Retrieving Unreleased Boards From The Outside Position
BY CAPTAIN JULS DAVIS
I’ve been guiding on Lake Erie’s Western Basin for 11 years now but have been using Off Shore boards for the past 22 years. I often have customers on my charters, who want to learn how to properly use the boards, before they attempt it on their own, in their own boats. The learning curve goes way down, when one seeks help first.
The most common question I get is, “How do you get the outside board in, without tangling in the other lines?” My reply is always the same, “I run my longest leads on the outside, so they can get by the shorter leads on the inside, for one. Two, I have a way, that helps keep that board, back, due to angle and pull….and, it’s very simple.” Then, I go on to explain what I want them to do when the outside board goes back, so they know what to expect. Picture in your mind, that you are on a boat, and trolling from east to west. Your port side will be on the south side of the boat, and your starboard side will be to the north. Now, picture a 4-board line up on each side of your boat. Marching in a line like little soldiers. The outside board pulls back, and gets out of line, and everyone sees it pull back, then, there are excited shouts of, “Outside board!” And “Fish on!”
Now Picture…. Taking the rod out of the rod holder and pointing it to the absolute opposite side of the boat. So, for instance, if the port side, outside, board went back…the rod tip would point out the side, stern, of the starboard side, as you reel it in.
Reeling it in, with the rod bent in half, forces the board back further than it would, if you were to point the rod at the same side of the boat, as the fish, and reel it in. If you turn the nose of the boat in the opposite direction of the side of the boat the fish was caught on, this will help separate the boards, also. In our scenario, we would turn to starboard.
Once the board clears the inside lines, the angler can straighten up and reel the board up to the boat, where it can be taken off, and the fish netted. This method has served me well, and there were less tangles than previous years, before I started doing this about 5 years ago. Give it a shot and see if it works for you too! Good luck and stay safe!
