Fishing For Walleyes using Planer Boards:What Walleye Baits Should You Use?

By Mark Fleagle

Planer boards work great for suspended walleye or when the
walleye are schooled very close to shore. The key to using
planer boards is to get your bait as far away from the boat
as possible. Do not get the idea that to be a successful
walleye fisherman that you need to fish with planner
boards, that is not the case you can be very successful
without them. The thing is planner boards for walleye add a
new dimension to your walleye fishing arsenal.

One of the key elements of running planner boards that you
need to be aware of at all times is the stability of your
boards. A planer board should be able to plane smoothly in
rough spots, and should be able to perform well at the
slower speeds that are often used while trolling for
walleye. One of the most common and most successful walleye
baits used while fishing with planer boards is what is
commonly called "crankbaits". Try going slow with these. By
now you have figured out that you need to have your planer
boards fine tuned for slower speeds when you are fishing
for walleye because the majority of your time will be spent
trolling for walleye at slower speeds. It is very important
to do proper maintenance on the blades of your boards
because the will need to function properly at very slow
walleye trolling speeds.

It is very important to assume that you will need to
experiment and very your depths until you find the
walleye's location. Keep close attention to your
depthfinder and fish finder to identify where to set your
depths. Experimentation is very important to find your
walleye catching sweet spot.

Using snap weights are an absolute must here. They make it
easy to tie weight just one time, and they're crucial to
your success. When it comes time to change weights, because
of snap weights it becomes only a matter of pressing a
release.

One of the most common questions about using planerboards
for walleye is "how far back should your walleye bait and
your weight be from the planer board? This is an excellent
question but there is no definite answer because it will
depend on how active the walleye are on any given day.
Sometimes the walleye are very aggressive fish. It is very
important to move your walleye bait in closer to the
boards, as close as 15 feet. When the walleye are in there
quirky moods which happens from time to time, it is very
important to set your weights farther away from your baits
than usual. When you first get out on the water and start
marking fish, set your baits at 40 feet. This setting will
give you a good starting point if adjustments need to be
made. This will make adjustments easy, and you'll be
starting at a good mid-point.

Here's a question many walleye fisherman ask with
regularity "what would I need to get started fishing with
planer boards?"?" A basic planer board setup will consist
of several boards, rod holders, snap weights and a couple
of rods each about 7ft armed with 10 to 12 pound test

About the Author:

Mark is a dedicated fisherman who has published 100's of
fishing articles. Check out his website to get some amazing
fishing information and fishing articles loaded with
fishing tips about fishing with planer boards that really
work! Also don't forget to copy "Our Make It Yourself
Planer Board Design Plans" At:
http://www.oldfishinghole.com/planer-board-design.html Get
Your Free Fishing Tips About walleye fishing tips Here!
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