Chesapeake Bay Planer Board Trolling

Captain Marks 9 Rod Planer Board Trolling Spread Using All Tandem Rigs

​About the Rig Creator
Captain Mark Galasso "Tuna the Tide Charters"

Captain Mark Galasso out of Grasonville offers custom trips for fishing or cruising. He operates a newly renovated 35 Markley for your comfort and safety and a 243 Everglades. He fishes Chesapeake Bay from The CBBT to The Susquehanna with a home base in Kent Narrows. Bait, Jigging, Fly and Trolling are all available.

Captain Mark's 9 Rod Trolling Set Up

Off his 35 Markley, Captain Mark is comfortable running 9 tandem rigs spread out as you see them to the right. He'll run 3 off each planer board and 3 off the stern.

If you compare this set up to the others on the site, you'll see a few differences. Mark doesn't generally use in line sinkers in the early season and he keeps it simple by running all Parachute or Tsunami tandem rigs. However, the illustration shows how to use in line sinkers if you prefer.

He mixes up the depth by running lighter tandems on the outside - heavier tandems as you work your way to the middle.

He uses the same basic set up on all rods - check out the bottom and top illustrations.

Striper Bay Trolling Rods

Mark trolls OB Custom rods. Bill has him set up with a combination of 6' medium heavy rods, 5'6"medium heavy rods and 6' Heavy rods. Mark will use the 6' MH rods on the outside and the 6' Heavy rods off the stern.

We used Bill's and Mark's OB Custom rods as the models to design and spec the Shore Tackle Series Trollers - a nice alternative until that lucky day when you have Bill outfit your boat with a full line of custom rods to match your boat and YOUR trolling setup. 

Striper Trolling Reels

Mark has his rods set up with Penn 330 GT-2s.  Since Penn no longer offers these reels a good alternitive would be the Penn Squall 30L. Other alternatives would be the Okuma CV45-L and Okuma CV55-L a well proven, reasonably priced option or the new Okuma SLR-15L and 20-SLR, a real beast.

Striper Trolling Line

For the mainline, Mark likes the Power Pro braid, either green or hi vis. He'll fill the reel with 200 yards of 80 pound braid - with some 40 pound mono laid on first as backing. For a shock leader Mark uses a 30 foot, clear,  60 lb. mono. leader tied directly to the terminal end of the braid. 

Terminal Tackle for Bay Trolling

End of the mainline - Coastlock Snap Swivel - Size 1
Leader line - leading end - standard barrel swivel - Size 1
Leader line - trailing end - Coastlock Snap Swivel - Size 1
The tandems are tied using 80 pound mono and a three way swivel

Tandem Rigged Striper Lures

Below, we have picked out a selection of pre-rigged tandems that you can pull right out of the bag and snap on to the Coastlock at the end of your leader. To follow Mark's strategy, you will want to start lighter on the outside - heavier as you move to the middle.

Mark sticks with Chartreuse and White Parachutes as well as various Tsunami Colors mixed throughout the spread. 

Tsunami Tandems:  Click Here to Buy

• Large Rigged with 9" Dual Hook Swim Shad & 7" swim shad with heavy duty hook, 80 lb Mono Line, Size 2/0 (150#test) 3 way swivel 
• Small Rigged with 7" Swim Shad with Mustad heavy duty hook and 5" Swim Shad single hook, 80 Lb Mono Line, Size 1/0 (125#test) 3 way swivel
• Available in Sea Trout, Golden Bunker W/Spots, Blue Back, Limetreuse, Pearl/Spot
• Add one of our 10" x 10" nylon mesh bags for convenient transport and storage

Parachute Tandems:  Click Here To Buy 

• Hand Poured, Painted and Tied on Maryland's Eastern Shore
• High Quality Mustad Hooks
• All lines are crimped
• 80 lb mono Line
• Rigged with 9" Shad and Stinger Hook.
• White or Chartreuse Shad will Match Lure Skirt

Bullethead Bucktail Tandems:  Click Here To Buy

Ruby Lipped Bucktail Tandems:  Click Here To Buy

• Hand tied on the Eastern Shore
• 80 lb. mono line and Mustad Hooks
• All lines are crimped
• Choose from 3 color options white, black and chartreuse
• Weights: Large 4oz/2oz, Med 3oz/1.5 oz, Small 2oz/1oz
• Add one of our 5" x 7" nylon mesh bags for convenient transport and storage