HOW TO SET UP YOUR SIDE PLANER WITH WATERBUGZ PLANER BOARDS: A great spread is two planers on each side of the boat, one about 50 feet away and the other about 20 feet away. If your getting hung up every time you get in the target area then either speed up or remove a split shot. Remember if your getting hung up occasionally on the bottom you doing it right.
Hooks are your choice but you will need size #7 split shots for this method. The technique will keep your bait near the bottom of the water column and the stripers that are in less than 30` of water are usually close to that bottom. I use a Minnkota power drive unit and typically run between speed #3-#5, or for others it is just a slow troll just enough to keep your baits off the bottom. This technique works best for live bait and can be modified depending on how fast you troll. Reservoir Tactics with Waterbugz Planer Boards The board is in the water correctly when the label is upright. Remember the rhyme ‘yellow clip is closest to rod tip’ and you will have it pointing correctly. Squeeze the yellow clip and place the line in the opening (you may experiment based on your setup.) Your line placement will vary depending on size. Put your bait out the proper distance (10 – 40 feet) and place the line through the snap swivel. HOW TO SET UP YOUR SIDE PLANER WITH WATERBUGZ PLANER BOARDS When a fish strikes the bait the planer board releases and slides down the line until it reaches leader or the fish. It takes only a few seconds to attach a Water Bug. Baits placed 10 – 40 feet behind the planer seem to do best.
1 to 2 mph is ideal for trolling live bait. This simply is two boards on each side of the boat and one free-line in the center. The perfect setup is two boards per side and a prop bait. TACTICS – (King Mackerel,Mahi, Wahoo, Spanish, etc.) This gets you back to the action quickly. With your wide coverage and separation of lines, you have the ability to turn 180 degrees in an acre of water. These bright orange planers will disturb the surface and act as a front runner with the bait typically 10 – 40 feet behind the board. The slower you troll the more effective your live bait will be. Live bait fishing is most effective at less than 2 mph but Water Bugz can handle up to 3 mph. As we all know…more coverage equals better fishing. When using this side planer, you expand your coverage from the width of the boat to up 100 feet. Water Bugz Planer Boards are a simple and more affordable alternative to outriggers. Offshore Tactics with Waterbugz Planer Boards You can use something as small as a blood worm or as large as a foot long Pogie, Water Bugz can handle either. Put your bait out the proper distance 10 – 40 feet behind the planer board depending on how shallow of water you’re targeting. HOW TO SET UP YOUR SIDE PLANER WITH WATERBUGZ PLANER BOARDS There is no limit to the different game fish you will catch! You can drift in the inlets or sounds in shallow water away from your boat and the fish are not disturbed by your boat since the Water Bug keeps it planed out.įrom Red Drum, Trout, Flounder, Blues, Sheaps Head or any game fish you target, Water Bugz Planer Boards expand your coverage and hold bait in the strike zone. You can anchor 50 feet beside a grass bed, place your bait against the bed and hold it in as little as one foot of water but the boat is anchored in 10 foot of water.Ģ. Methods for Inshore Use of Waterbugz planer boards :ġ. Whether you use rocket launchers, rod holders, or just PVC pipe you can stand rods up or out in any fashion and still cover up to 100 foot of water in any boat.Īnchor near a grass bed or oyster bed and let out a mullet, sand flea, or strip bait with a Water Bug and the current will plane the board over to that area and hold in place when you stop the reel. Unlimited possibilities is the only way to describe what Waterbugz planer boards can do for inshore fishermen.