Trolling With A Planar Board At The California Aqueduct

Let’s think outside the box for a minute.

While fishing at the ducts one day, I noticed all the fish were actively feeding on the other side of the canal.  They were chasing baitfish right up against the canal wall.  Splash after splash I saw this go on for half an hour.  The wind was blowing and the canal was wide so I couldn’t cast that far. 

I didn’t know why the fish were only blowing up on the other side.  Maybe it was the fact that I was walking on this side of the aqueduct and that scared the fish.  Or maybe they preferred hunting in the shadows because the sun was slowly peeking out from over the horizon.  Whatever it was, I wasn’t able to land a single fish that morning.

I thought to myself, how the heck can I get my lure across to the other side if I can’t even cast it that far?

 

So on my way home, I remembered reading an article about fishermen on boats that used these deep diving boards to increase their lure depth while trolling.  Now what if I could use one of these but have the board pull my lure to the side instead of diving down.  Turns out, it’s already been done!

This rig was called a planar board.

Yes!  What if I could use this rig to pull my lure to the other side and keep it there on the entire stretch of the canal wall.  I wouldn’t have to worry about not reaching them anymore.

So with a little more research, I bought the Luhr Jensen Hot Shot Planar Board.

In this post, is a video that shows how effective the planar board can be while fishing at the California Aqueduct.  Structures only account for a fraction of the Aqueduct.  Most of it is open water.  A planar board is a great tool for finding stripers. 

Everything you need to know from how to rig a trolling board to tips and techniques I’ve covered HERE. Watch the video below as I give you some tips and ideas about how to use the planar board to effectively catch more fish at the California Aqueduct.

 

I can honestly say, it has transformed the way I fish at the California Aqueduct. No more spooking fish by casting lures or walking near the waters edge. No more stopping to cast and retrieve. I can search an entire stretch of water in less time. Not only that, my lure stays in the strike zone through the entire stretch of water.  Simple device, effective technique.  

We as fishermen have a tendency to think outside the box and be innovative.  It’s the human thing to do.