Getting ready to purchase some in line boards. Which ones do people prefer or seem to work the best Off Shore or Church Walleye boards? Any help will be appreciated.
Printable View
Getting ready to purchase some in line boards. Which ones do people prefer or seem to work the best Off Shore or Church Walleye boards? Any help will be appreciated.
I use off shore... be sure to buy the red clips that have a nipple in them to prevent slide offs.
Off Shores for this gal.
You'll find the best prices at Franks Great Outdoors (.com).
I set mine up with the "Snapper" (OR-18) release on the front arm. Best release if you plan to use braided line at all. They work the best in colder weather too....if you're like me, when your hands get cold and don't seem to be able to work as well, you'll still be able to work the Snapper pretty easily.
I use the red (0R-16) on the back.
If you plan to upgrade the flag to the Tattle Flag system, you don't need to buy the full package (15.99 to 24.99 depending on the retailer)...instead, buy the "Economy Kit" flag system for 9.99, because you just need the stuff to make it a Tattle Flag. You don't need the extra stuff that you already have with the board you buy.
Honestly your best bet would be trolling with big boards on Lake Erie. You cover so much more ground you can put out more pulls and it keeps everyone busy. Big boards are the way to go if you want to catch a lot of walleye.
LOL... What??Quote:
Originally Posted by Walleye master
You can still only fish with two lines per person, unless you're breaking the law. And, you don't cover any more ground than trollers who use the inline planer boards.
I agree with Captain Juls, Inline boards works best
Thanks, but I didn't say, "they work best"..Quote:
Originally Posted by eyedrifter
The original poster asked a specific question about which inline planer board we like to use. This has nothing to do with big boards vs. little boards.
Big boards are great if you run a big 6 pack boat and have more than 4 people on board.
Each has their pros and cons in different situations. But, they BOTH belong on Lake Erie. That's all I was saying. :)
I agree there is a place for both big boards and small boards. Just depends on the size of the boat and how many anglers are gonna be on board.
On another site hmmm,OGF, look up hetfields flag modification, easy make your own tattle flag use the flag that comes with the planer board! a couple nylon washers, 12 inch piece of stainless wire, a spring or rubber bands,a couple beads, bingo, cost me 2.00 to make mine, very easy. Mike
100% correct Captain Juls!!!!!!!! Also running big boards with only 2 people is a Royal PIA. With that being said there is a time and place for big boards but with 3 or less fishermen they are not needed unless you just want to use them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Capt Juls
On most days the fish only bite going in one direction, meaning that you cannot just make a 180 to go back thru the fish and continue to catch fish even though the fish are still there. That time is wasted time as far as I am concerned.
Pulling the big boards is a lot more work and time consuming vs. the small boards. When you leave out the small boards they are already fishing but with the big boards you have to wait to send the lures out before you attach the rod line to the board line after the board is out the desired distance and running at proper tension. You also have the storage and the release problems to over come with the big boards. Break the tow line just once on the big boards with 25 or 30 releases stacked against the big board as the day progresses and you will lose several dollars worth of releases. Depth control is as accurate as your line counter reels with the small boards but will vary considerably with the big boards as the distance between the attachment point at the tow line and where the line enters the water = lure depth lost. If you compensate for that depth loss, then when you allow the inside lines to slide down the towline you could be fishing under the fish which is a no-no. These are just a few of the things that you should consider about big boards.
It is only my preference and in no way do I want to bash the Offshore Products as they are very fine boards and they are involved with catching a large amount of fish. I personally favor the Church boards in the TX-22 model as they will float in the upright position when at rest. They also pull more weight than the OffShore Boards. There is very little differences between the Church Walleye Board and the TX-22 boards. The TX-22 boards can be switched from Port to Starboard with only a screw driver if the need arises, they float upright when not being pulled and are easier to spot if you happen to drop one in the lake or if you would attach them wrong and have them come loose while trolling. They are good to go straight out of the package with no upgrades to buy so long as you tighten the front release tight enough so the line does not slip thru the clamping mechanism and that would include braided line also this would also include the Walleye boards as well. When you need to replace the front release you have 2 upgrades that you can chose from, the Church Tackle Super Clip at a cost of 2 for about $15.00 and the Lockjaw Clip which runs at $13.00 a piece at Camp Chino on line or on EBay. The back clip is not a clip at all but a spring loaded pin that the line goes behind and the pin then is released to enter into the board making one of the most fool proof set ups on the water, it can also be replaced/upgraded to a stainless pin that is more tuff than the poly pins that are supplied with the boards. You should get several years of service out of the boards before release replacement so long as you keep the clamping mechanism tight enough to prevent the line from slipping thru the clamp which will render the original release useless unless you wrap your line around the release clamp.
