Anyone have any ideas on how Somonecould make a planner board that could carry a weight in the 5-10lbs range ? Also any ideas on a disconnect disconnect that would allow said weight to be dropped with say a seconded line ? I could swear I remember hearing some walleye guys talk about somthing that would disconnect the lure line from the planner when the fish was hooked but can't remember.
Thanks!
God Bless !

Radio controlled battery powered boat & I have one to sell.

Wolfie look for a heavy salmon release for downriggers. Walleye release would be too light. ..

As far as a board, look on YouTube about making one. Very simple. Just have to make it bigger for those weights. As far as releases, I don't know what to tell you. Some styrofoam, old road sign, and duct tape , your in business.

I use old deep sea boat rods for the boards. Yard sale freebies. Another rod for the bait. Some of the bait rods have leadcore depending what I'm after. I put bait rods on the downriggers with the 5lb. weights and the boards out each side but kept higher to cover more column.

hey Wolfdog, are you trying to do something like this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnfEXKvYTXA

the diver he is using is called a Jet Diver, it will take his lure down about 30-40 ft deep and the planer board will take him as far to the side of the boat as he has line.
sense the 1980s,I use a diver called a Deep Six, they come in different colors and sizes for different depths, pics of them here ... https://www.cabelas.com/product/Luhr-Jensen-Deep-Six-Diving-Sinker-Planer/702097.uts
Back in the 70s we used 3 - 5 lb lead balls and sinker releases to fish for salmon in salt water, the divers became much more convenient, and allowed us to use in combo with in-line planer boards to cover more water than just fishing behind the boat.

I believe the fish or the strike usually disconnects itself.
Many years ago I made my own down riggers.
I used a rectangular piece of flat aluminum for the body. I poured lead into a cupcake mold to produce 2 weights that I bolted down low on the front. What i came up with for a release was was 2 plumbers washers bolted between 2 small bars of aluminum on the back at the top. . The stove bolt had a wing nut on one end to adjust the tension.
I just slipped the line attached to the lure between the plumbers washers and adjusted the wingnut so the lure would not un-attach itself while trolling. A fish strike would pull the line from between the rubber washers.
There are surely things one can buy that would make this easy. At the time i was a poor man and there is always the satisfaction of making something yourself that does the job.
I was fish with flashers and flies and sometimes J-plugs for salmon and trout on Lake Michigan. I did catch fish using this rig.
A Deep Six or Dipsy Diver may do what you want.

on lake Michigan we run lead line behind boards https://www.walmart.com/ip/Yellow-B...VUW-E6viTpoMPc9FzXaIy_qRCzwaAmJIEALw_wcB


how far down is decided by how many colors you run .

we can run 3 on each side and the way they are spread out seldom get tangles , but you must keep the boat moving.

search for "downrigger quick release clip".