Otter board, as an important fishing gear component used in trawling to expand the net opening, has long been a concern in marine trawling operations. Based on bibliometric analysis, from the time series, national/regional document distribution, research hotspots, etc., the literature metrology and visual analysis of the research status of otter board are carried out, so as to understand the development trend and research focus in research and application of otter board at home and abroad. In addition, the design factors that affect the performance of otter board are analyzed and discussed, and the characteristics and development trend of various methods are analyzed and compared according to the research and test methods of the performance of otter board. Based on the development of trawl fishery and equipment technology, combined with the research results of the performance of otter board, two important research directions for the otter board application are proposed, including the intelligent control technology of the otter board structure and the application technology of new materials in otter board, which provide reference for the performance and application research of the otter board.