In chartering, you try to have all your equipment working perfectly to help make your client’s day an enjoyable one. One of our main “tools” is our planer boards. For walleye fishing, board fishing is half our arsenal along with dipsey divers.

If the boards don’ t pull right, it’ s hard to get the proper spread behind the boat. The boards must pull hard as well as ride up fairly even with the boat. If they don’ t pull hard, the tow line will drag in the water, you can’ t get the releases to slide down easily, and it is difficult to make tight turns. With a soft pulling board, you commit the mortal sin when turning; having both boards on the same side of the boat. If the boards lag back behind the boat, you can’ t get a good wide spread of lures. You end up covering a 100′ swath instead of a 300′ swath. The whole purpose of fishing boards is to cover a wide area of water.

I recommend that you use 500# test Planer Board Line.
I also recommend a set of Planer Board Snubbers to take the shock off the mast system.
I have stopped making the redwood planer boards because of the lack of quality redwood at the mills. I only make the plastic boards now.

You wanted harder pulling boards, now you have got them.

The redwood boards pull hard, now try the new plastic boards.

While I was picking up a shipment of redwood, I had the owner of the mill suggest that I try some plastic. I asked if it floated. We cut off a piece and threw it in the sink and it floated, barely. He gave me some of the boards to try. I cut them up and made a set and gave them to a buddy to run the next day.

The boards run with about 1″ of board above the water and will pull a smaller boat to one side with only one out. Putting both boards out will definitely slow a boat down. The boat must be in neutral to retrieve the boards. 200# test planer board line won’t hold them in a chop. They didn’t dive or jump. They just pulled, even on turns.

You can paint the Plastic Boards without affecting performance.