Drag chain for kayak/canoe

[Marty]

I'm tossing this out just in case one of the canoeists or kayakers might be interested in trying it.

For those who get Bassmaster, you may have noticed the Here's How To section in the September/October issue. One of the subjects was slowing down a kayak. It was aimed at kayakers fishing a river's swift current where anchoring can be dangerous and tricky.

They suggested a drag chain using 3' of heavy chain for heavy kayaks or swift currents, 2' for slow water or slowly drifting a weedline on a breezy day. Wrap two full rolls of electrical tape around the length of the chain except for one link, to which a dog leash is attached.

I don't fish from a kayak or fish rivers, but I do fish from a canoe in shallow weedy water. Most of the time I can't drift and cover water because the wind is enough to blow me around too fast. If there are surface weed mats I can stop on those, otherwise I have to anchor, fish my area, pull up anchor, clean off gobs of weeds and move a few yards to try the next spot, a total pain in the butt.

So I decided to try the suggestion. Not knowing what they meant by heavy chain, I bought 2' feet of 3/8 and some 3/16 poly rope instead of the dog leash. I used just a fraction of a roll of tape, winding it around the chain two or three times.

I used the chain twice, both in the same pond. So far it hasn't slowed the drift, it just stops the boat. But that doesn't mean it's a failure because there are two big pluses. 1) I can paddle with the chain out, making things much easier than repeatedly pulling anchor, and 2) It catches many fewer weeds. So I consider it a big success for an investment of only a few dollars.

Here's a photo of the article.

[Fishbone]

Dragging anything in river current is bad. If it snaps, you are in deep poop.

[VolFan]

I use an old cotton sock full of rock that I pick up at the river.  Need to slow the drift? Add more rocks.  Sangged? A decent pull either tears the sock or frees it.  Cotton is biodegradable.  I never et more than a couple trips out of an old sock, but i seem to have plenty around.

[J Francho]

Here is a much better set of instructions on how to make a drag anchor.

http://www.kayakbassfishing.com/kbfBB3/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=2487

[J Francho]

Dragging anything in river current is bad. If it snaps, you are in deep poop.

Explain?  Not having a quick release to your anchor system is much more dangerous than no anchor at all.