downriggers or planers for sml

[bp]

I have a pontoon boat and beginner equipment. I want to get my wife and I onto the big fish at SML. For the most bang for our buck should we get downriggers or planer boards to troll with live bait

[CorneliaGale]

I would say planers for the lake, some people use downriggers, but with the standing timber in the lake makes them interesting to use. Take some time and look back at older posts on the forum and you will see most of the people on here use planers and most of the guides do too.

[bp]

Thank you. Who makes good a quality planer board?

[mwardncsu]

Dec 29, 2014 11:44:28 GMT -5 bp said:

Thank you. Who makes good a quality planer board?

A lot us use the Outcast boards made by a former SML guide. Rock Creek boards by TommyFishes on here are so very nice boards. Got to see a set recently.

Others out there too - Redneck and Trophy Stalker - the Trophy Stalker is interesting in you can adjust the arm by turning it to make it a right side or left side board.

Just don't get those YellowBird or Offshore tackle plastic boards

[mwardncsu]

However - your question is really one of live bait vs artifical. Downriggers for artificial - planers for live bait. You have to decide if you are willing to commit to bait. Go back a little over a year and read ALL the posts from StripedYam - then decide if you are willing to commit to live bait

[bp]

We are going with live bait, hoping to produce some nice fish.

[Deleted]

Live bait fishing changes you. Mostly for the good. Or least that is how I perceive it.

[Gator]

Well conventional Striper wisdom says we planer board with live bait and use dowriggers for dragging artificial bait. I am no expert fisherman by any means but I do think outside the box once in a while and catch an occasional fish. Try sending one of those mongos down to Davey Jones locker on a downrigger and a slow troll through where you are marking fish on your sonar. Use a big bait and you will eliminate the smaller strikes while targeting the bigger fish. I have found that you have to be quick on the rigger with gizzards or they tend to get tangled. One trick is to loop the leader on the tail of the shad and lower the rig. Another bit of advice is to learn your downriggers on dry land and not on the water. Trust me, you will save yourself a bunch of problems. My .02 cents

[hotdog]

Try sending one of those mongos down to Davey Jones locker on a downrigger and a slow troll through where you are marking fish on your sonar.

I've done this on Raystown Lake before. Instead of weighted line to get to the fish, I kinda free line them and run it to the depth I mark the fish with the downrigger. I feel the bait can move a little more freely with out the downline weight. I guess it's the same thing as a downline but the weight is bigger and way out in front of the bait. It works.

[striperjohn]

Hmmmm Bait or artificial, planers or downriggers?
The true impact.
Now look very closely at past reports on this board. Before Yam started live bait fishing I'm not sure he posted much at all on here. He was kind of behind the scenes and didn't make much noise. He was kind of on introvert, reserved and very solitary behavior.
Then he switched to live bait. Since then it's been difficult to read this forum without a Yam comment, Yam movie or Yam picture.
Conclusion, live bait fishing makes you a little bit crazy and definitely brings out the extrovert in you i.e. outgoing, talkative, energetic behavior.
Since I personally think the board is better with Yam's type on here, then live bait and planers it is my friends.
Cheers,
John

[bp]

We are looking to purchase our first casting net and planer boards very soon. Going to look at what Basspro has this weekend.

[striperjohn]

A bit of advice, go with an 8 ft net to start. I spent years with smaller one and found it was much easier to throw the 8 and then a 10.
Wrt planer boards Bps will sell only the plastic ones that are simply not that great. Great tips on here for boards to get.

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using proboards

[archenemy]

Bp my experience with cheap nets is that they dont throw or open as well as a cracker and other more expensive nets. I think it is largely due to the construction and quality of the mono.

My betts net never opened real well and got puffy/brittle after 6 months. Bought a cracker and saw immediate improvement on the throw and after 5 years it is still soft.

Its a tough call to spend more on a net if you are just starting out. The bottom line is that it has to catch bait. If it struggles to open then you will probably be throwing more times to fill your tank.


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[bp]

Thank you for the input I will check them out