How to Use a Planer for Fishing - Depth Control Without Downriggers

A fishing planer does one job: push your lure or bait deeper than surface trolling allows. No downrigger ball, no electric motor, no expensive hardware mounted to the gunwale. Just a flat piece of metal or plastic that dives when pulled through the water and trips to the surface when a fish strikes.

If you troll for king mackerel, wahoo, tuna, or any pelagic species that holds below the surface, a planer is the simplest path to reaching them. Most charter boats on the Carolinas coast run at least two planers in every trolling spread because the fish often aren't on the surface - they're at 15, 30, or 60 feet. The planer gets you there without the cost and complexity of a downrigger system.

Here's how planers work, how deep each size actually runs, how to rig one properly, and when a downrigger makes more sense.

What does a fishing planer actually do?

A planer is an angled metal or plastic plate that generates downward force when pulled through water. Think of it as an underwater kite. The angle of the plate relative to the water creates lift - but instead of lifting up like a kite in wind, the geometry pushes the planer down.

When you pull a planer at trolling speed (typically 3-8 knots), it dives and drags your lure behind it at a controlled depth. When a fish strikes the lure, the impact trips a release mechanism on the planer, which flips the plate flat. With the diving angle neutralized, the planer rides to the surface and you fight the fish without the planer's resistance.

This trip mechanism is what separates a planer from a sinker or trolling weight. A sinker stays deep the entire fight, adding drag and making it nearly impossible to tell if you're fighting a fish or dragging hardware. A tripped planer comes to the surface, giving you a clean fight.

The three most common planer sizes:

• Size 1 (small): Dives 5-15 feet depending on trolling speed and line length
• Size 2 (medium): Dives 15-30 feet
• Size 3 (large): Dives 30-50+ feet

These depth ranges are approximations. Actual depth depends on trolling speed, line diameter, line length behind the boat, and current.

Planer sizes and depth: how deep does each size actually run?

Every planer manufacturer publishes depth charts, and every one of them is optimistic. Real-world depth depends on five variables, and ignoring any of them means your lure isn't where you think it is.

Factor	Effect on Depth
Planer size	Larger plate = more diving force = deeper
Trolling speed	Faster speed = more force = slightly deeper, but line angle increases
Line length	More line out = deeper (to a point)
Line diameter	Thicker line = more drag = shallower
Current	Opposing current = deeper; following current = shallower

Practical depth ranges by planer size at typical trolling speeds (4-6 knots):

Planer Size	100 ft of line	150 ft of line	200 ft of line
Size 1	8-10 ft	12-15 ft	15-18 ft
Size 2	15-18 ft	20-25 ft	25-30 ft
Size 3	25-30 ft	35-40 ft	45-55 ft

At high-speed wahoo trolling (10-14 knots), these depths decrease because the line angle behind the boat becomes steeper. A size 2 planer at 12 knots might only reach 12-15 feet. Speed trades depth for coverage.

The line diameter factor is real. Running 60 lb Diamond Braid Gen III 8X Solid to the planer instead of 80 lb monofilament reduces water resistance on the line and lets the planer dive 10-20% deeper. Braid's thin diameter is a genuine advantage for planer depth.

If exact depth matters - and for wahoo and tuna it often does - invest in a fish finder with a depth readout on a planer weight. Or mark your line at known intervals and test depth with a weighted reference on a calm day. Once you calibrate your setup, you can repeat the depth consistently.

How to rig a planer: bridle, line, and snap setup

Planer rigging has three connections: mainline to planer, planer to leader, leader to lure. Getting these right determines whether the planer tracks straight, dives to the right depth, and trips cleanly on a strike.

The bridle connection (planer to mainline)

The bridle is the critical component. It's a short section of wire, cable, or heavy monofilament that connects the planer's tow point to the mainline through a snap or snap swivel. The bridle geometry determines the planer's diving angle and its trip sensitivity.

Epic Planer Bridle Kits come pre-rigged with the correct bridle length and hardware for standard size 1-3 planers. If you're rigging from scratch, the Planer Bridle Rigging Kit includes the hardware without the pre-built assembly.

A properly built bridle does three things:

1. Sets the tow angle so the planer dives at the correct rate

2. Allows the planer to trip (flip flat) when a fish strikes

3. Prevents the planer from spinning or tracking crooked

If your planer tracks to one side, spins, or won't trip on a strike, the bridle is wrong. Check the tow point attachment, the bridle length, and the snap swivel orientation.

For individual planer bridles that are ready to clip on, we carry them pre-built. One bridle per planer. Replace them when the wire or cable shows wear or kinks.

The mainline setup

Run your mainline (60-80 lb braid or monofilament) from the reel to a ball bearing snap swivel that clips to the planer bridle. The snap swivel needs to be rated to at least 150 lb - planers under load generate significant force at trolling speed.

Behind the planer, run 6-15 feet of leader to your lure or bait. Shorter leaders (6-8 feet) give you more control and keep the lure in the planer's disturbed water column. Longer leaders (12-15 feet) let the lure swim in cleaner water behind the planer.

