Trolling and Trolling Methods

Planer Boards
Planer boards are used to fish close to the surface, but away from the noise and disturbance of the boat. A planer board mast, planer boards and releases are all necessary. A typical mast has two lines and two spools, one for each side. The planer boards are hooked to the end of the line connected to the mast. As the board is let out on the water, it "planes" away from the boat. One board planes right, the other left. The boards often are equipped with a flag so they can be located while in use.

Once the boards are out, each line is set. A lure is sent off the boat and allowed to drift the desired distance it will be fished behind the planer board line. Once the desired distance is obtained, the bail is closed. A release is connected to the planer board line. One end of the release slides along the planer board line, and the other end has a rubber clip for grabbing the fishing line.. Once the line is the desired distance down the planer board line and away from the boat, the bail is again closed and the rod is put in an upright holder. While the rod is connected to the planer board line, the fishing line goes sideways to the planer board line release, then back behind the boat. When a fish strikes, the line releases and the line whips to a position straight back from the boat.

Divers
Divers are gaining in popularity on Lake Erie. They are somewhere between using planer boards, and using downriggers. The diver takes the lure down deep, but cannot reach the depths or the depth accuracy of a downrigger. Divers do, though, have the ability to get the lure down a considerable depth, and get the lure away from the boat. Divers often plane to one side, allowing multiple lines to be fished across the back and sides of the boat. They are also less expensive than downriggers.

Divers come in a variety of styles. The Dipsey Diver is the most popular. Other divers include the Fish Seeker and the Jons Diver. With most divers, a short piece of line is prepared with a snap swivel on each end. One end is connected to the diver, and the lure is attached to the other end. The length of this line will determine the distance the lure will run behind the diver. The end of the line from the reel is connected to the front of the diver. The diver usually has a release that must be closed so the unit dives down when set into the water. The rig is then sent over and allowed to dive down, back, and sometimes to the side. Some divers can be set to adjust the angle they will plane to the side of the boat, allowing divers to be set to plane right and left behind the boat. The depth they dive is determined by how far they are let out behind the boat. For this reason, a line counter helps to return the diver in the same general location.

When a fish strikes the lure, the release is opened and the diver planes toward the surface.

Some anglers use divers and planer boards. The lines are set out on divers, the sent out the planer board line to get them further apart. This allows fishing a multitude of lines both down and away from the boat.

Downriggers
Downriggers are used for accurately getting a lure to any depth. This requires a downrigger and a downrigger weight with an attached release. Downriggers come in both manual and electric models. The electric models wind the weight up and down automatically. The downrigger has a wire line on a spool, a swivel base, a mast which extends the wire over the water, and a heavy snap swivel on the end of the wire line. Manual models have a handle to crank the wire line up and down. A large downrigger weight is connected to the swivel on the end of the wire line. The weight has a release connected to it. The release has a rubber clip for grabbing the fishing line.

The fishing line and lure are sent over the boat and allowed to run out the distance you want the lure to travel behind the release. The bail is then closed. The downrigger mast and weight are swung toward the boat. The fishing line is then connected to the release on the weight. The bail on the fishing reel is opened, the weight is put over the water, and the steel downrigger line is let out. The weight, with the fishing line attached to the release, begins to drop nearly straight down. The downrigger has a depth counter so you can see how far it is going down. When the desired depth is obtained, the downrigger is stopped, and the bail on the fishing line is closed. The rod is put into the holder attached to the downrigger. The rod will be bent over hard, since the line is connected to the release which is nearly straight down below the boat. The line should be tight, but no so tight that it pulls the line out of the release.

When a fish strikes, it pulls the line out of the release. Since there is considerable tension on the rod when connected to the release, the downrigger "sets the hook" when it releases. The rod suddenly stands up when a fish is on.

Multiple lines can be stacked on a single downrigger line. To stack lines, one fishing line is connected to the release on the weight in the normal manner. Let the downrigger down the distance you want the two lines to be apart. Once this distance is reached, stop the downrigger and close the bail on the first reel. Attached the stacker, which consists of a wire line with a safety clip (put over the downrigger line) and a rubber release on each end. One release attaches to the steel downrigger line. The second release is attached to the second fishing line you wish fish off the downrigger. You must then open the bails on both reels, and send the rig down the remaining distance. Doing this single-handedly is nearly impossible.

Information above from FishUSA.com web site