Off Shore Tackle Planer Boards
Planer boards have become a vital part of most catfish angler’s arsenal. They were used for years in walleye fishing and have now been adopted by many catfish anglers. There are not many catfish boats that don’t have planer boards onboard. If they don’t have them, they should.
Anglers have discovered that there is no better way to increase your spread when dragging or even anchored in the current. Just put one or two boards out each side of the boat and watch your catfishing success grow.
Planer boards are not as hard to get used to as some anglers think. They are pretty simple and they increase the odds of putting fish in the boat. Chris Souders (Slunger Cat Outdoors) carries different size boards for different applications.
Souders describes the Off Shore Tackle planer boards as “…some of the most dependable and toughest boards on the market,” He runs two different sizes on his boat depending on the fish he targets.
“The OR12 boards are the perfect size to drag baits in small lakes for channel catfish,” continued the Oak Hill, Ohio angler. “I can normally drag weights up to 4 ounces with small to moderate size baits. They provide a good wide spread, even at lower speeds (.3 to .5 mph).”
“My favorite boards to run are the Pro Mag series,” explained Souders. “I can do everything from drag baits to suspend baits in any lake or river with the Pro Mags. Being able to have one board that you can suspend 8 ounces of weight with a large bait in the Ohio River is a must for me. Then to turn right around and drag 6 ounces or less on Lake Wheeler in 3-foot waves, with the same boards, is a real confidence booster.”
Souders has figured it out. Only having one set of boards to fish two different situations not only boosts your confidence, but it is also a huge space saver in the boat. Additionally, he reports that his catch rate increased around 35% instantly when he started using planer boards.
Visit the Off Shore Tackle website at www.offshoretackle.com to view their full line of catfish gear. Check out the Slunger Cat YouTube channel for some great catfishing videos.
