Best anchor for jon boat?

[Mark688]

I have an old jon boat thats around 10-12 ft and im wondering whats the best anchor for it. Preferably as light as possible. It will only be used in a pond with shallow water. 90% of the pond has thick grass at the bottom. Thanks 

[GaryH]

You could get away with a 10lb. mushroom anchor. 

[Bolar]

Since you have a lot of weeds on your primary pond, no matter what anchor you use, can with cement in it or mushroom anchor, your going to be pulling up a lot of weeds.  Your best bet would be a shallow water anchor, or stick.  Stab the bottom, pull up with no weeds and move on.  Mini Power Pole would work also, if it's something you want to invest in. 

[Catt]

Some people call em Marsh Anchors or Cajun Anchors

Cajun's call em Throw Down Poles!

 

You can drill a hole & attach a shackle.

Or weld a nut on top

Tie one end of the rope to the pole the other to your boat, when you wanna anchor simply throw it down kinda hard & you're anchored!

 

It is a simple but effective way to anchor in shallow water that has moderately soft bottoms. They are cheap & easy to build from scratch.

 

I've made them from everything from rebar, aluminum, grounding rods, & stainless steel. The rod should be 5/8-3/4" & length is determined by boat size but usually 4'.

 

[Allen Der]

stake out pole or a downrigger weight.  mushroom anchors pull up too much crap.  8lb weight should be plenty.  around $20 on amazon 

Extreme Max 3006.6729 Coated Ball-with-Fin Downrigger Weight - 8 lbs

[Way2slow]

For me, I have different ones for different situations.  The ones I use most are 13# mushrooms.  Drop one, move a distance in the direction I want the boat to be pointed, drop the other and then pull back toward the first until the boat is secure with both anchor ropes out at an angle.  

There are times I will just use sash weights when I'm not concerned with the boat moving a little. Sometimes I will use a sash weight as a drag, similar to a wind sock.  

Then I have a couple of those hook type with the rope release on them.   

I have not found no one anchor that works in all situations. 

 

The last thing I want to do is get positioned just right on a bream bed and have the boat start moving around on me.

[J Francho]

Another vote for a stakeout pole. 

[Way2slow]

I've never cared for stakes because they have to be somewhat close in length to what you need to anchor.  In one spot you might be in two or three foot of water, another you might be in eight foot.  If you keep a long enough stake to cover both, it can be hard getting that long pole knocked in the ground in shallow water.  

In GA, we have this stuff called RED CLAY, and even in the bottom of a pond it can be hard enough you are not going to push a rod very deep in the ground.

[Catt]

@Way2slow You are correct throw down poles don't work beyond 8-10' or clay/sandy bottoms.

 

These poles are not push down, ya gotta throw em down with a little force. The heavier the better, my is 4' long, 3/4" stainless steel.

[BayouSlide]

Got to be a bit careful pushing 'em in. Soft mud gave way once and I ended up following it into the drink.

[NHBull]

Baby box anchor, No Chain, Small diameter rope, 1/2 the amount of rope.

often on sale

 

Baby Box

 

 

 

[TimberTodd]

I had a 5 lb window weight in the shop. Put a few coats of rubberized paint on it and use it exclusively now in my F12 Nucanoe. It holds great and Im not out much if I was to loose it.

[txchaser]

Unless you are going to be in high winds, a 10lb kettlebell has worked perfectly for me in this kind of situation. Cheap on amazon.

 

It'll still pull some weeds with it, but far less than the alternatives. And the amount of mud coming back with the mushrooms in mud or clay bottom - no thanks. 

 

I do carry another 15lb mushroom to add on to it when the wind is bad and I'm too hardheaded to just get off the water. 

 

I have a stake-out pole and it mostly stays in the truck, because I'm as likely to be at 8-10 feet as six feet, so it just seemed like extra stuff to carry. And half the time it'd come out when it was windy anyway. 

 

[lo n slo]

On 2/20/2021 at 4:50 PM, TimberTodd said:

I had a 5 lb window weight in the shop. Put a few coats of rubberized paint on it and use it exclusively now in my F12 Nucanoe. It holds great and Im not out much if I was to loose it.

good call. back in the day i used to use three window weights taped together with duct tape. i wrapped my nylon anchor rope around lengthwise and it stowed away nicely in my old Sea Nymph. 

[TnRiver46]

I use danforth style in my jon boat, although sometimes I anchor in swift water and desperately need it to grab something. I’ve had 50 feet of rope out in shin deep water and couldn’t stop many times. Danforth grabs the best but sometimes you have to get into the water to get it back. Or just leave it there and tell your salvage expert buddies where it’s at. My friend Craig has probably a dozen anchors and has never purchased one haha. 

[DaubsNU1]

Small mushroom anchor purchased at wal-mart. Works well on my 14' V-hull. 

[Bluebasser86]

I've got a window weight that I think is 10lbs that works well for my johnboat and my kayak. Doesn't hang up and doesn't drag up a bunch of junk.