A question about plug fishing.

[Dan_o]

Once again we will be up in early sept. to fish the Kenai area.

My question: I have some inline planner boards that I use in lake Erie fishing for walleye. I read on here about using them with plugs to fish the rivers. Just trying to get this straight.

Is this correct. The way you fish inline planner boards on the river is you connect your terminal tackle so it runs behind the board where you want it, and feed line out until the board works it way out thru the current to the desired location in the river.

As for the terminal tackle, if I use a plug, I just let it sit behind the board and let it work with the current? Do I work the planner board back and forth in the current to give the plug some action? What color and size plugs work best. I already have a ton of plugs.































Can I use a small weight then a spin & glow w/eggs behind it.

Once again, thanks for any info you can give on this subject.

[sibir]

The idea is to imitate backtrolling a plug down the river. Once you get it out where you want it, you walk slowly downstream (or feed out line carefully,) and back it into the area where the fish are holding. I have seen it done stationary, but you don't cover much water that way.

Wiggle Warts, Magnum Wigglers, Mag Warts, Kwikfish, etc. are common. Pretty much any 3"+ plug that dives and shakes side to side works to tick off a salmon, I've used K-10 to K-13 kwikfish for silvers. The favorite color varies according to water, weather, and the mood of the fish. Chartruese/chrome, blue/chrome, green, red, pink all seem to work well. Rig hooks according to local regs, a single siwash on a swivel seems to work just fine anywhere short of fly only waters.

The trick is: it takes up a LOT of real estate to use this method. Try this is a crowded section of river and the bears would be the least of your worries. I'm careful to make sure I'm well away from other people and any boats and have never fouled up either.

[kenaibow fan]

there isn't enough water in the river at that time of year to warrant using a diver, planner, or what have you, your better off just running a plug if your in the lower part of the river, and go smaller as you work your way up stream.

[sibir]

Yeah, a diver would result in dredging the bottom rather than fishing.

The little mainline sideplaner is just to get the plug out from shore far enough to walk it back down through a run just like you would backtroll off a boat. Minus the boat. I've used it from the shore on the lower Lil Su for silvers in lower water. Without the planer, you're just casting from the shore and quartering downstream. You'd be limited to your rod length trying to back it downstream. A 10 ft rod would give about 8 1/2 ft out from your body which works fine for backing a plug under a sweeper on the near shore, but does nothing for mid channel or the far shore.

[kenaibow fan]

Yeah, a diver would result in dredging the bottom rather than fishing.

The little mainline sideplaner is just to get the plug out from shore far enough to walk it back down through a run just like you would backtroll off a boat. Minus the boat. I've used it from the shore on the lower Lil Su for silvers in lower water. Without the planer, you're just casting from the shore and quartering downstream. You'd be limited to your rod length trying to back it downstream. A 10 ft rod would give about 8 1/2 ft out from your body which works fine for backing a plug under a sweeper on the near shore, but does nothing for mid channel or the far shore.

Kinda sounds like it is more trouble then it is worth???????? I have never used a side planer but from what I have been told is people also use them to get their gear away from their boat as well. Honeslty I think there is better ways go achieve the desired result here with out the use of divers....exc. but to each their own I guess. I honeslty only have used divers in salt water trolling for silvers in seward. In the kenai I use plugs, but I fish in areas were they are close to the bottom on their own.

I would say talk to some one who fishes the river a lot june/july and pick their brain. The water is very different from one month to the next and that is about as helpful as I can be.

[cod]

Seems to be some confusion here between 'sideplaners' and 'divers'. Side planers move your plug/lure away to the side from the boat (if boat fishing) or away from your river bank fishing spot (if fishing from the bank of a river with enough current in it). 'Divers' do just what it sounds like. They bring your lure/plug/bait deeper in the lake/river you are fishing.
Presentation link for planer..... http://www.fishweb.com/recreation/fi...rds/basic.html shows the basics of its work. Planers are used for fish that may shy away from motors OR to spread your presentations away from being just directly behind your boat.
Planers, as I use them in rivers for kings and steelies here, are used from the bank to present my plug to the exact location that I expect a fish to be holding. Kings tend to 'like' certain lays in the riverbed and they hate having an intruder sharing their space. I have found that it took some experimentation for matching current flow, plugs, and type of planer used to come up with the most usable combination. With the pink plastic planer I use I find the Hotshot 35 tends to be the best and most versatile plug because it allows the widest current flow possibly encountered to still let the plug work correctly.
A question...... Are u going to be fishing from a boat or from the bank of the river. If from a boat u dont need no stinking planer. If from the bank....very cool....and good luck.

[fishNphysician]

If I use a plug, I just let it sit behind the board and let it work with the current? Do I work the planner board back and forth in the current to give the plug some action?

The plug provides its own inherent action. No additional planer gymnastics required.

Get the plug wiggling in the zone and back it down into Mr Salmon's face. Good things will happen. Chances are it will be the most hellacious strike you've ever had on hook and line.

Remember to WAIT WAIT WAIT for the rod to flatten before setting the hook. Better yet, just reel into the bite.