Trolling with diving planers allows you to place your lure at a specific depth in the water. The function of a diving planer is that the water pressure against the angled lip of the diving planer will pull the diving planer and the fishing line underneath it downward. An angler can use a chart to control the depth of the diving planer because the depth of the diving planer change based off the amount of line that is let out and the speed at which the boat travels.
The chart allows anglers to plan the depth at which the diving planer will travel so that they dont have to guess at the depth of the diving planer while they are fishing. The depth of the diving planer changes based on the amount of line that is let out behind the boat. The more line that is let out, the more deeper the diving planer will go because of the increased water pressure against the diving planer.
How to Use a Diving Planer to Control Lure Depth
However, the speed that the boat is traveling work against this downward movement of the diving planer. If the boat is traveling faster, the diving planer will remain higher in the water column. If the boat slows, the diving planer will go deeper into the water column.
Many anglers tend to troll their boats at the middle speeds with diving planers so that they have more control over the depth of the diving planer. You can adjust the depth by changing the amount of line that is let out behind the boat or by changing the speed of the boat. The type of fishing line that is used will also change the depth of the diving planer.
If monofilament line is used, it will have enough diameter and stretch to allow for enough drag to work with the diving planer. Braided line will be thinner and have less stretch than monofilament line, so it will reduce the amount of drag that is create for the diving planer to reach as deep into the water as with monofilament. Fluorocarbon line will have a thickness and stretch that sits between braided and monofilament line, but fluorocarbon line will allow for the diving planer to reach deep into the water because fluorocarbon lines will sink in the water.
Copper wire is a different type of line that will add additional weight to the diving planer. This will change the depth calculations for diving planers. The angler should make the adjustment for line type after using the chart to calculate the depth of the diving planer.
The speed at which the boat is trolling also changes the depth of the diving planer. If the boat is traveling more slowly, the diving planer will reach its maximum depth. Slow trolling speeds are used when the fish that are being targeted live near the bottom of the water column.
If the boat is traveling at faster speeds, the diving planer will stay higher in the water. Additionally, trolling lines at faster speeds will also change the movement of the bait that is attached to the back of the diving planer. If the bait is spoon, they will flash more at faster speeds.
Crawler harnesses may start to spin at faster speeds. The speed bands on the chart can help anglers to find the best speed for the bait so that it will move in a way that will attract the attention of the fish. Different species of fish will require different depths and speeds when trolling with a diving planer.
For example, walleye will be found at moderate depths in the water and will respond best to trolling speeds that are neither too slow nor too fast. Salmon will be found in deeper waters so more line will need to be let out of the boat at slightly higher speeds. Coho salmon are found at higher depths in the water and will better tolerate faster speeds.
The chart will help anglers to determine the depths of different fish species so that they dont have to start the depth calculations from the beginning each time that they switch species. Smaller species of diving planers will work best with lighter lines and for trolling at shallow depths. However, because there is less surface area on smaller diving planers, they wont have enough strength to pull large lures or go as deep into the water as larger species of diving planers.
Larger species of diving planers will be able to go deeper into the water but will create more drag on the lighter rods that anglers may use when trolling with diving planers. Middle-sized diving planers will allow anglers to catch a variety of fish in a variety of depths without having to change the equipment that they use when trolling. Ensuring that the diving planer is properly rigged will ensure that the depth measurements that are taken will be accurate.
Using a line counter to keep track of the amount of line that is let out behind the boat will ensure that the measurements that is noted on the line counter match the depth of the line that is in the water. Using a snap swivel to attach the lure to the fishing line will ensure that the anglers can quickly and easily change the lures that are attached to the diving planer. Letting the line out at a steady speed while the boat is moving at a steady speed will allow the diving planer to begin to dive.
These preparations will ensure that the line depth measurements that are noted on the chart will remain accurate. The chart is not the only tool that can be used to catch fish while trolling with a diving planer. Other variables that will change the depth of the diving planer include water temperature, water currents, and the size of the lure that is attached to the diving planer.
These can all be accounted for with a fish finder, another tool that can aid in trolling success. To adjust the depth of the diving planer, anglers can simply let line out in increments of twenty-five feet with the goal of finding a depth that will entice the fish to bite. The goal of trolling with a diving planer is to have repeatable control over the depth of the lure.
This could of been achieved by understanding how each of these variables will impact the depth of the diving planer. Additionally, anglers can troll multiple diving planers of varying line lengths so that they can cover different areas in the water column.