I like to run a big board out one side with 6 lines on it, then run 4 Off Shore in-line boards out the other, this makes it easier to pull them in and solves Wakina's "turning" problem if you just turn to the side of the in-lines, then I run a single rod off each side with a dipsy diver set on a 3 setting, and 2 straight out the back on a "0." Of course if you are Capt. Juls then you could run tadpoles out the back, they work just as well.
I think I covered it all. lol... I might actually try that setup sometime and take a video! Of course I will make sure for the video that I have 7 people on board because I would never have more than 2 lines per person, that would just be wrong!
-Matt
I keep this page link on a flash drive after searching for it a year or 2 ago so it did not take long to get it and post here. Hope this helps and it works with both Off Shore and Church Boards.Quote:
Originally Posted by fishin2
http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/commu...lag#post988017
Thanks everyone for your opinions. The help is appreciated. Thanks Jul's for the info on Franks they have great prices.
Can you please explain this comment to me? I have thought about this all year and cannot figure it out. I will roll through an area and hammer the fish, turn around 180 and go back through and not catch a single one. What gives? Great statement by the way because it's very, very true.
"On most days the fish only bite going in one direction, meaning that you cannot just make a 180 to go back thru the fish and continue to catch fish even though the fish are still there. That time is wasted time as far as I am concerned."
Usually current and lure speed will play a major factor in that situation you've described.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steuben1
If you turn and are going the same speed as you were in the other direction then more than likely the bait isn't presented in a fashion they want.
Less speed into current and more speed going with the current. Walleye tend to suspend with their noses into the current, so they can prey on bait fish as they pass by floating with the current.
There are two currents to keep track of while fishing the big lake....surface and bottom currents. There are charts online...I think through the Ohio Sea Grant website if I remember correctly where you can get the charts for the different currents with each wind direction...it's always changing. I printed them out a long time ago, and keep them on the boat for quick reference.
Make sense?
They have their backs turned !!:eek: Sorry, just had too, good fishin, MikeQuote:
Originally Posted by Steuben1
Yep makes perfect sense if you give it some thought. I guess I never thought about it from a current perspective. So if you are rolling along and you pick up a sinker or two, would it be wise to make a wide circle and pass over the top of the school going the same direction again?
Usually the direction of the bite is with the wind or a quartering following sea and doing a 180 and heading into the wind affects your ability to control the boat without some sort of autopilot which is another expensive factor to consider. If there are only 1 or 2 of you fishing that means leaving the helm to net fish leaving your direction of travel in jeopardy, it only take a few seconds to totally destroy your fishing day at least for several minutes with lines in the prop or tangled so bad that you have to cut and retie your offerings leaving your line counter reels almost useless without knowing how much line you have lost. I know as I have been there and done that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Steuben1
I find it easier to pull lines and go back to the starting point and follow the productive path and avoid the slower bite and all of the problems associated with going back on a 180 turn. I also find it easier to go back to the starting point and come back thru the active bite rather than try to figure out the proper boat speed vs subsurface current speed at the fishing depth which will affect lure action.
I use the small boards exclusively so pulling the inline boards and lines is much easier than pulling the lines and the big boards, there was a time that I used the big boards but then found the inlines more convenient than the big boards with the number of people being 4 or less that usually fish with me. Now it would be much easier to do the math if one has a Fish Hawk speed and temperature probe that reads the speeds at fishing depth and would indicate somewhat how the current is affecting the lure.
This is just my honest opinion!
Yep...what he said. That's why I have a Terrova with iPilot. It's like having someone steering the boat for me while I work. ;)
Hmm. I disagree with the thought that you only catch fish one direction. It just takes a different speed over ground (sog). On Any given day maintaining the same sog speed going with and against is a +/- 4 foot difference in depth of my gear a simple adjustment of speed can put your gear back in the strike zone. Most of the time I just watch the pull or bend of the rods before I turn and duplicate it going the other direction this usually gets me really close. Happy fishing.
