RIGGING: Anchors & Anchoring

CaptJack · **Joined:** Tue Jun 03, 2003 11:31 pm **Posts:** 11736

Anchors- for those who might be interested...

Here are 4 of the typical anchors that we have used for kayak fishing.

The 1st anchor is my small Danforth style anchor that was for my 14' scooter boat. It has a slotted shank so that if you foul the anchor you can slide the swivel-shackle up to the head of the anchor and pull it out backwards. This anchor holds very well but is too large and not the right shape to be practical for a sit-on-top kayak. It works in my Pamlico because I have a place to stow it. It will hold in the worst current in the middle of SanLuisPass and never slip!

The 2nd anchor is a typical 3# folding kayak anchor. They will hold reasonably well in a soft bottom with out much wind but if the bottom is hard &or the wind is blowing they turn into a bottom drift anchor, only slowing down your kayak as it blows to the leeward shore.

The 3rd anchor is the 1kg/2.2# Horizon Claw (knock off of a Bruce). This design holds in any type of bottom and is the best anchor I have ever used on any type of boat. By tying on at the elbow and holding the anchor line to the shank with a plastic pull tie it is easy to break the pull tie and un-foul the anchor if it gets hooked up under something that you can't get it out from.

The last anchor was a cute little 3/4# stainless copy of the Bruce/Claw that a local fabricating shop was making a couple of years ago. We all got excited about these because they were so small and light. The problem is that they are so light that they don't have enough weight to dig into a hard sand bottom or into seagrass. They will bite into a mud bottom.

CaptJack · **Joined:** Tue Jun 03, 2003 11:31 pm **Posts:** 11736

Anchoring-

I'm not a fan of the anchor trolley line down the side of the boat because it's more lines on the deck that get in the way and I really don't need it.
I anchor from the padeye that's behind my right hip about 98% of the time. I'm right-handed and I like to anchor where I'm casting downwind across my port bow.

If you look at the pic you'll see my Claw anchor with a 15' anchor line. Note how it has a swivel clip to attach to the padeye and it also has a stainless carabiner that is attached in the same loop as the clip.
If I'm in shallow water and I want to shorten my anchor line I can put a half hitch in the line at whatever length I want and put it in the biner.

CaptJack · **Joined:** Tue Jun 03, 2003 11:31 pm **Posts:** 11736

Anchoring- Limb Clip Line

One of the handiest things I carry with me as a 2' line with a LimbClip (Academy) on one end and a snap clip on the other.

If I'm fishing or just hanging out along a river or along a shoreline I clip it to the "D" ring on the side of my boat and snatch onto whatever is handy.

If I'm next to another kayak and we're talking or floating along and visiting we'll use the line to clip the two boats together.

If I need to anchor off the bow to keep the bow into the weather then I can clip the line between two of the forward padeyes and then clip the anchor line to the loop (see pic).

If I'm wade fishing I can clip it to the bow handle and clip the kayak to my wade fishing belt. I also use it this way when I'm wading and dragging the boat in shallows.

Note in the pic the 25' piece of red rope. This is a piece of 8mm dacron braided climbing line that my sister gave me as a gift the first year I did the Water Safari. I use it for all sorts of things.
I can add it to my 15' anchor line and have a 40' anchor line for deeper water.
I use it to "line" the boat through shallows or lower or drag the boat around obstacles like log jams or dams in the Safari race.

CaptJack · **Joined:** Tue Jun 03, 2003 11:31 pm **Posts:** 11736

Drift Sock - Sea Anchor

I have a 24" drift sock that is a leftover from my 14' scooter boat. It works fine but the 18" drift sock is really the correct size for a kayak.

Notice how I have it on a 3' rope. It's much easier to use this way than having it on a longer line.

popasan · **Posted:** Thu Jul 24, 2003 4:09 pm

thanks for the info jack, in more ways than one.....

i have a danforth style, fortress anchor, 4lb that i have left over from my boating days.....its a great anchor but just too big for the yak.......i have the 2.2 horizen claw anchor, which i really like, it holds really well but find it hard to stow on my sot......i also have a 3lb folding anchor that is easy to stow but like you mention, does not hold as well, i use this one the most........since i mostly fish the flats, i find that i use my pvc stake out pole quite often....its pvc sch 40, 3/4" (this is the size that fits thru the scupper holes in my drifter), 5' long, with a pvc tee on the top.....it works well but i will also drop the anchor if i find myself wading too far from the yak.....i use pvc because its lite and will last .....i also use it as a push pole when i am standing up in my yak.....i am thinking about making it just a little longer, as it seems to be just a little short for a push pole but i will just have to experiment with the length....... but for a stake out pole i like that length .....

Larry

CaptJack · **Joined:** Tue Jun 03, 2003 11:31 pm **Posts:** 11736

Floating Clip Stringer

This is the floating clip stringer I made for the kayak a couple of weeks ago.
I thought I'd add a photo of it so you could get an idea of scale- relative to the size of the kayak.

