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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Greetings,
OK, I have bought, estensively tested and settled on my favorite planer boards. I really like the yellow 'Big Birds' for their planing ability, but do not like the weight, clip design(I like the old plunger style better than the new black spring clips that don't stay on), or the snap in back. I used to run the Offshores, but the big birds were a step up from thm. Just bought a few of the red Church Walleye boards and really like them so far. What I like best is the simplicity of the front clip, and the quick and easy rear 'peg slider' design. What I didn't like was that when I moved the bottom weight forward all the way, the boards still sat really tail heavy and didn't plane to the side as well as my other boards. Also, weeds/leaves/schmegma can more easily slide down the line with the bottom of the front of the board 'up'. Has anyone modified these by adding more weight to keep the nose down? Are there other adjustments that can be made?
Also, the front clip would pop loose on occasion in bigger waves(but using small to medium lures). I tightened them right out of the box, but maybe that was counter productive?? I am running 80 lb tuff plus. Is there a modification for these clips to keep them on the line a bit better, though still alowing them to pop when a fish strikes? I did try to wrap the line around the clip and it seemed to work, but I had to manually remove the line when a fish hit and sometimes it was very dificult.
Again, I really like these Church style boards better than the others I've used for various reasons, but just wanted to see how others modified them to make them even better.
Thanks in advance! |
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Posts: 2112
Location: The Sportsman, home, or out on the water | Hi Jason,
I favor Church boards as well. I bought the off shore clips (the cam action style, with the pin thing) and replaced the front clip with them. It takes a drill bit, and a 6-32 nylock nut to make it happed. It will make your church boards even more lovable. |
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Posts: 578
Location: Sheboygan Falls, WI | Hey Jason, I will give you a call on this. I pull up to 16oz balls on Lake Michigan with my Church boards. Most of the time I am running 8-10oz though. No problems with the releases holding with that kind of drag at 3.8mph. No need to buy any other releases for the boards.
Maybe we will have to get out again and try them. LOL
Chuck |
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Posts: 32884
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I'm setting up the 2050 for next season on the big pond, might as well use it for something. The Church boards are the way to go, guys? What manual downriggers would you suggest? |
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Posts: 578
Location: Sheboygan Falls, WI | Steve,
I have used all the different in-line boards. There are only two that I use and one of them are made privately by a charter out of Manitowoc. Of the commercial boards, I have found that the Church boards are the way to go.
I have used manual Cannon, Big Jon, Walker and Riviera. I have settled in on Big Jon because of the quality and the customer service that Big Jon has. Mine are going back to Big Jon for the first time in 10 years for simply a maintenance check-up and have a counter replaced. Sounded as if Andrew had some not so good luck with another brand and was not too happy with them.
Big Jon are aluminum except for the spool, tip pulley and the counter. Easy to run 3 rod holders off of each rigger and have them low to the water. Some of the other riggers the rod holders are pretty high off the water. I think the lower the better.
Chuck |
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Posts: 4
| Reef Hawg - 11/4/2007 6:38 AM
What I didn't like was that when I moved the bottom weight forward all the way, the boards still sat really tail heavy and didn't plane to the side as well as my other boards.
Thanks in advance!
As with reef hawgs qoute above, just got the church planers and I am experiencing the same , even with the weight all the way forward they plane tail down even with smaller baits, like shad raps, and don't track to well off to the side........so if you guys can run baits of 16oz comfortably what can I do to make them sit with at least the bottom of the front fins in the water.......
Any help greatly appreciated.... |
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Posts: 3518
Location: north central wisconsin | Thanks for the tips Chuck. I'd like to see how you run such heavy weights and get them away from the boat at higher speeds(above 2.5 mph). Again, the Church boards have been better than the others I've used so far, as I really like the rear release pin on them. Rob, I have one of the cam type releases on one of my old Off Shores, but would not buy any more of them for the money they want. I really don't want $40+ invested per board. Thanks for the tip though, as I think I'll take that clip off my off shore and transplant it to one of my new Churches. I am going to try one of Jomuskys screw in weights on the bottom/front of a church too, to see how that works. then I can change weights depending on lure size...
Last thing. Watched some dudes trolling after dark here the other night. They had some neat lights on their boards, almost appeared to be L.E.D's but the might have been glow sticks. Anyone used lights, and have a good rigging method for them??
Chuck, welcome aboard anytime. Had a great time the other day with you and Shane. Sorry that I didn't talk alot, busy trying to keep us in the zone I guess. I had a blast listening to the stories/memories you and Shane were sharing though. Great stuff!!!
Looking forward to a little school on the big pond myself as I plan to rig the 690 for a few salmon trips myself. |
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Posts: 578
Location: Sheboygan Falls, WI | Jason, I must give you a call to chat. Been busy this week after the special day. Thanks again to you and Shane, it would be MY pleasure to share the boat with either one or both of you again.
For lighting up the boards, it is easy to do with the Church's. Get youself a few packs of the small cylume (spelling) sticks and a drill bit that will drill a hole that will be small enough to hold the stick snugly, but not too big so it just falls out. Easy to change the sticks or take them out and not affect the board at all.
When I use them for kings it is just too much fun to put them out totally dark. I did NOT show anyone how to light the boards up this summer. LOL
I have more tricks up my sleeve that I think (and know in some instances) would work for what we do/did out there.
Chuck |
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| I'm also having issues with my Church Tackle Walleye Boards being tail heavy, I also moved the bottom weight forward all the way, the boards are really tail heavy. What's he best way to get these to plane?
Thanks |
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Posts: 906
Location: Canada | We've been using these for a couple of years now and they do plane tail heavy even with the weight all the way forward. Again, like everyone else, who has modified these and how (I have some ideas buy just want to see what others have done). I have also modified the clip last time we were out on my side planer board to usethe OR16 release clip (orange one with the pin). |
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Posts: 140
| Jason,
Here's a trick I use to combat the angled portion of the board from riding out of the water when pulling larger baits or running at higher trolling speeds. I drilled 2 holes at the top of the board and threaded a piece of bucktail wire through it and added the weight. A simple bend on the front portion keeps the weight in place yet changing sizes is still done with ease. I vary the size of the weight depending on the bait/speed, but usually I start at 4oz. and go from there.
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