Kayak Anchor

[MassYak85]

For those of you who fish from your kayaks, what do you use for an anchor? I use one similar to this:

...but I have had some issues. In high winds it does not hold unless it gets wedged into a rock or a log. Even in thick vegetation it will just drag and uproot whatever it catches. Anyone have better luck with a different type?

[Darren.]

Don't anchor much anymore with anything 
other than my StickIt Anchor pin (shallow 
water).

If I do take one, I've gone to using a chain
covered in an inner tube hooked up to a 
26' retractible dog leash.

Past anchors have been mushroom anchors,
simple dumbbells 3# and 5#.

I did not go with the claw anchor as we have
so many trees and heavy branches for them
to get stuck on. Even if you use the "quick
release" method for them.

For now, if I'm in deeper water, I just use my
trolling motor to keep me in position.

[MassYak85]

Thanks Darren. I have a make-do stakeout pole I use but I generally use the anchor when trying to stay put in 10+ feet of water. I might try adding 2 feet of chain to the anchor and see if that helps keep it stuck to the bottom. 

[buzzed bait]

23 minutes ago, Darren. said:

Don't anchor much anymore with anything 
other than my StickIt Anchor pin (shallow 
water).

If I do take one, I've gone to using a chain
covered in an inner tube hooked up to a 
26' retractible dog leash.

Past anchors have been mushroom anchors,
simple dumbbells 3# and 5#.

I did not go with the claw anchor as we have
so many trees and heavy branches for them
to get stuck on. Even if you use the "quick
release" method for them.

For now, if I'm in deeper water, I just use my
trolling motor to keep me in position.

i'm with darren on this one.  i rarely do it, but use the stake out pole when i do.  i have a 4.4lb gym weight, but it sucks in any wind.  i need to get another grapple style like yours for the few times i actually need it in deeper water....  if you rig the quick release way you'll get it back the majority of the time.

[Turtle135]

I use a five pound weight lifting plate and I do not tie it directly to my kayak. It is attached to a float (which I then connect to with a quick release line).

To hold in high winds or current you need to anchor either off the bow or the stern and you need to let a lot of anchor line out. The book standard is a 7 to 1 ratio (seven feet of line out for every foot of depth).

 

 

[MassYak85]

I'm thinking I also might not be letting out enough anchor line. I most definitely do not use the 7:1 ratio a lot. I've probably been doing more like 5:1. I'll try that and the chain and see how it goes. 

[Choporoz]

I do fine with the anchor in the OP, but I don't use it as much as I probably should.  I love my trolley and the anchor is fine....but I need a better system of stowing it between uses.  I wedge it behind/beside my seat, but either the anchor or the cord seems to always be getting in my way.  I saw a guy the other day with a piece of pvc sticking out of a flush rod holder and he stowed his anchor upside down in the pvc -- worked for him, so maybe I'll look for something like that to attache to my crate -- like a rod tube, but larger diameter.

   As to length of line, I don't know that anyone has done a decent study for kayaks.  The 7-1 ratio, I'd bet, comes from ships that use chains -- the chain lays on the bottom and does all/most of the 'holding'...not so much the anchor.  If you put out 70 foot of paracord when anchored in 10 foot of water, you're going to swing an awful wide arc - far from where you tried to stop.  I doubt I've put out more than 20 foot of anchor rope in ten foot of water.  Also, the steeper your rope, the more likely you are to drag anchor.  But for me, if I need to put so much line out to get anywhere near 7:1, then I'm in trouble.  I anchor to work a spot with a bit of precision.  7 to 1 on a pivot is going to be the exact opposite of precision. 

[Burtonxj]

Usually use some old 5lb lifting weights but I don't anchor much

[Dye99]

For me, bass fishing is about movement, and since I don't fish any rivers, I don't use anchors..

I do although use a fish grip with paracord tied to it to grab a tree in high winds..

[Bluebasser86]

I just made a pole out of an old telescoping lure retriever and tried it for the first time today, worked great. I have a dumbbell that I use sometimes, as well as one of the folding anchors the OP posted. The folder works better on hard bottom, the dumbbell works better in mud and weeds. 

[Caliyak]

I use a 4lb sledge hammer 

[buzzed bait]

15 hours ago, Dye99 said:

I do although use a fish grip with paracord tied to it to grab a tree in high winds..

if you have something to grap on to, this is the easiest way to do it!  i used the same thing to grab on to the stems of isolated lily pads on saturday and was holding perfectly in ~15MPH winds.  couple that with the anchor trolley and you can position yourself just about any way you want to!

