Anchor help needed

[lolanr]

Hello all. I am looking for a little advice on choosing the best anchor for my new boat. I am getting a new 1650 Fishawk and have no idea what size or type of anchor to choose.

I fish only southern reservoirs for the most part, so most bottoms are sandy and weedy. Also curious to know what length of rope you would recommend also.

Thanks

[rielbowhunter]

I would like to know as well? I have a bell anchor, but it doesn't all ways hold . Going to get one more. I hear your should use 4x the depth of water for the length of rope.

[Braun]

also curious. currently my boat has a heavy graple hook style. I dont think its heave enough but i could ad weight

[huntsfurfish]

I have 4-5 different anchors. I have 2 heavy anchors(20-25lb), 2 medium weight(10-15lb) these four anchors are the fold down grapple style. I have one of the flat "spike" style that holds pretty good in soft bottoms, but rarely use it any more. The boat I use them on is a 16' crestliner. With the 2 heaviest I dont move:). Normally have one medium and one heavy in the boat. In a tournament where I cant afford to slip off a spot I will take both heavy anchors.

I like the fold up stowable style and they work pretty good in most cases for me.

[npauls]

Right now on my 16.5 foot alumacraft I am running a 20lbs navel anchor with a rubber coated chain to 100 feet of anchor rope. I have the old back problem now though and will be trying out my way lighter digger anchor that only weighs like 7lbs plus the chain and rope.

I use to run a 28lbs navel anchor with the chain and rope but swapped my fishing partner since I don't have as big of a boat anymore and his boat is alot heavier then mine.

I also made my own drop and stay rigs so if the wind does pick up alot I can strap the drop and stay to the rope and my boat should hold in place pretty good. I have access to all the stuff needed to make as good or better then the real drop and stay so I decided to just make my own and I am glad I did.

[horsetrader]

I use two 20lb rubber coated navy anchors with 3 ft of heavy chain keeps it from lifting off bottom in swells 16 1/2 ft crestliner

[rielbowhunter]

whats a drop and stay Rig?

[npauls]

There is a website on the system if you google it you will see.

It is a small plastic bracket with a heavy duty bungee cord on it. You hook the bungee to your anchor cleat and the other end to the bracket and then feed your anchor rope through the other part of the bracket. This acts like a shock absorber and keeps your boat from lifting the anchor due to so much shock on the anchor rope. It helps a ton in some nasty weather. I will be making a bunch more this year and will always have a couple on my boat. I use 2 pieces of 6mm Lexan epoxied together for my bracket piece since I have access to all kinds of lexan chunks.

[horsetrader]

There is a website on the system if you google it you will see.

It is a small plastic bracket with a heavy duty bungee cord on it. You hook the bungee to your anchor cleat and the other end to the bracket and then feed your anchor rope through the other part of the bracket. This acts like a shock absorber and keeps your boat from lifting the anchor due to so much shock on the anchor rope. It helps a ton in some nasty weather. I will be making a bunch more this year and will always have a couple on my boat. I use 2 pieces of 6mm Lexan epoxied together for my bracket piece since I have access to all kinds of lexan chunks.

thats cool might even be better then chain and a whole lot lighter

[npauls]

I still use a chain on the bottom end just so it keeps the anchor digging into the bottom of the lake but like I said if it gets windy then I always rig the drop and stay up and hook it to my bow eye so I am pointing straight into the waves. Just make sure that if you get one to tie the tag end of your anchor line onto the closest anchor cleat with some slack. That way if the bungee ends up snapping that you don't lose everything and will stay in the same spot.

[horsetrader]

ok thanks good idea

[lolanr]

Thanks for the responses all. Does everyone feel that 100`is enough rope.

Npauls I don`t supose you would sell a couple of your creations would you. I live in Taber, PM me if you are interested.

[huntsfurfish]

For most situations 100' would be fine. 150 would for sure.

[npauls]

I have never used anything over 100 feet of anchor rope. I fish mostly for walleye from my boat so I try to stay under 30 fow so I am not killing any fish.