ElCazador · **Posted:** Thu Jul 24, 2003 5:23 pm

I added a piece of chain to my folding anchor. About 18 inches. It now holds much better. Almost lost my kayak on Oyster Lake a few months ago while I was wading and the wind picked up. But with the chain added, no problems.

chavez · **Posted:** Thu Jul 24, 2003 10:05 pm

CaptJack wrote:

Floating Clip Stringer

This is the floating clip stringer I made for the kayak a couple of weeks ago.
I thought I'd add a photo of it so you could get an idea of scale- relative to the size of the kayak.

CaptJack,

OK, I REALLY like this floating clip stringer! Where do you find the clips (Academy?), what do you call the clips and how exactly do they work. There's a patent in that stringer if you ask me. :idea:

Also, have you found the length of it best as opposed to a longer stringer?

CaptJack · **Joined:** Tue Jun 03, 2003 11:31 pm **Posts:** 11736

chavez wrote:

Where do you find the clips (Academy?), what do you call the clips and how exactly do they work.
Also, have you found the length of it best as opposed to a longer stringer?

Luciano,

The stringer I got the clips off of was a metal stringer made out of that cheap flat link chain- with clear plastic tubing over it. The kind of stringer used for big ole flathead catfish along a river where you don't want the stringer to float.
It was cheaper and easier to buy the stringer for $7 (Academy) and take it apart for the clips than to try and find some seperate ones. (I ended up with a nice long piece of cheap chain

The old yellow 5' stringer that I made the new stringer out of has been laying around my garage for 15+yrs. I cut the point off and started tying in the clips in simple overhand knots. It ended up 4' long when I finished- which was a perfect length when clipped to the side of the kayak.
I had another old piece of 8', green camo, polypro rope laying around that I add to the clip if I want to use it for wade fishing.
The loop on the end of the polypro rope was too big to fit in the line keeper on my wading belt so I had to tie on a loop of parachute cord.
I used all polypro rope because it floats.
(Yeah- I know it's getting a little bit homely looking

but it works.
My other 12' blue stringer is in the pic as well.
The clips have a little sliding collar that slides down to keep the clip from coming open.

nalj · **Posted:** Sat Sep 18, 2004 5:00 pm

It appears that you do not use cleats to tie the anchor line off to. What do you tie to so you can adjust the lenght from boat to anchor?

CaptJack · **Joined:** Tue Jun 03, 2003 11:31 pm **Posts:** 11736

DOC-
In this pic note how the swivel clip is clipped to the padeye and there is also has a stainless carabiner that is attached in the same loop as the clip.
If I'm in shallow water and I want to shorten my anchor line I can put a half hitch in the line at whatever length I want and put it in the biner

TKFStubb · **Posted:** Sat Sep 18, 2004 8:16 pm

I turned in an article on this subject that will be in the next issue of
Kayak Fisherman Magazine. Took some pics to go with it but Jack's look soooo much better. Mabye he'll grant us permission to use them in the magazine? How about that Jack? Can you send me some HI REZ pics of thos anchors?
But, here'a a pic I took today of the Tournament Rigged T140 that I fish out of when we go to our tournaments.

Night Wing · **Posted:** Sun Sep 19, 2004 4:43 am

Since I live in Magnolia, TX, where are some of the places one can purchase a 2.2 Horizon Claw anchor? I'm pretty sure FTU has them, but I was wondering if West Marine has them too since WM is about 5 miles from my workplace.

CaptJack · **Joined:** Tue Jun 03, 2003 11:31 pm **Posts:** 11736

NightWing- WestMarine stocks the "HorizonClaw" brand of the "Bruce" anchor. The stores don't always have the "1kg./2.2#" version but they will order if for you and get it into stock. Call your local store and ask if it's in stock- if not have them order it and email/or call you when it comes in.

Bluffer · **Posted:** Sun Sep 19, 2004 11:34 am

I have a float in my anchor line with a quick release fitting also. If you ever hook a big red (or anything large) you'll want to release the anchor so while fighting the fish wont get all tangled up in your rope. With the line thru a float its easy to go back and find it.

nalj · **Posted:** Sun Sep 19, 2004 1:23 pm

This is a basic question. But when tieing the rope to the anchor, what is a good knot to use?

CaptJack · **Joined:** Tue Jun 03, 2003 11:31 pm **Posts:** 11736

DOC-
If you'll look at my picture again you'll see I tie on to the elbow of the Bruce/Claw with an Overhand Loop.
You can also use a bowline.

EJ@GCC · **Posted:** Sun Sep 19, 2004 8:06 pm

Just one quick tidbit to add on the use of the bowline knot to connect the anchor rode...

Depending the type of line selected, the bowline has a known tendency to "untie" itself. Best to whip the tag end back to the standing line or maybe fasten it with a cable wrap... either one will work and is easy to undo.

EJ