Once the planer boards are installed, the fishing process can begin. The planer board should be lowered into the water. Most fishermen will feed out 15 to 25 yards of line to keep the board a significant distance from the boat. Once the board is in the proper location, the reel of the planer board should be locked to hold it into position.

Bait the fishing line. Then, place the fishing line into the water. The fishing line can be fed out as far as the fisherman would like. After setting the drag, place the rod in a holder. Clip a loop of the line in a release clamp and clip the ring onto the planer board line. Then, place it into the water. The clip and line will slide to the planer board. Continue to feed the fishing line until the release clip is only a two to three feet from the planer board.

Many fishermen enjoy fishing with multiple fishing lines. If this is your preference, keep repeating the above steps for each additional fishing line. Ensure the lines and release clips are at least two to three feet apart.

When a fish has taken the bait, the line will fall out of the release clip and fall behind the boat without getting tangled with other lines. Smaller fish may not pull the line free of the clip. If this does not happen, the fisherman can give the line a tug and release the line from the clip manually.

Planer boards can cover a targeted area of 25 feet. A large coverage area aids in catching fish early. The pull will be greater during trolling as the speed is increased. Lower speeds are not as effective in the trolling process. Many experts recommend two miles per hour.