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I have just switched from scotty's to trees for trolling off big boards, so much nicer. My buddy is worried about loosing a rod. My first thought was leashes but it seems like a unnecessary hassle and a good way to loose fish messing with the leashes.
Anyone ever lost a rod while trolling with a rod tree?
I have lost rods while under way, while bank fishing.
Never mind...I edited my post because I somehow missed the part about using big boards...
My previous answer doesn’t work with big boards..:)
Yes.
I have seen it happen when some knucklehead comes across your path forcing you to make a hard turn and the tow line on the outside board [you said big boards] gets against the rods and pulls them out when straightening out your course
Same thing with us when we used to use big boards.When making too tight a turn the tow rope would hit the rods and nearly pulled them out of rod holder.Had to watch closely so we would not lose or break a rod.The captain did not have the tow line positioned properly and our boards were poor.We switched to inline boards and have been much more efficient.
Yes I have lost a rod trolling with big boards. The tether line hooked under eye of fishing pole and flipped it into the lake. Solved I have rod holder i put the nets in and put tether line on the outside of nets. Keeps them away from rods
I must have kielbasa fingers something awful! Glad you all where able to figure out what I meant.
I did have more than one occasion where boats swarmed me and I had to make all manner of sharp turns and the tow line got into the lower rod. Luckily it was flat calm and I could stand up and hold the tow line out with my hand. Nothing more frustrating than getting up at 4 am and finding your honey hole then have a dozen air heads swarm you in every direction at 10 am. No lie boats incoming from 2, 5, 7, and 11 oclock all at the same time.
Anyway I guess leashes are better than loosing rods... I can't get my mind's eye on the net thing. Maybe I should make harder pulling boards too.
I hate using inline boards
Juls,
I read your original post and that is exactly what I said to my buddy! "We'll only lose one if you fumble mitts it, there is no way on God's green earth a fish could pull that rod out sideways!"
The tow line is the Achilles heal, maybe I can figure out some sort of safety
I had the same issue with the tow line catching on the rods in the tree. I found that if i position my trees so the rods face the back of the boat,(I have a pair of bert's that you can rotate) I no longer have an issue even on sharp turns. Looks goofy, but it works.
If I'm by myself, or with the wife, I'd rather run the inline boards. I typically run the big boards when I have more than 2 people in the boat. Pre Covid-19, I got tired of chasing my offshore planer boards because certain buddy's can't remember how to put the line behind the pin in the back clips.