when to use planar boards trolling for brown trout Brown Trout don’t react well to sudden sounds. When fishing for Brown Trout it’s important to keep quiet.

Spring is an exciting time both above and below the water line. Winter gives way from a time of starvation to a time of plenty. Most animal and fish species are spawning as are insects.

Choosing the Best Lure

The best bait or lure to use in the spring when fishing Lake Michigan or Lake Huron is the common lake smelt.

The smelt are in abundance and are a popular bait for all predatory fish like the Brown Trout.

The average length of the smelt in the Great lakes is between 5 and 6 inches.

  • Matching the overall length of the smelt matters. Any smaller and you’ll have less success.
  • The best way to ensure that you have the right length is to have 3 of them on hand at various lengths from 5 to 8 inches in length.
  • Blue and silver smelt lures work best.

Pretty much any make will work. Rapalas or Rebels are all just as good and it doesn’t matter if they are joined or straight. The key is to the speed you are trolling and the depth at which you place the lure.

Don’t go too fast and use a depth finder to get a solid approximation of their depth.

While they will change depth, they’ll generally stick close to the shore as this is where the bait is.


Trolling for Brown Trout

Fluorocarbon leaders are recommended that are are 8 or 10 pounds. Attach an 8 foot leader to your mainline with a very small barrel swivel to the mainline, which should be no more than 15 pounds.

We can’t recommend planar boards enough if you’re going to be trolling for Brown Trout on the Great Lakes. These simple devices help keep your bait at the right depth and prevent multiple lines from getting tangled.

Setting up a Planar Board

Planer boards were designed to carry your lures off to the side and away from the boat, so make sure you use them to their potential.

Double and triple boards will allow up to 4 or 6 rods if 2 are used.