TOPIC:

I know a few are using the big board set up, Brother Nature is one, I think reelfun converted last year. I am now set up got everything mounted last weekend. I have a pair of rivera big boards, that I will be running off my big jon planer mast.

What do I need to watch for? With this set up being new, what mistakes do I need to stay away from?

I wieghted my rivera boards with a 8 oz keel wieght, not sure if it is needed but is set up like a walleye board so it can come off if it has to. Just looking for some information on not what to do. Since we fish lake Erie also I thought this wood be a better set up and I can go to lighter rods then I normally would run pulling a inline board.

I've been running a mast wih the big boards since the early 90's and thats the only way I troll for spring salmon on the lake. I make my own homemade releases and its nice to have at least 50 of them so you dont have to pull your boards in the get some back to reset your lines. Simple bass rods will work but its nice to have a bigger reel that will hold alot of line. I could go on and on about the benefits over pulling walleye boards which are a pain in the ass in rough water or when you fight a fish along with the walleye board. But the best thing to do is when you set your crank back say like 70' back you half hitch a light rubber band around your line and then barely in the release. When you get a fish you will either hear the rubber band snap and then watch the line go back behind the boat or if your rubber band is to tight in the release you will see the rubber band bouncing around and the main line going to your board being pulled back. Using the rubber around you line will also prevent your line from getting damaged when attaching to the release. This is the only way I will troll cranks shallow when running multiple rods. Also its important to keep your rods in order so you don't get all tangled up when you get a release.


















Poorboy

I did convert last year, all homemade stuff and it did quite well. All of poorboys comments are spot on, made my own releases as well. So much more enjoyable pulling a coho in on a straight line without a damn walleye board attached to it.

Thanks fellas, are there any problems with running like this. Boards digging in to hard etc.? Big boards flipping over? Heard a few problems out there and just want to make sure I have it all covered. Charlie the rubber band set up is a go for me that is all I fish. Been using number 16 bands since the late 70's for downriggers. Don't see any reason to change.
When we are fishing lake erie we dropped to a number 12 rubberband. With hardly any kings around, I will be fishing very light equipment this year.

On these boards which have been beat to hell over the years they have individual cells inside that you can fill up with water to adjust the weight of the boards depending on how rough of seas you are fishing those cells are located where the red plastic screws are oh and the duct tape.. but hey it works. One could make about a 100 of those releases for less than $15 and I usually have different size rubber bands that I use depending on how rough the water is as well.

If the kids wanna go Coho fishing again this year we'll go otherwise I got more than my share of Coho's already so I'll be pretty much just chasing the Perch once the lake clears up. I always get a good laugh when the guys ask me how I did on the Cohos and I tell them notta one and they'll say hell we limited out in 2hrs. Then I'll comeback and say yeah the Coho bite was pretty tough for me but I do have 60 Perch in the livewell.....

Poorboy

I've been using the large planer boards since I was a kid growing up in MN. The only problem I have had with them is when it's rough out and the line gets alot of slack and then snaps back to taught again. Has anyone been able to remedy this problem? The only solution I can come up with is an inline spring or bungee cord near the mast, what do you think?

I did put springs on my mast. I'm no expert however. Brother nature gave some good advice on some of this last year, not sure if the search function would find that or not.

Flipping boards: #1 when it gets rough enough to flip a board it's probably a sign from the fish god it's time to go home.

#2 I had lead on my home made boards and for some reason too long ago to remember I added lead to my Riviera boards when I switched to them. Then a few years ago the lead fell off one of the Rivieras and I didn't replace it. They both seem to run the same with our without, Neither is prone to flipping. I can't remember the last time I had one flip, probably 3 or 4 years ago. Maybe I'm due. If one would happen to flip, stop the boat. It's not going to get any better if you keep moving. Stop and straighten things out one at a time. Voice of experience.

Slack as F n L mentioned -- I don't much have that problem however since I don't use the "traditional" sort of mast and I use nylon "chalk-line" cord for a tether line, I have some flex in my masts and stretch in the tether line. I'm sure a "stiff mast and dacron tether line is different.

Homemade clips: I use clips that look very much like PoorBoys except I use rubber hose instead of plastic hose to cover the teeth of the clips and pinch the line. I tried plastic once and didn't like it for some reason but that was so long ago, I don't remember why.

I don't use rubber bands when trolling cranks or even dodger/flies near the surface. I am using monofilament line. In early season I just pinch the line very close to the tip of the clip. Most 'hos will pop it free easily or when you get a bite, give the rod tip a snap and it will pop free. If you are using braid go with the band. I do use bands when running 'core and copper lines off the big boards and my backing is braid.

With a single mast up front the thing you'll need to watch most is turning. The tether line will swing in and push on the rods in their holders at the stern or along the gunwale. There's a chance the line will catch on a rod guides or reel and when you straighten out it will flip the rod out of the holder into the drink. Watch it the first few times to see what sort of threat that is. It's one of the reasons I went to my "outrigger" type system for lack of a better word. One think you can do is put "lifejackets" on your rods. Buy some foam pipe insulation, cut it to about 12 inches and slip it on between the rod handle and first guide. A rod in the water will float and can be retrieved.
They've saved me four or five times over the years.

When trolling lures near the surface and since you will be rotating the lures from inside to outside as outside lures catch fish, it's important to keep the length of line between the clip and lure roughly the same. One of them being 50 feet the next one being 60 won't matter, but if you have one 40 and the next 100 something is going to FUBAR. It was always a problem when fishing with friends and they'd help set the lines. I'd say let out 50 feet and then turn my back on them. Well, 50 feet to one guy translates to about 50 yards, to the next about 26 feet and then FUBAR! I solved that by switching to Hi-Vis mono as my main line (20#) - Stren Golden - Trilene Solar Green - Ande Anti-Freeze - Cajun Red - I have some Suffix Hunter Orange I'll be using this year. Anyway spool up with the bright colored line and then add a measured amount of clear mono or fluorocarbon leader. Early in the year I use either 12# clear mono or 15# F-carbon. I roughly measure 10 "wingspans" (Hold the spool in one hand and peel off line the length of your outstretched hands). Each wingspan is 5 to 6 feet so I have a 50 something foot clear leader. Now, when I have a fishing partner helping I tell them let out the line until you get to the colored line. Works perfectly every time. I pinch the colored line in the release about 6 or 8 feet up from the line to leader knot (blood knot or double uni) so each lure is roughly 60 feet behind the release clip.

I use #9 Penns and some old Abu-Garcia 5500s on my boards. Neither are large reels but they are plenty big, even with 20# mono.

It'll take some time to become a big board master, but it will make you feel sorry for the mopes dragging spring-sized cohos and trout in with birds or boards dangling from their lines.

Thanks Mike,

Thats what I was looking for. Its new, just wanted to minimize mistakes. Alot of goood information.