How to Use Planer Boards for Catfishing with The Blade Planer Board
Planer boards are a game-changer for catfish anglers looking to maximize coverage and efficiency on the water. By spreading baits away from the boat, planer boards help you cover more area, target specific strike zones, and eliminate tangled lines.
Among the top-tier options available, The Blade Planer Board from Livingston Lures stands out for its durability and performance under demanding catfishing conditions. If you’re new to using planer boards, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get started.
Why Use Planer Boards for Catfishing?
Planer boards allow you to:
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Spread baits out: Position baits well away from the boat to avoid spooking fish. This is critical on pressured waters or when trophy hunting for monster catfish.
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Cover more water: Increase your reach, especially in large lakes, rivers, or reservoirs. Big water means more area to cover, planer boards help achieve this goal.
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Prevent line tangles: Keep multiple rods running clean, even in tight spreads. Wind and current can cause tangles as lines drift. Planer boards prevent this by increasing the distance between lines.
For anglers targeting trophy blue cats or flatheads, planer boards are essential tools for consistent success in big water. The planer board equation is simple, more lines means more water covered equaling more catfish in the boat.
Setting Up Catfish Planer Boards
With the Blade Planer Boards getting setting up a catfishing planer board is simple, straightforward and easy, even a kid can do it!
Identify Left and Right Boards
This is made simple with The Blade: the boards are color-coded just like navigation lights.
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Red = Port (Left)
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Green = Starboard (Right)
When facing forward toward the bow of your boat, red goes on the left and green on the right.
Attach the Board to Your Line
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Use the front clip to secure the planer board to your mainline.
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Slide the line into the rear metal clip for proper alignment and tracking.
Deploying Catfishing Planer Boards
Once rigged, here’s how to get The Blade into the water and working effectively:
Set Your Bait
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Drop or cast your bait to the desired depth.
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Let out enough line based on the depth—e.g., in 24 feet of water, you might want 25–30 feet of line out so the bait drags the bottom or stays just above it.
Attach the Planer Board
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Clip the board to your line using both the front and rear clips as described above.
Let Out Line
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Release line from your reel and allow the board to move away from the boat.
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Apply slight tension by briefly pausing the reel to help the board plane outward.
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The more line you let out, the farther The Blade will spread from the boat.
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At a trolling speed of 0.5 mph, The Blade can spread your bait 20 feet or more off to the side and even further in current or at higher speeds.
Place the Rod
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Once the board is where you want it, lock your reel and place the rod in a holder.
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The Blade will continue tracking steadily, keeping your bait in the ideal strike zone.
Handling a Catfish Strike
The Blade is designed to make strike detection and hooksets clean and efficient:
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Automatic release: The front clip near the rod tip often pops free when a fish strikes, removing the resistance of the board from the fight.
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Retrieve and reset: After landing the fish, unclip the board by removing the rear clip from your line. Rebait, reattach the board, and send it back out. It’s that easy.
Why Choose The Blade Planer Board for Catfishing?
The Blade Planer Board from Livingston Lures is engineered specifically for the demands of catfish anglers:
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Durability: Built to withstand heavy baits, braided lines, and strong river current. It tracks cleanly through chop, rollers, or wind.
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Versatility: Whether you're dragging large cut bait like gizzard shad or slow-trolling live bluegill, The Blade handles it all.
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Field-tested reliability: Trusted by professional guides and serious weekend anglers alike—on big rivers, deep reservoirs, and everywhere in between.
Tips for Success
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Adjust for conditions: In tight cover or narrow creeks, keep boards closer to the boat to avoid snags. In open water, let them plane wide.
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Use multiple boards: In states allowing multi lines, you can double or triple your spread by running boards on both sides.
Catfishing with Planer Boards
Planer boards like The Blade from Livingston Lures are essential for catfish anglers who want to fish smarter and cover more ground. Whether you're targeting big fish on a wide river flat or picking apart a deep reservoir channel, The Blade gives you precision, control, and confidence.
