Side Planers: In-Line or Mast type?

[Dan97]

Howdy All...

Let's talk side planers!! Which do you prefer, the kind that clips on your line or the type run on it's own line from a mast?

I have a set of in-line boards that work fairly well. But on way way home from the lake today, I stopped at a garage sale and found a planer board mast being "thrown out". There were no boards to be had, but there were two releases clipped to the lines. So a five spot later, it was going home with me. The releases alone are worth that much. Anyway, do you think it's worth the extra cash to pick up a couple of the larger, mast type boards? If so, what do you recommend?

Thanks......Dan

(Note: Storage space is not an issue here. My ProV has plenty to spare.)

[Guest]

I prefer the mast planers myself where you just put them out, attach a release to the lines and go. So much easier in my opinion, but then again you have to haul all the stuff and store it in the boat. I built my own side planers out of scrap wood (2 boards bolted together w/ long bolts and off-set to pull to the right or left.) They work slick.

The in-line planers always seem to frustrate me and I have a hard time running them in rougher water. Then reeling in a fish is an issue fighting a fish with the planer attached to the line.