Introducing Water Bugz Planer Boards in the eStore

[NCangler]

NCangler.com has become a reseller of a great new product for fishing inshore or offshore called the "Water Bugz Planer Board". The product is manufactured by a North Carolina company called "Down & Out, Inc." and is generating a great deal of interest and use among tournament fishermen.

I'll be posting a couple of articles by Water Bugz inventor Jeff Tomlin on how to use them inshore and offshore. But here is some basic information on the theory and operation of Water Bugz Planer Boards.

If you’re pulling "monster bait," a planer board is the way to go, says Jeff Tomlin. Water Bugz Planer Boards are the brainchild of striped bass fishing guide Jeff Tomlin, with Down & Out Guide Service. "Planer boards get the lines away from the boat," says Tomlin. "Without them, you’re fishing is confined to the width of the boat, maybe eight feet; with planer boards, you can extend your reach to cover 100 feet of water, you can stagger your lines, and you get more line separation. You won’t have to worry as much about tangled lines, and you cover more water. Plus, you’re fishing water where the boat isn’t spooking the fish."

The one word that could describe the story of Water Bugz Planer Boards is "necessity." "Back in 2001 guiding on Lake Norman and Lake Hickory in North Carolina, I had used every board on the market and even some local homemade boards," says Tomlin. Certain boards had features that he liked such as:

• Yellow Birds were inexpensive, seemed to work well for pulling medium bait and are very visible but the clip was never very hand friendly;
• Offshore Boards worked great for pulling monster bait but he felt he lost the chance of multiple strikes because fish just felt the weight of the heavy board when they pulled back on the bait;
• The high profile boards while very visible to the eye seemed to snag the other lines on tight turns;
• Some of the homemade boards were low profile like he wanted but were just too big size wise;
• And the small boards were great for storage but could not handle the big bait he sometimes needed.

So off he went with a drill, duck tape, knife, piece of foam, and pocket full of screws. It took several weekends and lots bathtub experiments before he had one that would even float correctly, but eventually the foam and the weight placement worked together. The clip anchor point was very touchy and probably created the most difficult challenge but finally all came together.

Now he had a board that would do just about everything he needed:

• Low profile
• Pull monstore bait
• Very visible
• Inexpensive

"I gave a few of the boards to other fishermen and guides to get feedback on the function of the boards and they said they were great and would like more, so we were off and running," said Tomlin. "The only problem was the board looked like something the Little Rascals made." Through his many contacts Jeff was able to re-design the look and mass-produce a better-looking planer board before introducing Water Bugz to the commercial market.

Today’s Water Bugz have the same measurements as the original design, but now have a much better packaging and professional appearance. Every board is manufactured in the same shop in which they were created just five years ago.

"With these small Water Bugz planer boards I can clip them on the line so they won’t come off during the fight," said Professional Lake Lanier Striped Bass Fishing guide Shane Watson. "They are small enough that they don’t affect the retrieve, and the bead at the swivel keeps the board from slipping all the way down to the fish. It sure is nice not to have to chase a planer board after landing a fish."

Now keep in mind…Water Bugz are not just for striper fishing. Tomlin figured this out himself when he took his striper-fishing know-how and his homemade planer boards and started king fishing in 2003. Now he knows Water Bugz have applications far beyond the banks of any reservoir.

Inshore Uses

Unlimited possibilities is the only way to describe what Water Bugz Side Planers can do for inshore fishermen. Whether you use rocket launchers, rod holders or just pvc pipe you can stand rods up or out in any fashion and still cover up to 100 foot of water in any boat.

Anchor near a grass bed or oyster bed and let out a mullet, sand flea or strip bait with a Water Bug and the current will plane the board over to that area and hold in place when you stop the reel.

Offshore

Water Bugz Planer Boards are a simple and more affordable alternative to outriggers. When using this side planer, you expand your coverage from the width of the boat to up 100 feet. As we all know...more coverage equals better fishing. Live bait fishing is most effective at less than 2 mph but Water Bugz can handle up to 3 mph. The slower you troll the more effective your live bait will be.

These bright orange planers will disturb the surface and act as a front-runner with the bait typically 10 - 40 feet behind the board. With your wide coverage and separation of lines, you have the ability to turn 180 degrees in an acre of water. This gets you back to the action quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big of bait can you troll?
Baits up to 15 inches

How much does one planer weigh?
2.5oz and it can handle live baits over one pound

How fast can you troll?
Water Bugz can handle up to 3mph but for best results with live bait 1-2 will get the best results

Can you use cut bait or strip bait?
Yes, cut bait is buoyant like live bait and will work fine

What are the dimensions of the board?
Three inches tall and seven inches long

How do I adjust the tension of the clip?
The spring inside the clip will slide forward for more tension and slide back for heavy tension

Where should the line go in the clip?
I prefer the line in the front 1/3 of the clip so when the fish strikes the bait the board will release and just slide down the line to the leader or fish which you then can gaff or net the fish and take off the board and put it on the next line.

Can I use Water Bugz from the bank?
Yes, current or tide cause moving water and with that the board will go out

How many boards do I use at once?
Each line requires its own planer and two on each side of the boat (four rods) is no problem

What is good set up for offshore?
A Tournament setup(six rods) would be two planers on each side, a prop bait and a down rigger

What is a good set up for inshore anchoring?
When targeting an area (grass bed, oyster bed, or hole) stay about fifty feet above it and slightly over to the side. This will let you run baits over to that area and hold them in that current and all that sand and mud the boat stirs up with movement just goes right by since you are over to the side. You have two planers stationed in one spot and that allows you to fish artificial or cast elsewhere

Do I need a certain type of rod holder?
No, these boards work the same whether the rod is vertical or angled or horizontal

What fish do I target with Water Bugz?
If you use bait, whether trolling or anchored these planers will simply allow expanded fishing, and cover more water. If you are trolling out of the back of your boat your covering the beam(8feet) plus the rods that are hanging over the side which is normally about sixteen feet wide. Water Bugz gives you up to one hundred foot of cover, so its better quality fishing.

How far out do I run the bait behind the planer?
The tactics section will be of some help for your type of fishing but generally some where between 10-40feet works best. This has a lot to do with your fishing area, King Mackerel tend to like a bait a little closer to the board since they seem to be more aggressive while a Spanish Mackerel likes the bait farther away. But any time you run big bait you must run them close to the planer because this bait has the power to swim into the other lines. A ten-inch pogie would work best twenty feet behind the planer.

How fast should I troll?
When live baiting slower is better, and best results are usually between 1-2mph. A great bonus of using Water Bugz is in strong winds and big seas(six –eight feet)simply put out the boards and any wind that moves the boat will make the boards go out, with out any motor at all. Many fishermen using Water Bugz make long drifts (motor off) and cover that one hundred foot as slow as possible

Can I pull artificials?
No, these planers are specifically designed to pull bait and live bait especially

What is the advantage of Water Bugz?
This light weight board will flow over chop, over waves and not drowned the bait with snaps and jerks, the weight also does not allow the fish that struck that bait to feel resistance from a heavy object therefore getting you multiple strikes on one bait