What trolling setup do you use?

[wakina]

I'm new to the trolling myself and still learning what I need to get started.does anybody use any of the offshore planer boards? If so would would a tt40 work with this planer. I've heard guys say can't read the board much with these divers.any input?

Offshore boards work the same as the Church boards, they just attach to your line in different ways. They may or may not be able to pull as much weight as the Church Boards but there are experienced fishermen who swear they use them effectively with the TT-40's. I say if they stay afloat and move in a direction away from the boat and to the sides and not straight behind then they are doing the job as intended.

As far as reading boards there should be a difference in how they appear in the spread of boards be it 2 or 3 as even a small fish will make the board pull harder and that board will fall back some maybe no more than a foot or so. But that will indicated that you have something causing that board to pull harder and it is time to check it. The boards will form a some what straight line that V's away from the boat to the side and to the back with the boat being the bottom of the V and the boards will be in an almost straight line on the wings of that V. The more wt. that they are pulling will cause the top of the V to be narrower and less wt. will allow it to widen out. If one of the boards fall out of that V then check it.

If the TT-40 has tripped then the board should pull altogether different than when the TT-40 is still set. Reading the board comes with the experience of using them and you will pick that up rather fast. If you happen to be looking at the board when it gets hit you will definitely see it be jerked backwards in a back and forth motion, it is unmistakable. Just think big bobber and that is how they act.

The hard part is when you get a fish that swims along for the ride and keeps just enough tension on the board to make it ride normal in the spread, there will still be slight differences in how they are pulling.

If you are using just one board on a side then by using the same rod holder for the board rod on their respective sides of the boat will allow you to use a part of the boat to determine if that board is pulling harder or easier than normal, I use the back corners in relation to where the board is pulling while fishing on my boat and if that changes even a little then it is time to check that board.

Like I said before, experience will become the best tool for you to be able to read the boards with reasonable accuracy.