06-30-2011, 01:07 PM
What Greg is refering to is a type of planer board, designed for use in fresh water. Using a planer board is not an exact science, and different variables effect how deep your lure actually goes. Those variables include the pound test and type of line you use (water drag), how much line you let out (the more line you let out, the deeper it will go), how fast the boat it going, and of course the size of the planer you are using. (the bigger the planer, the deeper it will drag the lure.
I know to achieve 40' depth with a standard planer, you're talking a #3 planer on average, and it puts tremendous strain on your gear when used inline. Something on the market you should look up is what's called "the poor mans downrigger." It's a planer board system that allows you to use larger planer boards to achieve maximum depth, but it ties off to a cleat on the transom. Your fighting rod attaches to the planer rig with rubber bands. It's actually pretty nifty. I have a couple, but never use them. We use downriggers. They are handy if you are forced to rent a boat or something, or go on a buddy's boat and he doesn't have a downrigger.
The reality is, because there are so many variables, it's going to be very difficult to achieve that perfect depth with out the use of a down rigger. That's just how it is. I do know bass pro has a clamp on down rigger that is actually very reasonably priced, and would be perfect for trolling for lake trout and things of that nature. I pasted a link below:
[url "http://www.basspro.com/Cannon®-MiniTroll™-Downrigger/product/268/-281490"]http://www.basspro.com/Cannon®-MiniTroll™-Downrigger/product/268/-281490[/url]
Rigging a spoon is easy. I use a high quality ball bearing swivel, as spoons tend to spin and make a mess of the main line. The ball bearing swivel will allow the spoon freedom of movement, while keep the line twist down to a minimum. From the swivel, run a long stretch of fluorocarbon leader. I like a piece 10' or so, if i'm fishing clear water for species with particularly good eyesight. Then, tie the spoon directly to the leader. You're done. Match the leader pound test with your main line pound test. You could even go a little lighter if you wanted, especially if the fish are not feeding aggressively. Anytime the fish seem to not feed as aggressively, down size your gear, including the lure. Not so much the main line, because they'll never see that, but if you're using 30 lb fluoro and a 4" spoon, and not getting anything, drop to 15 or 20 lb fluoro and a 3" spoon. That's just an example, mind you, I don't know anything about specifically targeting lake trout. But, trolling spoons, I know a lot about. [cool]
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I know to achieve 40' depth with a standard planer, you're talking a #3 planer on average, and it puts tremendous strain on your gear when used inline. Something on the market you should look up is what's called "the poor mans downrigger." It's a planer board system that allows you to use larger planer boards to achieve maximum depth, but it ties off to a cleat on the transom. Your fighting rod attaches to the planer rig with rubber bands. It's actually pretty nifty. I have a couple, but never use them. We use downriggers. They are handy if you are forced to rent a boat or something, or go on a buddy's boat and he doesn't have a downrigger.
The reality is, because there are so many variables, it's going to be very difficult to achieve that perfect depth with out the use of a down rigger. That's just how it is. I do know bass pro has a clamp on down rigger that is actually very reasonably priced, and would be perfect for trolling for lake trout and things of that nature. I pasted a link below:
[url "http://www.basspro.com/Cannon®-MiniTroll™-Downrigger/product/268/-281490"]http://www.basspro.com/Cannon®-MiniTroll™-Downrigger/product/268/-281490[/url]
Rigging a spoon is easy. I use a high quality ball bearing swivel, as spoons tend to spin and make a mess of the main line. The ball bearing swivel will allow the spoon freedom of movement, while keep the line twist down to a minimum. From the swivel, run a long stretch of fluorocarbon leader. I like a piece 10' or so, if i'm fishing clear water for species with particularly good eyesight. Then, tie the spoon directly to the leader. You're done. Match the leader pound test with your main line pound test. You could even go a little lighter if you wanted, especially if the fish are not feeding aggressively. Anytime the fish seem to not feed as aggressively, down size your gear, including the lure. Not so much the main line, because they'll never see that, but if you're using 30 lb fluoro and a 4" spoon, and not getting anything, drop to 15 or 20 lb fluoro and a 3" spoon. That's just an example, mind you, I don't know anything about specifically targeting lake trout. But, trolling spoons, I know a lot about. [cool]
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