I have found the churches boards the easiest to use and you need no upgrades for erie fishing like the offshore brand boards. The TX-22 boards sit upright in the water at rest and are easier to see if they should happen to come off your line, they can be set up for either right or left and I use them to pull jet 40's with no problems. The learning curve for inline boards is short and within a day or two you will be fishing like an experienced board man. You are right they make a big difference in catch rate especially on calm flat days. If you have specific questions pm me and I will answer.