Planers: Not Just for Spanish Mackerel

Many anglers who troll for Spanish and king mackerel employ in-line planers, but few seem to use planers for other fisheries – and this can be a mistake. Planers aren’t just for the macks, but in fact are effective for all different types of trolling. Their diving ability is quite reliable, and you can use them to place a lure exactly where you want it, for virtually any type of fishery.

Grouper and snapper can be effectively targeted with planers, specifically when you find them in 15 to 25 feet of water. On the shallower end of this spectrum, let out a #1 planer and keep setting it back a bit farther and farther, until it begins hitting bottom. Then give four or five cranks on the reel, and you’ll now have your offering running right past the fish’s noses. At the deeper end of this range, do the exact same thing with a #3 planer.

Tuna and wahoo may sound like surprising species to target with planers, but they can be shockingly effective on these pelagics at certain times. The key here is to be aware of any thermoclines, and watch your meter for marks while trolling. If you see big marks hanging just above or just below a thermocline, planers are a great way to sink a spoon or even a rigged ballyhoo down to the fish.

Flounder trolling with a planer may sound even more bizarre, but in a very specific scenario, it’s a killer tactic. When flounder are laying on bottom in sandy passes or channels which have zero structure, you can slow-troll a planer along bottom so it intentionally rubs and digs up a bit of sand as it moves along, creating a visual trail that drives the fish nuts. Naturally, if the bottom is anything but sand the planer will snag and you’ll likely lose a lot of tackle, so be sure you know there’s nothing but sand down there. As for the offering, this works best with a Spin-N-Glow rig, which is buoyant and will float up behind the planer, trailing a strip bait or a live minnow.