Page 9 - Crappie NOW - August 2018

PLANER BOARD CRAPPIE

effective for Dannenmueller although he will Dannenmueller said. “Off Shore Tackle
occasionally use a double-jig rig. The tadpole makes great products that work well without
and line length are the primary factors that much adjusting at all.
control lure placement, so Dannenmueller “For those fishermen out there who
can use jig sizes that best fit the fishing might be hesitant to try them, don’t be put off
conditions. He normally starts with a 1/16th- by any preconceived ideas. They work and
oz. Road Runner head with a two- to three- help you catch crappie more efficiently.”
inch Bobby Garland Stroll’R but might bump For those crappie fishermen who
all the way to a one-ounce head on big-fish constantly develop, evolve, tweak, and
lakes like Grenada. borrow, more efficient and productive fishing
Dannenmueller normally uses is always the point, a means to bigger and
standard-sized, 300-model crankbaits from better catches of crappie. Planer boards
Bandit and Pure Fishing but does vary sizes provide that advantage.
at times. He emphasized the need to make
sure the crankbaits run true. Off Shore offers Manufacturers Mentioned
a tool, the EZ Crankbait Tuner, that helps the B’n’M Poles (www.bnmpoles.com)
lures run to perfection. Bobby Garland (www.bobbygarlandcrappie.com)
Planer boards can be used effectively Driftmaster (www.driftmaster.com)
at just about any time of the year, but the Gamma (www.gammafishing.com)
post-spawn from late spring through the fall, Road Runner (www.ttiblakemore.com)
proves ideal. August is a perfect month to try Precision Trolling Data
the technique. (www.precisiontrollingdata.com)
Off Shore Tackle (www.offshoretackle.com)
Catching Fish
“Post-spawn, in late spring and summer - Greg McCain
time, is absolutely prime for planer board
fishing,” Dannenmueller said. “Those fish will
suspend out off of points and in deep water
and this technique is perfect to target those
fish.
“Sometimes in pre-spawn, when they
are concentrated over deep water, is another
time to use them. Usually during the spawn is
not the time to use them.”
August fishing is strictly summertime
patterns with deep flats and ledges being
good places to start.
Generally, the problems of pulling
the boards are minimized after just a few
attempts. Dannenmueller emphasized the
need to maintain exact speed, to make sure
the screws are tight on the boards, and to
keep the boards free from debris like grass.
Otherwise, the boards run to perfection.
Regardless of the time and place, planer
boards are effective tools in the crappie fishing
arsenal. Despite their apparent complexity,
boards can be employed quickly and easily.
“Planer boards will be my go-to
presentation for pulling baits from now on,”

9 Crappie NOW August 2018