... I also fish solo most of the time and like a clean line between me and the fish..