Help with planer board releases

Get some rubber bands, thin ones. loop them on to your line then put the rubber band in the release. The release will hold the rubber band good and the band should break when a fish hits. You may have to experiment with different bands to find one that fits your needs.
 
Also you may have the pleasurable experence of having a board line break, and loose alot of money in releases. I use showcurtain hook (walmart a couple bucks for a dozen) and snap the rubber band in those. So if my board line breaks I loose a few dollars not $50+ in releases. Again it how i do it.
 
I have found you get more rod tip action (seeing the rod bend and bounce with the bait) when using rubber bands because the line can wiggle more.
 
Thats how i do it, it works for me. You may get many different responces and everyone will think there way is correct. But this is what works for me.

I also like using rubber bands, especially when using braid for a lot of the reasons that anzomcik mentions.  However, I still like to use regular releases because they are heavier and slide down the tow line better for me.  Depending on what I'm pulling, and what line I'm using, I may not use the bands.  If I'm pulling jets or deep divers off of mono, I'll just place the line right into the release, unless I'm running in 3 footers or higher...then I'll run the bands.  Braid is often too slippery for most releases and it's just easier to use the bands.  I don't personally attach lead core to the releases, although it can be done...I wait until I get into the backing then attach.

Keep an eye on your rods and releases.  If your boards dont pull hard enough there will be enough give in your board line that the fish wont release it.  About half of my board fish this weekend didnt release the clip, some days that happens, other days every fish releases.  Ive used rubber bands with braid and had success, but i tried them once with mono and wasnt impressed.