Shakey, I wasnt using planer boards just down rods. There are some days planers work better than downers and vise versa, right now down rods are working better. Throw a weight on it and drop her down where they are, put a couple in the depth they are, and a couple 8-10' above that. Sometimes they will come up to feed and hit the shallower ones and not touch the ones closest to them. Stripers are 99% of the time coming up to feed natural bait so you catch them on the way up. If you are in the jumps area like Hurricane said only have them 12-15 under the boat that's where you will get hit. If you do this, be forwarned all heck breaks loose when you got 8 rods with live bait out and you are in the jumps. As soon as you get one with casting on and hands are full, all 8 of your down rods will go down if you are by yourself!