Search Tactics for Summer Catfish – Part 2

June 25, 2025

Search Tactics for Summer Catfish – Part 2

This time, B’n’M pro-staffer David Magness describes how he trolls planer boards for catfish in the second part of the search for summer catfish.

Phillip Gentry

 

Last time, B’n’M catfish pro staffer David Magness from Hernando, Mississippi explained how bumping for catfish was his go-to tactic in moving water for finding scattered summer catfish, a typical scenario during the post spawn. In this article, Magness describes how he uses planer boards to search still or slowly moving waters, those with insufficient current to bump in.

Bumping is a great tactic and very productive,” said Magness, “but for you lake anglers or when the current just doesn’t support back-trolling, it’s time to break out the planer boards and the drift rigs and go find them.”

When bumping, the river current, off-set by the trolling motor, guides the boat down the river. When using planer boards and drift rigs, the trolling motor does all the work.

The B’n’M Silver Cat Elite in 7 ½ foot length is Magness’ favorite rod for trolling.

 

Magness explained that the basic set up involves 6 – 8 rods stationed around the rear gunnels and stern of the boat. He uses 7’6” B’n’M catfish rods spooled with 80-pound braided line. His bait rig revolves around a three-way swivel. One eye is tied to the main line while the second eye has a 3 – 4-foot section of 50 pound Hi Seas mono leader terminated with an 8/0 hook. A split crappie float, pegged at both ends, is attached to the leader about 4 – 6 inches from the hook. The float helps float the bait off the bottom and clear of snags. He attaches a specially made slinky weight called a Structure Snake to the third eye to weight the rig and help it crawl over the bottom without hanging up.

Magness said he tells people his favorite trolling rod is B’n’M’s Silver Cat Elite but secretly admits the pink Lady Cat Elites work best for him.  

“My wife absolutely loves this rod, and I’ve reeled in some big catfish with it myself. It’s hard to get embarrassed about fishing with a pink rod with a 30 pounder on the end of the line,” he laughed.

Trolling rigs behind a planer board is not a race. You need just enough speed to keep the line tight and the board in formation.

During the post spawn period, trophy blue catfish, big channel catfish and of course flathead catfish tend to stick pretty close to heavy cover. This is where the slinky rig shines because the angler can simply pull the rig right through the nasty cover without hanging up.

Magness said he still flatlines a couple of lines out the back but through the years has noticed that the boat will push catfish away from the shadow and sound of the hull passing over them.

“I don’t think they’re spooked, exactly, but they do shy away from the boat and that works to your advantage if you have two or three lines way out to the side behind a planer board,” he said.

He’s narrowed his favorites down to two – Parks planer boards and Draggin’ Master planer boards. He sets the amount of line out from the board at two times the depth of the water he’s fishing.

The Structure Snake slinky weight is the key to trolling baits through heavy cover without getting hung.

While the term is trolling, his speeds of .6 - .7 miles per hour are just fast enough to keep the line tight to the boards and keep the boards upright and in formation. This gives the hunks of cut shad and/or skipjack herring, a chance to work their magic by slowly crawling them through heavy cover.

 “The best advice I can give you after that is just put the rods out and go,” said Magness. “Go find some humps, sandbars, log piles, rock piles or anything else under the water where catfish might be laying up.”

“The post spawn is tough, but it will get better as time goes on,” he said. “By the middle of July, the temperatures will be hot, and you’ll appreciate that little bit of breeze you get by trolling. Just stay with it.”

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To book a fishing trip with David Magness of Cat’n Aroun Guide Service, contact him at (901) 356-1008.

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Wherever fishing takes you, B’n’M has been there. Visit our website at bnmpoles.com

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