Pro Staff 2025
Tom Boley
Hometown – Hayward , WI
Favorite Body of Water to Fish – Leech Lake
Favorite Church Tackle Product – TX-22 Planer Board
Why – The TX-22 allow me to run a large efficiently with both spinners and cranks. The lock jaw clips are amazing at keeping your board in place. The whole package with the double action flag makes this my favorite planer board.
Kent Andersen
Hometown – Amery, WI
Favorite Body of Water to Fish – Lake Mille Lacs
Favorite Church Tackle Product – TX-12 Mini Board paired w/Mini Flag System
Why – The TX-12 Mini Board paired w/the Flag System is my #1 choice when pulling open water spinners. The TX-12 pull with ease and when paired with the flag system you will detect the lightest of bites from those finicky walleyes. Now if you are into pulling crankbaits over structure you will want a set of TX-22 in your boat with the TX-22's being perfectly balanced they are unbeatable when staling baits out over those sweet spots where the walleyes like to live.
Ken Clark - Fishmas Charters
Location – Grand Rapids, MI
Favorite Fishing Spot - Lake Erie
Favorite Church Tackle Product - TX-12
Why - As a Charter Captain, the Church Tackle Company TX-12 mini planer is a key tool when trolling for Lake Erie Walleye. Paired with Stingray Diving Weights, my folks quickly are able to hone in on fish both on the bottom and suspended. Easy to use and ‘error proof’. The perfect combination!
https://www.fishmascharters.com/
Mitch Daun
Hometown – Manitowoc, WI
Favorite Body of Water to Fish – Door County, WI
Favorite Church Tackle Product – TX-12 w/ Mini Lock-Jaw Clips
Why – The TX-12 Mini Planer is simple and versatile. They are easy to store, use, and read on the water. I use them without flags, but a flag system can easily be added to the boards. Pairing the board with the Mini Lock-Jaw clip gives me that added confidence of no line slippage with my braid and monofilament set ups.
Brian Erler
Hometown – Reed City, MI
Favorite Body of Water to Fish –Detroit River/Lake Erie
Favorite Church Tackle Product – TX-22 w Double action flag kit
Why – One board to do everything I need from trolling for crappy, salmon or Walleye. One easy adjustment to the back of the board and you are fishing with whatever you have in your box, cranks, spoons, crawler harnesses or plugs. It can do it all.
Joe Kranc
Hometown – Saint John, IN
Favorite Body of Water to Fish – Lake Michigan
Favorite Church Tackle Product – walleye board
Why – We love the versatility of the walleye board it is capable of pulling a flat line up to a 450 copper and everything in between!
Captain Art Panfil
Hometown – Richfield, Ohio
Favorite Body of Water to Fish – Lake Erie
Favorite Church Tackle Product – The Walleye Board outfitted with the Lock-Jaw Clip.
Why – Our nonprofit organization welcomes a variety of different people on board, many of whom have never caught a walleye or been on Lake Erie before. The combination of the fully adjustable Church Tackle In-Line “Walleye Board” in conjunction with their no slip “Lock-Jaw Clip” provides a fast and easy way for our participants to learn, use, operate, and most importantly- catch fish consistently. This highly dependable, ultra efficient, and deadly Board and Clip combination is a must have for all walleye anglers.
Website: https://www.castitforwardfishing.com
Les Smith
Location – Como, MS
Favorite Fishing Spot - Big 4 MS Lakes: Arkabutls, Sardis, Enid & Grenada
Favorite Church Tackle Product - TX-12 Planer Board and Quick Snaps
Why - The combination of pulling the TX-12's from the back of the boat and power trolling off the front is a deadly combination for Crappie no matte what lake you are on.
John Harrison
Location – Jonesboro, LA
Favorite Fishing Spot - D'Arbonne Lake, Louisiana; Caney Lake, Louisiana; Sardis Lake, Mississippi
Favorite Church Tackle Product - TX-12 Planer Board with Flag System
Why - In the summer the crappie get spooky and the TX-12 lets me put baits out away from the boat and still control the depth I want the bait to run.
Brad Wiegmann
Location – Springdale, Arkansas
Favorite Fishing Spot - Beaver Lake, Arkansas
Favorite Church Tackle Product - TX-12 Planer Board
Why - Over the years I have used a number of the planer boards for fishing walleyes, crappie and stripers, however, my favorite way is the TX-12 Mini Planer Board. Its small, compacted size makes it perfect for trolling crankbaits for crappie. When trolling for crappie, especially in bodies of water with clear water, crappie will get spooky as the boat goes over or gets near them spreading them out where my planer boards and lures are and that puts the lure right on them. In fact, most of the crappie we catch are on the planer board lines.
