I recently purchased a side-planer made by "side finder" out of Idaho. I want to use the planer from the shore. I am running the planer above a swivel on fireline (so I won't lose the planer if snagged) followed by about 3' of 10# leader and finally a plug. Has anyone had any luck with these things and if so can you provide some advice? Thanks for any help, Lord knows I need it.

jed ><>.......

Fished with a fella from Idaho many years ago and from what he tells me that's the only way to do it over there. I suspect the way the rivers are dictate what works. He ran hotshots and wiggle warts of the planer and set the rod in a holder like a plunker would do. If you have any success with it post it, curious about it myself.
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Have not used it for steelhead but have caught salmon on it. Called a poor mans drift boat. When I use it I put the plug 20-30 feet behind it. Also you need to be in a spot with not many people and no boat traffic. good luck

Side planers are a big deal on the Salmon river. Some folks set them out and sit in their campers etc for days on end, 24/7 One thing that comes to mind is that they don't get the usual and accustomed amount of " Love" from boaters that bankies that are actually working a hole or run get. Its like this, if a guy runs a side planer out into the middle of the river and then retires into his camper or whatever, its considered fair game to row up and fish all around it, above it, below it, whatever. If the guy is out on the bank actually watching his rod then he gets the same amount of room that you would expect from anyone. Can't tell you how many times we have rowed into one of the better runs and start fishing it, and have some dude come down to the river and exclaim " can't you see my side planer out there???" You bet I can but I don't see you anywhere... As for your questions, you bet they work, they really work when the fish are actively moving upriver. 3ft is way to short for your leader, I would at least double that

Several years ago I watched a fellow use a sideplainer on the Sky up near the hatchery. He hooked three fish landed one the last one toke his plug and plainer. So they do work.

Sideplaners are extremely effective. I've caught a half dozen summer-runs and a few winter brats using them and haven't spent that much time at it. I would recommend about 10-12ft. of leader depending on water depth. I always actively work the planer/plug combination down-river when space allows. Work it in and out while you gradually move downstream. I wouldn't recommend using one in a drift where there are drift fishermen downstream for obvious reasons. I can see where boaters wouldn't like them cause you can pretty much plug a drift like they would. Rod tip up and the planer moves away from shore...rod tip down and it moves toward shore. It's like flying a kite! Good luck.

I first started using sideplaners back when I was a teenager. There was a hole on the Sauk that I just couldn't get my drift gear to. There was a log jam and heavy brush surrounding it. I was tired of watching drift boats pound fish out of there not to mention those damn steelies were rollin' all the time in there. Soon I discovered that I could plug 'em right from the bank with a sideplaner.

What I discovered through a lot of trial and error was that these things are a real pain in the ass to use properly. In a driftboat you let your plugs out somewhere in the fifty foot range so they can dive down and they're not going to be so close to the boat that they spook fish. A little different with the sideplaner as they don't displace water like a boat and subsequently don't spook fish that bad. You still need to let out a lot of line so the plug can dive unless you're fishing at the head of a shallow riffle or tailout.

What I also discovered is that it took two of us to use the sideplaner properly. After running out about 40 or so feet of leader, one guy would throw the plug out in the current and I'd bust tail to get the planer working out in the current so it was in line with the plug. The first time I got a fish with the planer, I had the release mechanism rigged wrong or set too tight and I remember the whole sideplaner going completely underwater and a fish going nuts and jumping at the other end. Holy, sheepnutz Batman! You got one!! The barbless hook didn't hold but I discovered that they do work. Boaters used to get steamin' mad when they showed up at that hole and there were a dozen teenage kids plunking runnin' planers, etc. Pretty funny to watch now that I think about it. How many people out there on this boars remember the circus that I used to have going on on the upper Sauk back in the late 80's and early 90's?

You also need a meatpole to run the planers as they pull hard, especially in faster water. Well, not necessarily a "meat" pole, I really hate that term, but a fairly heavy fast action rod. Good luck and tight lines!

Justin
CEO, Sauk River Steelhead Ranch

Hey thanks for the replies guys, appreciate it. I have only fished it one time and have to say it was both fun and discouraging. The thing is trickier than one might think to get working properly. The manufacturer says 10' below the planer, others have told me as much as 40 or more feet. I recognize that this depends on several factors (lure type, water depth, line diameter, etc.) so will continue experimenting. Thanks again guys.

jed