I will run 4 to 6 of them this year as follows:
1) I set all side planers first and if the fish are biting, the stern planers never see the water they are last to be set as they create some extra work with quantity.
2) I like braid with a fluorocarbon leader for this set up as it is much more sensitive and makes reading the rods easier with these planers. I've found that squeezing the clip once in place helps to keep it where you set it i have also wrapped the line on the clip at higher speeds basically clipping twice. it will work with mono also just a little harder to read.
2) They work just like a side planer, let out your lead however you feel is needed then clip on the planer. I will not run more than a 50' lead on these without a 2 oz weight as it makes turning very difficult. These do not handle turns like a side planer your turn has to be much wider, one of the downfalls of these planers. I will even reel them up close to the boat if i have to turn too sharp to avoid traffic.
3) I run two rods at the back corner of the boat straight out the side like a flat line then stand two rods straight up at each corner. this keeps the planers about 8' apart left to right. I stagger the distance away from the boat on far one closer one far one closer creating even more separation. They have to be far enough back that your farthest out side planer will clear underneath with a fish on.
4) I have a rod holder set up in the center of the stern of the boat so if i need to clear a corner for netting i move the straight up to center and the flat line to straight up to open up the corner for netting. after netting move the rods back, very simple.
a few things to remember these will intercept fish your boat pushes down that are rising back up. Don't set these lines too deep the fish we mark are often deeper than we are actually catching them. Think how many times we catch fish on our shallow far lines. With the extra lines use them to cover more of the water column to help determine where the fish are biting depth wise. Don't be afraid to set shallow lines. These are also a great option for drop off or contour fishing as you can follow the drop off with your fish finder and drag your baits directly behind the boat but creating some distance away from the boat. it allows better control or exact bait placement for drop off fishing. this works great on shipping channel drop offs and edges of shoals and reefs. It can be done with side planers but we are kind of guessing we are on the drop off rather than actually following it. I have drug 4 of these in a row covering about 6' wide path of water and caught a lot of fish on drop offs in the spring. If you would like to schedule a trip to learn how to run these successfully give me a call and we will get you out on the water with hands on training.