Big boards vs In-lines

[storminnorman]

How many of you trollers use big boards vs in-lines and why ? How many lines do you run on boards and preferred tackle and baits . I have my preferences just wondering what most prefer to run . Regards stormin.

[SpoonPullers.com]

[BigD]

Prefer Offshore Inlines...no real reason just got used to them and easy to manage in boat traffic or water conditions. 300 and 400 coppers are a beast off of them and ni issues with tracking or pull even in rough water with the way we modify them.  Will run sticks, spoons or rotator/flys...Best sticks Bomber Long A's, best spoons Silver Streaks and DW's (Screw Balls or Sully /Daves Salmon Slapper) and best rotator combos White SD or PT's with all variations of Atommik Hammer Flies.

D over and out.

[Trannyman]

Hey Norm, great topic !!!      

In-line vs Big boards.
I really have no preference, except where & in what conditions I am fishing and for what species. I built a new set of big boards last season to tow multiple coppers. They work excellent. Have had a 600'  &  a 500' copper on each board with no issues. They will give the new Big Jon electric mast on Don's boat a good work out this season.   I built them to tow the heavy stuff in 5 to 8' waves, where I consider in-lines useless.

Fishing browns and eyes on Quinte I use both Off-shore's & Zboards. Really impressed with the Big Daddy Zboards as the will also pull 500' coppers with no problems. The releases have to be changed on the Zboards. I know there are hundreds of dudes out there pulling Otters but I think they are useless. I hate them. I know they work better modified, BUT.

I have had up to 4 coppers and lead cores on the big boards.
The only problem with the big boards is changing the lures on the outside rods. Usually in tournaments we are only running 1 rod on each of the big boards, never more than 2.

Norm as you know I don't pro-staff for any one company. I test things. I did extensive testing for the M. C. Rocket company and Mike makes a great bait. I also think the ATOMMIK fly company makes a great product & that is what we run. I have run other products but in 1 lifetime there is not enough time to test all the stuff out there.

Spoons - Warrior mags, & Dreamweaver mags. Also some of the Stingers have been hot for us in the past couple of years.

Rotators - Spinnies all the way, with a few Protrolls thrown in the mix. I also run Hotspots when I am fishing certain tournaments. But on the camera Spinnies have the most consistent action over a very wide speed range.
Besides Spinnies are the only rotator that will consistently tow Rockets at the speeds I run.  I may get more time this summer to work with the heat gun on the OKIs and Hotspots to get them to rotate and tow the Rockets.

Hope this helps.

Al

[fishdawg]

both, it depends on target  species and situation

Church tx6 minis are killer for early season browns
[imghttp://di103.shoppingshadow.com/images/di/6c/69/67/3847493231644c6a37717659525a7264463567-149x149-0-0.jpg[/img]

I also have the standard Church inline walleye boards and last year I built a mast & set of big boards.

Depends on the conditions, who I am fishing with (newbies or vets) and how many rods we are able to deploy.

I love the big boards because I like the instant release from the big board, but as "D" said, inlines can be very user friendly most of the time and take up less space on the smaller boats

[dwc67]

i will use a mast anytime i can, but in traffic i run my inlines.

my fav long line spoon is yeck mag, it seems to pi$$ fish off when it speeds up in an outside turn.

i use cookie divers or jets for rainbow off the boards

[rockandtroll]

Question for Trannyman.
We picked up 4 pair of the big daddy Z boards last year for copper and did not have much luck with them. How did you modify and what with? They are great looking boards and if we could get them working right it would be awesome with the longer coppers.
Thanks,
Mike

[Trannyman]

Question for Trannyman.
We picked up 4 pair of the big daddy Z boards last year for copper and did not have much luck with them. How did you modify and what with? They are great looking boards and if we could get them working right it would be awesome with the longer coppers.
Thanks,
Mike

Off-shore releases. OR18 on the front and a OR16 on the rear.

Now the wire that the front release is attached to can be bent up or down to put more board in the water or less board.
If the line slips thru the front release and pulls the rear release forward it will cause the board to chuck (porpose) in the water and not tow properly. You must always have slack line between the 2 release. Experiment. You can get them to work great.

Al

[patkirby]

inlines for us,,Church Walleye board, TX22, but will be adding the New TX 44's this year,,    

Depending on the time of year,  body baits of course in the spring,, but we have taken to running 2 and 5 color with spoons  and or Attractor and Flie,,  The 5 color was stellar last year,, with a variety of spoons,,   red in the spring, and a Lemon Lime Twist come June

What I like about inlines over the big boards,, is the ease of reproducing the spread,,no need to pull lines in, as on a big boards,   and that I don't have to drill more holes,,,,

It won't be long    

[rockandtroll]

Thanks Al will give that a try. I know it is something minor because the boards look like they should work great.
Mike

[rockandtroll]

Lots of room to drill holes on the new Tiara Pat.

[Trannyman]

Was at the LOTSA show Sunday & Wes (Slippery Sinker) was selling a set of Big Daddy Zboards for $30.00/pair. I like these in-lines for towing cores & copper. It takes some time to get them tuned.   I will probably sell all my Off-shores.

The TX44 maybe better, but I haven't run them yet.

Al

[Floater]

Do you hook your copper lines right to the inline boards? I'm a little confused here. I have a tiny pair of yellow chickens or some such and have a hard time getting them deployed. Looking to upgrade soon to a mast and big boards.

[riggermortis]

Do you hook your copper lines right to the inline boards? I'm a little confused here. I have a tiny pair of yellow chickens or some such and have a hard time getting them deployed. Looking to upgrade soon to a mast and big boards.

no let your copper/core strait out the back until its all out and then hook the inline to your backing line.

[Floater]

Ok so when a fish hits the inline will slide down the copper to the bead or swivel? Thanks

[HooknRelease]

you really hope and pray it dont slide down to the swivel, and you can get it to the boat and unclipped asap so your fighting the fish and not the board and the fish