Kayak anchor recommendations

[psba...@yahoo.com]

Hi - I have used the rock and rope, Flintstone style, anchor for the last several years while chasing Shad at Fletchers.  The judges have begun deducting style points so I am looking for an upgrade.  Any recommendations?  

Peter - Silver Spring

[Richard Farino]

Best recommendation – start an anchor savings fund.  You’re going to need to cut off occasionally if you’re in the right water and 15 lb. drift boat anchors get costly when you keep cutting them off from constant hangups.

R

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[Charlie Church]

While you are at it, get an anchor buoy and set up a quick release. 

One of the fastest ways I have seen people in kayaks get into  sketchy situations is by an anchor being stuck in heavy current and them not having a knife to cut the anchor line / or quick release.

[Barracuda]

I have a canoe rather than a kayak and for Fletchers Cove definitely use the big rock. I wrap some of it in duck tape, tie rope around it, then attach a (cheap) anchor rope to that. I have no idea how heavy the rock is -- maybe 20 lbs?

Elsewhere on the Potomac I use a regular 10 lb. mushroom anchor. There are plenty of placed on the river where that won't hold my 57 lb. canoe (plus my 160 lbs. plus however many pounds of crap I've got with me). I've actually started to bring the rock with me sometimes instead of the mushroom anchor. I know the 10 lb. anchor doesn't hold me in current at Fletchers.

Barracuda

[namfos]

Maybe upgrade to patio pavers? ☺ I got one from a neighbor. Haven't used in in the Potomac though.

Mark

On Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 4:32:57 PM UTC-4, psba...@yahoo.com wrote:

[Bryan Lanier]

I use a mesh bag with draw string. That way I can vary the weight. 

Bryan

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[Howard Abramowitz]

You can rig with a zip tie/lower breaking strength line attached to the "front" end and attach the anchor line to that with a loop that ties in to the "back" end. So if you pull hard enough the zip tie will break and you can pull the anchor from the back end to get it free. Not sure if that makes sense, but I'm sure some googling will pull up a picture. Don't use too strong a zip tie or you won't be able to break it free.

The anchor buoy/quick release mentioned is also a good non-mutually exclusive idea.

On Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 4:32:57 PM UTC-4, psba...@yahoo.com wrote:

[Terry C]

Stay with the rock on the rope.  I have 2 store bought anchors on the bottom of the Potomac river .  I have been using the rock/rope now for 3 yrs., when I have to cut out I just paddle over to shore and pick up another rock.  It has worked for the Fletcher row boats for decades.   

On Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 4:32:57 PM UTC-4, psba...@yahoo.com wrote:

[Andrew M]

Rock at Fletcher's. I also have anchors at the bottom of the seem. 

[Andrew M]

seam. whatever. 

[Trevor]

Peter,

I will second what Howard said.  Use a folding anchor, but attach the anchor-line to the bottom of the anchor and secure with zipties to the top (see picture).  This allows you to pull from the bottom, after the zipties are broken, to retrieve the anchor if it is stuck vice cutting the line and ditching it.  The folding anchors come in a variety of weights and a 5 pounder has worked great for my Prowler Big Game II.  I came across this trick in several of the 'yak fishing blogs, and after having to ditch one of mine that was irretrievably stuck, I switched to this method.  It works fantastic.  However, I will second Charlie and Howard's comments about attaching a quick disconnect to your anchor trolley and a buoy on the line itself.  This will allow for a quick ditch if you get in a hairy situation and it will allow you to find and retrieve it when you are back in control. 

Hope this post (and picture) helps explain the process.

Trevor

On Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 4:32:57 PM UTC-4, psba...@yahoo.com wrote:

[HeaveToo]

https://paddling.com/learn/staying-put-keeping-your-kayak-still/

Another suggestion is that the anchor changes based on your location.  I fish a lot of rivers with rocks so I use the grapple type anchor and rig it specially for this.  It is tided on at the bottom of the anchor and then a sacrificial piece holds the line to the top of the anchor.  If it gets stuck you break the sacrificial thing and the anchor comes up upside down so the grapples fold up and get off of the hang-up.

On Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 4:32:57 PM UTC-4, psba...@yahoo.com wrote:

[Miles]

I have a canoe, and I use a 10 lb barbell plate for an anchor. They're cheaper than real anchors, too. They hold pretty well on various types of bottom, and I haven't lost one yet - but I also haven't been spending a lot of time in my canoe lately.

Miles

On Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 4:32:57 PM UTC-4, psba...@yahoo.com wrote:

[namfos]

Good idea, Miles. You can find used barbell plates at Habitat for Humanity ReStores. Such as the one on East Gude in Rockville. Esp. if you're really really cheap like me. ☺

Mark

[Barracuda]

I like this idea but wondering: if the anchor is stuck, it doesn't look like pulling on the anchor rope with put much pressure on the ziptie. So you'd have to use a pretty weak ziptie, no? Or maybe just low-pound test mono?

