BY MARK ROMANACK
As interest in in-line planer boards grows, so does interest among anglers in learning about the “loop trick”. The “loop trick” is a rigging method that allows anglers to trip their planer boards, yet keep the board pegged in place on the line. Because the board is no longer planing to the side, reeling in a hooked fish or just reeling in a board to switch out baits becomes much easier. This unique rigging method also allows anglers to reel in fish without having to clear other board lines.
The good news about the “loop trick” is it doesn’t require anglers to purchase any after-market products. The OR19 line release and OR16 Pro Clip that come standard on the OR12 Side Planer work perfectly with the “loop trick”. The same is true for the OR10 release and OR16 Pro Clip that come on the OR38 Mini Board.
The “loop trick” requires using monofilament, co-polymer or fluorocarbon as the main line. The “loop trick” doesn’t work with low stretch and slippery super braids.
GETTING STARTED
Select a lure and let it out the desired distance from the boat. Now reach up and grab the line near the rod tip. With the line wrapped over an index finger, spin your finger to create a small loop of line with a few twists. Pinch open the OR19 (orange) release on the bracket of the board and place the twists of line between the rubber pads, leaving a loop of line about one-inch long protruding from the jaws of the OR19. The twists of line provide the OR19 plenty of purchase, eliminating any issues with false releases.
Once the line is secured to the OR19, pinch open the OR16 (red) Pro Clip at the tail of the board and position the line behind the plastic pin protruding through the middle of the rubber pads. When the line is placed behind the plastic pin, the OR16 will hold the line securely and when the line is tripped from the bracket, the board will remain pegged in place thanks to the OR16.
SETTING LINES
Drop the board in the water and play out line, allowing the board to work its way out to the side of the boat. Stagger lead lengths with other board lines so the shortest leads are positioned on the outside board lines and longer leads become the inside board lines. Rigged in this fashion it’s possible to stack three, four, five or more lines on each side of the boat.
TRIPPING THE BOARD
When a board hooks a fish and starts sagging from the weight of the hooked fish, simply grab that rod from the rod holders and give the rod tip a swift upwards snap, to trip the line free from the release on the bracket. The loop of line used in attaching the release on the bracket of the board to the line makes it easy to release the board. Meanwhile, the OR16 keeps the board pegged in place on the line.
Releasing the board to fight a fish eliminates the need to fight the resistance of the board as it continues to plane. More importantly, it allows the angler to feel every head shake of the hooked fish, making the fight more enjoyable. Also, because the board is no longer planing, the fish doesn’t have a solid wall in which to pull against. When the fish runs, the reel drag can slip and the rod works nicely to tire the fish.
The ability to fight fish without having to clear other lines is yet another bonus of the “loop trick” rigging method. Those who try this rigging method are quickly convinced it’s easy to do and a much more enjoyable way to fight fish than the old-fashioned method of reeling in the board as it is planing.
BRAID TRICKS
Anglers who want to fish braided lines can still rig their boards to release. Doing so requires investing in the OR39 Sam’s Pro Release and mounting this unique release on the bracket of the board. At the tail of the board the OR16 Pro Clip can be used or substituted for the OR18 Snapper.
The Sam’s Pro Release functions by wrapping the line around a rubber plunger that is in turn placed in a tension adjustable jettison. When a fish is hooked, snapping the rod tip pops open the rubber plunger from the jettison and allows the braided line to unravel. Meanwhile the OR16 Pro Clip or OR18 Snapper keeps the board secured to the line.
LOST FISH
Some anglers mistakenly claim that releasing boards puts slack in the line and leads to losing fish. This may have been true of old-fashioned release and slide rigging methods, but not with the “loop trick”. Because the board remains pegged in place on the line, snapping the rod tip trips the line from the bracket, stopping the board from planing. In the same instant the line comes tight on the struggling fish.
The end result is that the “loop trick” doesn’t allow slack in the line or the fish a chance to escape. Steady tension is held on the fish from the instant it bites, until the time it hits the landing net.
SUMMING IT UP
The “loop trick” works flawlessly and it also can be used with board accessories such as the OR12TFEK Tattle Flag® kits. The only anglers who are not sold on the “loop trick” are those who haven’t tried it.