[Walleyeman]

I know it's an expensive alternative but since I put I-Pilot on my boat I haven't pulled out an anchor( I carry a 30lb and a 15lb naval style). Just a suggestion but it's very handy.

[npauls]

I will be running Ipilot also this year but I do alot more jigging then anything else so running ipilots spot lock for the entire day makes no sense to me. There is days where I will pull up to a spot and not have to move more then 15 feet the entire day and be into the eyes all day long.

A couple years ago at Ridge we had a tourney where on the second day the wind was so bad I don't think anyone was trying to troll anything. Everyone was anchored up pitching jigs or setting it up in the rod holders vertical jigging letting the waves do the work.

[Walleyeman]

I fish a very similar style.I find it very easy to move around from spot to spot as my trolling motor is already down, it has very little affect on my battery life and holds well even in windy conditions.Its all a matter of personnel preference but I find it works well.It has been buy far the best money I have spent on my boat.

[rielbowhunter]

Thanks npauls . never seen that before. looks like a great idea. can I buy one of these drop and stay cords around calgary?

[chubbdarter]

this is why i hate fishing from my boat now....my pepsi fizzes...pieces of KFC roll around on the boat floor....the wind makes girls put their T-shirts on....hard to sleep when your seasick....and there is no point in heading home.....at least 6 boattards will be at the boat launch playing pin the boat to the trailer for hours,or till the wind dies

[npauls]

I just get my bungee set up from canadian tire. I am not sure what its called but they are around $20 a piece. They have a spring loaded hook on either end and a chinese finger trap type weaved material over the bungee. There is also a black foam piece over each end. It is an orange material. I changed the shape of the bracket piece to better suit the lexan so it wasn't so think at the ends where the rope wraps around it.

[npauls]

I should also warn anyone that is looking to make their own set up to use something pretty strong for the bracket. I have used wood and other plastics and they all ended up breaking. that is why I went with 2 pieces of 6mm lexan epoxied together. It is the only thing I have used that haven't broken yet. I am sure you could use some lighter weight metals or some other plastic type materials but I have access to Lexan so I just keep making them out of that.

Good luck to everyone making them and lets see some pics. I will go try to find mine tomorrow and take some pics of it.

[GaryF]

That would help out. Looking forward to the pics

[densa44]

Do you anchor for long periods, a few days at a time? If not a small Danforth anchor will do fine. The chain you hear about is to keep the pull on the anchor "rode" that 100 feet of rope you mention, called line. If you anchor in windward passages a longer rode will keep your line on the bottom and it the bottom is good holding ground your anchor will hold.

If you only fish in shallow water, in good weather, are cognizant of the weather you probably don't need the rode (chain) if not you do for sure.

Be careful out there. If anchoring in a seaway you may need 10 to one line to depth plus a long heavy chain.

Better too much than not enough when you need it!

[TJG]

If ur in a fishing tourny and hv 10-1 out
the guy next to u is going to:
A- hook your line
B- step into ur boat and hammer u
C- be banned for life
d- all the above

[npauls]

I will take:

D All of the above.

[huntsfurfish]

If ur in a fishing tourny and hv 10-1 out
the guy next to u is going to:
A- hook your line
B- step into ur boat and hammer u
C- be banned for life
d- all the above

Maybe, none of the above or just A, you can put out 300' if you like.
:evilgrin:

[Freedom55]

The typical line length for an anchor is 3' of line to every one foot of depth, and is a question on one version of the Boater's Exam.

[freeones]

Do yourself a favour and avoid the heavy navy style anchors.

Spend a little more money and get a good fluke style anchor or a Digger, 4-5 feet of rubber coated chain and at least 100' of rope. That setup will more than hold a boat the size of yours in just about any conditions you'll want to be on the water in, and it won't break your back and tire you out hauling it in and out of the water. If it's realy ugly, a second small light anchor of the same type put out at the same time will solve the problem.