How to Set Up and Use Planer Boards for Musky Trolling: A Comprehensive Guide
- Steven Paul
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
How to Set Up and Use Planer Boards for Musky Trolling: A Comprehensive Guide
By Steven Paul
Let’s talk musky trolling—my kind of game, where you’re outsmarting those toothy giants with skill, strategy and a few pieces of the right gear mixed in for good measure. Trolling for muskies isn’t just dragging baits behind the boat; it’s a chess match on the water, and planer boards are your knights, letting you cover more ground and hit spots most anglers miss.
In this guide, we will walk through how to set up and use the Livingston Lures Blade Planer Boards, a slick piece of muskie fishing gear designed by yours truly. We’ll cover rigging, setting up spreads, and some hard-earned tips to put more muskies in your net. Let’s dive in!
What Are Livingston Lures Blade Planer Boards?
The Lowdown on The Blade Planer Boards
The Livingston Lures Blade Planer Board—11"x6" of pure musky-trolling glory—is a tool I designed over many years. Unlike those clunky old-school planer boards, the Blade’s got a self-adjusting arm that finds its sweet spot in the water, no matter what bait you’re pulling or how fast you’re trolling. It’s like the board’s got a brain, keeping things steady whether you’re trolling a tiny crankbait at a crawl or a going crazy with a 14-inch monster at 9 mph.
Why They’re a Game-Changer
Here’s what makes the Blade a must-have:
Versatility: From walleye-sized baits to giant lures, this board pulls ‘em all, even when you’re hauling at speeds that’d make other boards crash and burn beneath the waves.
Tough as Nails: Built to take a beating from big waves, big baits and bigger fish, with a lifetime warranty to back it up.
Whether you’re working open water or picking apart weed edges, the Blade’s your ticket to trolling smarter.
Why Use Planer Boards for Musky Trolling?
What’s the Big Deal?
Planer boards are like having extra, extra, extra long rods in the water. They do two things that’ll up your musky game:
Spread Your Baits: You can run lines way out from the boat, covering a ton of water and putting baits where muskies are lurking. It’s like casting a wider net—literally.
Hit Tricky Spots: Weed edges, rock piles, submerged timber—you name it. Planer boards let you fish these prime areas without running your boat over ‘em, keeping fish from spooking and your prop from getting mangled.
Who Needs ‘Em?
If you’re fishing solo or in a state where you’re stuck with just a couple of lines, planer boards give you the edge to fish tight spots safely. Out on big water, they let you set up spreads that’d make walleye guys jealous, with baits stretched out wide to hunt down those roaming open basin muskies.
How to Rig The Blade Planer Board
Getting Down to Business
Rigging a Blade Planer Board is pretty straightforward, but you gotta do it right, especially with braided line, which is my go-to for its strength and feel. Here’s how I set it up when I’m out chasing muskies.
Step-by-Step Rigging
Figure Out Your Line Length: Check the Musky 360 app—it’s the go-to for trolling charts. It’ll tell you how much line to let out to get your bait to the right depth.
Let Out the Line: Use a line counter reel to release exactly what you need. Precision here is key to hitting your target zone. Once you have the required line length out it's time to attache The Blade.
Hook Up the Board:
Front Clip: Press down to open the clip. With braided line, double it over to make a loop and lock it in. This keeps slick line from slipping, especially with baits that pull hard.
Rear Clip: Slide the line into the smaller back clip to keep everything tight. Your bait’s now ready to be sent out and away.
Tweak the Distance: Any extra line you let out after clipping The Blade on just pushes it further from the boat—it won’t influence with your bait’s depth.
Lock in the Rod: Pop the rod in a holder and make sure your lures tracking correctly. The Blade sends bait vibrations straight to your rod tip, so you can tell if it’s running clean or fouled with weeds etc.
Pro Rigging Tips
Double Up on Braided Line: For big baits, always loop that line twice in the front clip.
Loosen the Arm: Give the adjustable arm a little wiggle before you toss it out. Keeping it limber so it can do its self-adjusting magic.
Port and Starboard: Red board on the left, green on the right. Match ‘em to the boat’s sides for smooth sailing.
Setting Up a Trolling Spread
Building Your Spread
Start Wide: Get the outside boards out first, setting the outer perimeter of your spread.
Work In: Add rods closer to the boat, keeping distance between lines to avoid a mess.
Space It Right: Tighten the spread for picky structure and cover fishing or go wide for open water to cover ground.
Place ‘Em Smart: Furthest board goes up front, tighter ones toward the back. Keeping lines clear of each other when you’re turning to illicit strikes.
Fighting Muskies with Planer Boards
Handling the Chaos
When a musky slams your bait, it’s go-time, and planer boards can make things wild. Here’s how I keep it together:
Don’t Stop: Killing the boat’s momentum entirely can tangle your lines and cause lost muskies. Engage your trolling motor at low speed to hold things steady and prevent massive line jumbles.
Ditch the Board: Grab the board fast, pop the rear clip, and yank the front clip off. If the fish didn't knock it free.
Steer Smart: Whoever is manning the trolling motor remote needs to do their best to keep that fish between the other lines to avoid a knot-fest. This is usually a circus as the net man is saddle with this job as-well. If your trolling motor has a hold heading button or setting learn how to use it.
Wrapping It Up
The Livingston Lures Blade Planer Board is a game-changer for musky trolling. Whether you’re a lone wolf picking apart a shallow weed flat or running a big spread with your buddies, this board lets you fish smarter, cover more water, and hit spots others can’t touch. Get your rigging dialed in, play with your spreads and you’ll start putting more muskies in the net before you know it.
Kommentare