This last section will cover setting lines on the boards, downriggers and also flatlines and Dipsey Divers.
First I'll explain the use of boards because that should be the first equipment used at this time of the year. Assuming you're rigged for planer board use, I start by putting my boards out 60-80ft. from the side of the boat. You can go out futher, but in boat traffic or tight quarters I like the shorter distances. The only time I run longer is if the fish are really tight to shore and I need to get the boat into deeper water. Once I have the board out, I let the first lure out 150ft., then I clip it in the release and send it to within 2ft. of the board. Your first lure should be the shallowest running lure you plan to use.(see Planer Board Use for an explanation) Sometimes I run spoons here. The next lure should run a little deeper than the first and it should be let out 125ft.. Clip it in the release and let it down to within 15ft. of the previous lure. The third lure should be the deepest running lure and it should be put 100ft. out and then send that one out to within 15ft. of the line before it.(The reason for this is that fish have less a tendency to get tangled up when they take a lure.) If you're running both boards do the same for the other. If the water is deep enough, I sometimes run a small size 3 Dipsey Diver or a Big Jon Diver Disk on my inside line back 30-60ft. Run a 4ft. leader and then your favorite lure. This works good when fish are spooky and run down and away from the boat when it passes over them. If I need to get lures deeper when using boards, I will add BB size split shots 2ft in front of the lure and 6in. apart if adding more than one. I used as many as 3 in front of Nks last year when trolling in 25ft. of water or more to get to the strike zone.
Now that the boards are set, I usually run 2 downriggers. I'll let out 100ft. of line and half hitch a rubberband on the line and hook it to the downrigger ball via a homemade lexan hook. Then I will put it down anywhere from 3-15ft. The second rigger will be set 50-75ft. back and lowered down to the bottom. The reason I use rubberbands is that in the spring you get some small fish that won't trip a regular release. Sometimes they won't even break the rubberband, but with the rubberband you will see the rod jump at the take and while the fish is trying to get free, so that way you know you have a fish. Lastly, I set one flatline. Sometimes I go back 200ft. and sometimes I put it 15-30ft. back right in the prop wash.
These methods, when mastered, will produce fish all the time. It will take a while to learn the boards but they are a must for springtime Browns. Good luck and have fun.
Team Total Chaos