How often do you still use an anchor?

[Alex from GA]

When I'm in FL the water is usually shallow, less than 12', and I'll anchor if I want to thoroughly fish a spot.  I don't have a spot lock or power poles.  On rivers either with my boat or kayak I'll anchor all the time.     

[LrgmouthShad]

My rig is a Hobie Outback. I have an anchor trolley installed on the left flank of the kayak. I anchor quite a bit - even in the hydrilla. I find that a constant stable platform is often essential to dissecting an area. The greatest trouble with utilizing an anchor trolley with a kayak is precision. I will always be away from my anchor a certain distance and I will always sway back and forth in the wind while anchored. I may line up a cast towards the same object on two consecutive casts, but because of the swaying, my retrieve angle will be different each time and often will change during the retrieve. This is why it is easiest to cover regions or large objects offshore rather than small objects in a kayak. I can still target offshore brushpiles with relative efficiency. It just might take me a few to several casts for me to locate the pile after marking it and start lining up casts to it.

[padlin]

I thought an anchor trolley went from bow to stern so you could use any anchor point

[ElGuapo928]

I haven’t used the anchor in years, only carry it in case of emergency. My brush grippers on the other hand, they get some use. 
 

One of these years I’d like to upgrade to a spot lock system, but for now tying off to the brush works fine.

[GRiver]

On 10/20/2023 at 10:42 AM, Alex from GA said:

I don't have a spot lock or power poles. 

I made myself shallow water anchors with fiberglass tree stakes. As far as using a throwable anchor, not for a long time. Like @ol'crickety said earlier, about parking the pads. I use that method too. 

[detroit1]

Maybe 15 yrs. ago i was out with my wife when i couldn't start my outboard (it was fine earlier in the day) and, my t/m quit working. The ramp was only about 200 yards away, and of course the 10+ mph winds came exactly from the ramp direction. I would "toss" that 12# mushroom ahead of me, then pull the boat forward. Repeat. Like a couple hundred times. An hour and a half later i made it to the ramp. Funsies.

[Jig Man]

Not at all since spot lock

[airshot]

3 hours ago, detroit1 said:

Maybe 15 yrs. ago i was out with my wife when i couldn't start my outboard (it was fine earlier in the day) and, my t/m quit working. The ramp was only about 200 yards away, and of course the 10+ mph winds came exactly from the ramp direction. I would "toss" that 12# mushroom ahead of me, then pull the boat forward. Repeat. Like a couple hundred times. An hour and a half later i made it to the ramp. Funsies.

Need a backup for the backup !!   Main engine plus bow mount electric, plus my little kicker outboard.  I have had to use one or the other a time or two, can' t have enough backup plans !!