The leader connection

For most planer fishing, tie the leader directly to the planer's trailing ring with a snap or snap swivel. Use a separate leader appropriate to your target species - piano wire for wahoo and kings, fluorocarbon for tuna and mahi.

Clarkspoon Planer Kits include the planer, spoon, and leader as a complete ready-to-fish system. These are the standard for king mackerel planer fishing on the Carolinas coast and work straight out of the package.

How to fish a planer: speed, line angle, and rod position

Once rigged, fishing a planer is straightforward. Deploy the planer at trolling speed, let it dive, and watch the rod tip for strikes.

Deployment: With the boat at trolling speed, drop the planer over the side (not off the stern where it can tangle in the prop wash). Let out line steadily until you reach your target line length. The planer will dive as soon as it has water flowing over it. Lock the reel and place the rod in a holder.

Speed control. Planer depth is speed-dependent. Once you've calibrated your setup at a given speed, maintain that speed consistently. Speed changes move the planer up or down in the column, which may move your lure out of the productive zone.

At slow-trolling speeds (2-4 knots) for king mackerel, planers dive efficiently and track well. At high-speed wahoo trolling (8-14 knots), the planer rises in the column and the line angle behind the boat steepens. Adjust your expectations and line length accordingly.

Rod position. Planer rods need to be stiff enough to handle the constant diving force without fatiguing. A 50-class conventional rod in a gimbal holder is standard. The Complete Wahoo Planer Rod Kit includes the matched rod, reel, and line rated for continuous planer use - the entire system is designed to handle the sustained load.

Set the rod tip high (30-40 degrees above horizontal) so you can see the planer load on the rod. A loaded planer puts a deep, steady bend in the rod. When a fish strikes and the planer trips, the rod tip snaps straight momentarily before the fish loads it again. That rod-tip pop is your strike indicator.

Line angle. The steeper your line angle behind the boat, the shallower your planer is running. If the line leaves the rod tip at 45 degrees or more, the planer isn't deep. Let out more line or slow down.

Protect the leader and mainline at the planer attachment point with chafe gear tubing. The snap swivel at the planer connection is a high-friction point under constant load. Without chafe protection, the line wears through surprisingly fast.

Planer vs downrigger: when each makes sense

Both tools solve the same problem - getting lures deep. They do it differently, and each has clear advantages.

Choose a planer when:

• Budget matters. A planer costs $15-40. A downrigger setup costs $300-1,500+.
• You fish a small or mid-size boat without gunwale space for downrigger mounts
• You're slow-trolling for kings or medium-speed trolling for wahoo at 4-12 knots
• You want simplicity. Planers have no moving parts, no electrical system, no retrieval mechanism
• You're running a spread of 4-6 lines and need some subsurface without dedicating rod holders to downrigger hardware

Choose a downrigger when:

• You need precise, repeatable depth control (deep dropping to 100+ feet)
• You're trolling for lake trout, salmon, or deep freshwater species where depth precision determines success
• You fish the same boat regularly and can permanently mount the hardware
• Target depth exceeds 50 feet (planers become impractical below 50 feet due to line angle and drag)
• You want to change depth without pulling in the entire line - downriggers let you raise and lower the ball without retrieving

The practical middle ground. Most saltwater trolling boats run a combination: surface lures on flatlines and outriggers, planers on 1-2 dedicated rods for subsurface coverage, and maybe a downrigger if the boat has one. This gives you a vertical spread from surface to 30-40 feet without overcomplicating the spread.

Planers are the workhorse of the Carolina coast. Walk the docks at Morehead City, Hatteras, or Wrightsville Beach and count the planer rods in the spread on any trolling boat. You'll see more planers than downriggers by a wide margin. They're cheap, reliable, and they catch fish.

For the full wahoo trolling spread layout that integrates planers with surface lures, see our wahoo spread guide. For offshore reel selection to pair with your planer rods, check our offshore trolling reel guide. And for king mackerel-specific spread setup including planer positions, see our king mackerel rigging guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How deep does a fishing planer go?

A size 1 planer reaches 8-18 feet, a size 2 reaches 15-30 feet, and a size 3 reaches 25-55 feet, depending on trolling speed and line length. Faster speeds reduce depth. More line out increases depth.

How do you rig a fishing planer?

Connect a bridle to the planer's tow point, attach your mainline to the bridle via a snap swivel, and run 6-15 feet of leader from the planer's trailing ring to your lure. The bridle geometry determines diving angle and trip sensitivity.

What is the difference between a planer and a downrigger?

A planer is a passive diving plate that uses water pressure to pull your lure deep. A downrigger uses a weighted ball on a cable lowered by a mechanical or electric spool. Planers are simpler and cheaper. Downriggers offer more precise depth control.

What speed do you troll with a planer?

2-4 knots for king mackerel slow-trolling. 6-8 knots for general trolling. 8-14 knots for wahoo high-speed trolling. Higher speeds reduce planer depth due to increased line angle.

Can you use a planer for freshwater fishing?

Yes. Planers work in any water. They're commonly used in the Great Lakes for salmon, trout, and walleye trolling. The same depth principles apply regardless of water type.