BY JAKE ROMANACK
Off Shore Tackle manufacturers not one, but three different size/ models of in-line planer boards. No matter what body of water or fish species an angler might target, Off Shore Tackle has the ideal planer board.
OR12 SIDE PLANER
One size doesn’t fit all, but the OR12 Side Planer certainly does the heavy lifting when it comes to in-line planer boards. This iconic trolling product was the first in-line board introduced by OST back in the day. “The OR12 came to be because at the time other in-line boards on the market were riddled with issues,” says Bruce DeShano, Chairman of the Boards and founder of Off Shore Tackle. “Early in-line boards were delicate and easily broken, the line releases used were poorly designed and commonly damaged the fishing line, not to mention these early boards didn’t plane out to the side very well. I knew we could build a better planer board and the OR12 has evolved as the planer board all others are compared to.” Part of what makes the OR12 so popular is the versatility this in-line board brings to the market. By simply switching out the line releases and clips, the OR12 can be used with any line type or diameter, it can be fished fast or slow, it can be rigged to release or rigged to remain fixed on the line and the OR12 is big enough to handle most popular lures and trolling hardware. In short, the OR12 is big enough to get the job done, but small enough to be affordable. Walleye anglers flock to the OR12, but this board is equally handy for targeting trout and salmon with lead core, steelhead on high lines and even slab panfish like crappie. Day in and day out, the OR12 gets the job done north, south, east or west.
OR38 MINI PLANER
The OR38 is unlike any other in-line board on the market. Instead of gaining buoyancy with closed-cell foam, the OR38 features a buoyancy chamber on the top of the board that keeps the board upright while at the same time reducing drag. The body of the board is a blade design that is ultra-tough. These unique features allow the OR38 to plane to the side much better than other boards on the market. The bracket is reversible, making it easy to rig the OR38 to run on either the port or starboard side of the boat. Small enough to fit in any tackle box, yet big enough to pull a wide variety of lures, weight systems and trolling hardware. The OR38 fills an important niche in the world of in-line boards.
Crappie anglers naturally flock to the OR38, but this board is also handy for fishing walleye, bass and pike when using lighter lures. Stream steelhead anglers use the OR38 to spread out plugs when back trolling and bank anglers use the OR38 to present their gear out into the main current. Catfish anglers can even utilize the OR38 to catch skipjack and other baitfish. The OR38 was designed with the idea of fishing lighter lines and lures. Unlike larger boards that require the use of traditional trolling rods/reels, the OR38 can be fished with spinning tackle.
OR37 SST PRO MAG
The OR37 is the largest board in the Off Shore Tackle line up and the board that was designed to pull heavy gear. Great Lakes trout and salmon anglers who pull long lengths of lead core, stranded copper wire, weighted stainless wire, heavy Snap Weights, Torpedo Divers or oversized paddles and rotators rave about the OR37 and its ability to pull the largest lures and heaviest fishing gear. The OR37 is also widely in use among muskie trollers who pull Double 10 CowGirl spinners, monster plugs and giant sucker minnows without issue. The OR37 is also rapidly becoming the board of choice among tournament cat anglers who troll cut bait and live bait rigs using heavy Snap Weights. The SST in the name of the OR37 stands for salmon, steelhead, trout, but this board clearly is well suited to targeting muskie, trophy cats, stripers and a host of saltwater species.
FINAL THOUGHTS
All the in-line boards in the Off Shore Tackle line up can be fished with the factory supplied line releases and clips. Anglers also have the option of switching out and using any of the Off Shore Tackle planer board releases or aftermarket line clips. Built to last for years and years, all the parts on these in-line boards can be sourced and purchased should repairs be required. Simply contact an Off Shore Tackle dealer for information or reach out to www.offshoretackle.com.
No matter what body of water or species that is on your hit list, Off Shore Tackle makes an in-line board that’s perfect for the job.
