Night fishing with planer boards has never been more popular. Thanks to the fall Lake Erie derbies including the Fall Brawl and the Fall Slam, a growing number of anglers are targeting walleye at night. It’s no secret that the big fish feed at night. Planer boards like the popular OR12 Side Planer can be rigged for fishing at night with some simple modifications.
BOARD LIGHTS
Some anglers prefer to mount lights to their planer boards including small cyalume sticks or chem lights to make the boards more visible in the dark. Smaller models can be taped or zip tied to the board flag, while larger models are best used by taping them to the top of the board. Cyalume sticks show up great and are produced in both green and red colors, helping to communicate left and right to other anglers.
The down side to cyalume sticks is they only last long enough for about one night of fishing. The best advice is to buy these lights in bulk and keep a good supply on board.
There are also a number of aftermarket options available for LED lights which most have a mount that is able to be fastened to the board via screws or heavy duty, double sided tape.
USING REFLECTOR TAPE
Another viable option for night trolling with boards is to attach reflector tape to the board flag and top of the planer board. Widely available at a host of big box stores, reflector tape can be easily cut to fit planer boards.
Clean your planer boards using denatured alcohol before applying reflector tape. This step will ensure the tape sticks and stays stuck for years to come.
When fishing, wear a head lamp. A typical head lamp is bright enough to easily see your planer boards 100 feet away or further.
USE THE BAIT CLICKER
Another trick for monitoring boards when night fishing is to set the bait clicker on your trolling reels after the board is set and the rod is placed in the rod holder. Back off on the reel drag until it starts to slip, then tighten the drag just enough to keep the board from pulling out line. When a fish is hooked, the extra drag will pull out line and the bait clicker will sound off making it easy to tell which rod has hooked a fish.
EXTRA BATTERIES
When night fishing, it’s important to keep a supply of replacement batteries handy. Most head lamps use AAA size batteries, but a few models require AA size batteries. Don’t let a dead battery put a premature end to your fishing fun.
BOAT LIGHTS
When night fishing, it helps to mount some lights in the boat for rigging and for landing hooked fish. The Cisco Fishing Systems CFS Sure-Lok LED Boat Light is a track mounted accessory light that can be placed anywhere track can be mounted on a boat. This light packs 1350 Lumens and does a great job of lighting up the night.
SUMMING IT UP
Trolling after dark is wildly popular with walleye anglers. Trout and salmon trollers will also find that fishing early and late in the day is the best way to ensure fishing success. No matter what species you’re after, planer boards can be easily modified for night fishing applications.