Same here. IMO it's much easier to pull fish circling back with big boards. When I used to run small boards, I would pick up gear and run back up and reset quite often, especially if it was rolling. With big boards you just can't do that. The interesting thing is, that now I can usually figure out how to pull the fish going in any direction. But, I was taught by the best.Quote:
Originally Posted by skipper9
Greg
First I would like to say that whatever you are doing on the lake works much better than most and every bit as well as what any of the other top Charter Captains are doing. I don't believe there would be anyone that follows the posts on this site with any amount of regularity who would disagree with that statement. In other words you are one of the best.Quote:
Originally Posted by skipper9
I believe that although I did not specifically state that it takes a different speed over ground(SOG) which is commonly referred to as GPS speed when going from with the waves to into the waves (180 turn), that the inference to the (SOG) issue is there. Admittedly I was not very good at stating that in my first post on this thread.
I have never used a release while fishing with the big boards that would allow me to read or use the rods as an indication of speed, that does not mean they do not exist but only that I have never seen or used them. Most if not all of the tension that would normally be applied to the rod is being applied to the tow line and very little if any is transferred to the fishing rod. The releases that I have used in the past allow you to let the fishing line slide freely down the tow line for the big board. The slack is taken up by the force of gravity and not the pull of the lure. That is why most people who use rubber bands for attachment watch the rubber bands as an indicator there may be a small fish dragged along.
The smaller inline boards will allow you to read the rods to some extent, but when heading into the waves the most notable difference is caused by the force of the waves pushing against the boards which makes them pull harder, making it almost impossible to read lure speed and depth as the bend in the rod is created by a combination of surface speed and water resistance against the small board. Anyone who fishes with small boards should try this and see if I am correct or not. On calm days with 1 foot or less reading the rods works well and a 180 is a viable alternative to pulling the lines and going back to the starting point. On days like that I will sometimes troll in a 4 leaf clover pattern and catch fish and on others with similar conditions I end up going back to the starting point because the 4 leaf clover and the 180 turn did not work as well. Most often I just go back to the starting point simply because it works at a higher percentage of the time than any other method.
In retrospect I feel everyone should use the type and brand of boards that they want. The bottom line is that you will become better at catching fish with the use of your equipment and as your experience using the chosen method grows, whether that would be the big boards or any of the small inline boards.
I'll put in my 2 cents here. We went with the Church "The Walleye" boards for one reason, the pin. I can't tell you how many times we would've been pulling lines and turning around to get our boards if not for that simple little pin keeping it on the line. I've even been able to rig them onto the line just right so that both clips can be pulled when you get a fish on so that board won't fight you and so that you don't have to pull it while you're fighting the fish, it'll just slide down the line to the swivel and it can be removed once you've already landed the fish. Also, I'm not sure what system Offshore uses, but the tension adjustment on the Church boards is extremely simple to use on the fly if you need to switch weights.
We've been very happy with the Church boards. Just make sure you leave some slack with whichever you choose if you're using tattle flags. Also, make sure to keep the line tight whenever you remove the boards as that is where a lot of fish are lost when you're new to using them. Good luck and stay safe.
I'll throw in my experience, I will try a couple trolling angles once fish are caught to see if one direction is better or not. Not quite 1/3 of the time but close, I find trolling into the waves is a better bite or equally as good as trolling with or quartering the waves. I go more by feel/experience on speed when trolling into the waves. I never use the rod tips as a visual reference. I just don't find it accurate enough for me. I prefer Offshore boards using a Church super clip on the rear and an orange Offshore clip on the front. At any time I can snap the rod ( actually hitting the butt) and the front clip will release if it did not release on it's own. Rarely is a board ever lost and those times it is due to someone not installing it correctly. I can easily run 10 Offshore boards and 2 down rods off the side with heavy bouncers. As long as you have 2 other experienced crew members. With the front clip released, the board falls out of formation to the rear of the boat and you are not fighting the board at all. Also the releasing front clip releases when a fish takes the board under and you are able to keep tension on the fish and not fight the board. I prefer not to troll into the waves, but a lot of times you catch a lot more fish doing it.