[MassYak85]

36 minutes ago, buzzed bait said:

if you have something to grap on to, this is the easiest way to do it!  i used the same thing to grab on to the stems of isolated lily pads on saturday and was holding perfectly in ~15MPH winds.  couple that with the anchor trolley and you can position yourself just about any way you want to!

On ponds with stumps I usually tie on to one of them. My issue is on some lakes there is little cover besides the shoreline, so if I want to fish a drop off that's in 10-20 feet of water in the wind it's a real pain if the anchor doesn't hold. 

[boostr]

Attach about 4ft of chain folded to 2ft, and attach that to the anchor. It will make the anchor lay over and when you drift the anchor will grab the bottom or whatever. That's what I have with my 3lb grapple anchor. I also use a stake or pole, and a clamp to attach to stumps and weeds.

[MassYak85]

2 hours ago, boostr said:

Attach about 4ft of chain folded to 2ft, and attach that to the anchor. It will make the anchor lay over and when you drift the anchor will grab the bottom or whatever. That's what I have with my 3lb grapple anchor. I also use a stake or pole, and a clamp to attach to stumps and weeds.

I'll try that, thnaks

[1simplemann]

On 5/23/2016 at 1:38 PM, MassYak85 said:

For those of you who fish from your kayaks, what do you use for an anchor? I use one similar to this:

...but I have had some issues. In high winds it does not hold unless it gets wedged into a rock or a log. Even in thick vegetation it will just drag and uproot whatever it catches. Anyone have better luck with a different type?

Mass Yak, I'm not sure if your fishing rivers or lakes but if your fishing rivers that style anchor can get you killed. I had a mishap last yr. Long story. Short version is it stuck in the rocks. Very stuck! current got me in a bas situation while trying to free the anchor. Turtled in 51 degree water in the middle of river.  No knife. Spent too much time in water trying to get it unstuck or untied. I was worried about hypothermia. I didn't think it through and just decided to swim for the bank. About that time, my boots filled up with water and I sank. Got very VERY tired. Barely made it to where I could touch and walked in the rest of the way. Very scary. Worst part was my PFD was sitting in the bow! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!  i learned a lot of lessons that day. So if your fishing where there's any current don't use that type anchor. I made my own. I found a proto type on SOL. Basically a claw w/ bendable copper ground wire. Always comes loose. Rocks, trees etc. Hope this helps. Stay safe. Where your PFD! Tight Lines, Rob in Montana

[MassYak85]

I don't fish rivers, and if I do I don't anchor. Like you said, too dangerous for my liking. I've anchored one time in a slow moving river and the anchor got stuck and like you said, very hard to free even with that super slow water. 

[1simplemann]

That water has a LOT of power. I was pinned to the yak by the current. Holding on with one hand and trying to untie the anchor with other. Pretty hard to untie anything but your shoe laces one handed. In 51 degree water, current, it's almost impossible. All I had to do was work my way around to the down current side of the yak and roll in. i kinda panicked after a while and said screw it. It's "only" 30 yds. That 30 yds was HARDEST 30 yds i ever swam in my life. when you go under and you don't plan to. That's when you kick it into a gear you don't know you have. Completely wore me out but i made it. Barely! My PFD was right there! Why i didn't grab it I don't know. I do know why i wasn't wearing it though. Over confidence! Been paddling for 40 yrs.I thought, I don't make mistakes. If I do, then I know I can get myself out of a jam. Well I was wrong. WAY wrong.  Look up kayak anchor on Striper Online. That's where I got the idea.

[MikeJames]

 

[Preytorien]

I use a stick pole. I bought a telescoping tent pole on amazon for $12 that extends to 12ft. drilled a hole and stuck an eyelet screw in it. Works great. For an actual deeper anchor I went the cheap route. I tied paracord to an old riding mower alternator that was stripped pretty good. I rarely anchor, so I don't use it much. Weighs about 5lbs and holds okay unless it's really windy - in which I don't usually go out in large bodies of water if it's windy anyways

[MassYak85]

8 hours ago, MikeJames said:

 

I was looking at those types of anchors too. I think I'm going to try a little chain with the ones i have now and if that doesn't work I may end up switching. 

[1simplemann]

I like it! That might work in rivers as well.