[Trevor Ibsen]

Obviously it depends on the situation and how it is actually stuck.  Most of the time, there is plenty of leverage to break the zip tie, but there may be a time when nothing will retrieve this, or any other anchor.  However, it works every time I have had to use it.  

The cost of a folding anchor is comparable to a similarly sized dumbbell or weight plate (between $5-$25), so there is really no need to go with anything other than the anchor, unless you are using the rock method.   It all comes down to what you are comfortable with.  Everyone has an opinion and now you have a little more info and my two cents on the topic.

Hope it helped,

Trevor

Sent from my iPhone

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[Miles]

I just checked - a 10lb plate at Walmart is $8, a folding anchor is $13, and a mushroom anchor is $19. If you know a place to get folding anchors for $5, definitely let us know.

Miles

[Trevor Ibsen]

Miles,

Thanks for keeping me honest.  The $5 price tag was for a 1.5lb anchor.  All I did was google "folding anchor" and looked in the "shopping" heading.

A 3lb folding anchor is around $10 at Dick's and a google search can give you more options.  A lightweight folding anchor should hold you more solidly in place than a heavier plate due to the increased angles you can get a bite with.  If the monetary expenditure per pound is the biggest concern, a weight plate is the best bang for your buck, but if you want to stay in one place, in my experience, the folding anchor for a kayak is the best way to go for an extra couple of bucks.  Especially if you rig it with the zip ties. Again, this is my opinion, based on my experience, take it for what it's worth.

Trevor

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[TurbineBlade]

Having used both a "weight plate" (5-pound) and a rubber-coated 3 pound dumbbell, I'd personally opt for the dumbbell versus the plate in most situations.  The only exception is if you wanted to have a "drag chain"; a plate more or less does the same thing over a variety of substrates.  

Plates also rust.  

Gene

On Saturday, April 15, 2017 at 10:28:25 AM UTC-4, Trevor wrote:

Miles,

Thanks for keeping me honest.  The $5 price tag was for a 1.5lb anchor.  All I did was google "folding anchor" and looked in the "shopping" heading.

A 3lb folding anchor is around $10 at Dick's and a google search can give you more options.  A lightweight folding anchor should hold you more solidly in place than a heavier plate due to the increased angles you can get a bite with.  If the monetary expenditure per pound is the biggest concern, a weight plate is the best bang for your buck, but if you want to stay in one place, in my experience, the folding anchor for a kayak is the best way to go for an extra couple of bucks.  Especially if you rig it with the zip ties. Again, this is my opinion, based on my experience, take it for what it's worth.

Trevor

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 15, 2017, at 09:19, 'Miles' via Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders <tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

I just checked - a 10lb plate at Walmart is $8, a folding anchor is $13, and a mushroom anchor is $19. If you know a place to get folding anchors for $5, definitely let us know.

Miles

On Friday, April 14, 2017 at 10:02:19 PM UTC-4, Trevor wrote:

Obviously it depends on the situation and how it is actually stuck.  Most of the time, there is plenty of leverage to break the zip tie, but there may be a time when nothing will retrieve this, or any other anchor.  However, it works every time I have had to use it.  

The cost of a folding anchor is comparable to a similarly sized dumbbell or weight plate (between $5-$25), so there is really no need to go with anything other than the anchor, unless you are using the rock method.   It all comes down to what you are comfortable with.  Everyone has an opinion and now you have a little more info and my two cents on the topic.

Hope it helped,

Trevor

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[Rob Snowhite]

How about a bunch of bricks looped together? 

Prob free if you look. No worries if you loose them or they gut stuck? I've heard they are used to get halibut rigs down to the bottom and the sea floor is littered with them in the PNW. 

I've also heard about people using sledge hammer heads. 

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[Miles]

Okay - I see those now. That definitely makes it cheaper to lose anchors. I think the two I lost were in the $20-$25 range, which made the plate seem like a great deal.

I can see why a 1.5lb folding grapnel would be perfect for a kayak, and stipulated: that was the question in the original post. For my canoe, I don't drop anchor in current around Fletcher's - it makes it too easy to tip. I'll put the anchor in an eddy and let the canoe down into the current. That makes retrieving the anchor a lot safer and more likely. I haven't had much problem with the plate dragging. As I write this, I realize I actually can't remember the last time I took my canoe to Fletcher's - maybe three or four years ago, at this point.

In the other places I anchor around here, the bottom is pretty gooey. I find the plate is cleaner - it doesn't bring up mud the way a mushroom does, and doesn't get stuck in the weeds the way a grapnel does. I don't care about rust. I haven't noticed any difference in bite compared to folding grapnel anchors. That said, for $10 I might well buy a 3-pounder just to have it handy.

Miles

On Saturday, April 15, 2017 at 10:28:25 AM UTC-4, Trevor wrote: