Anchor

Saltwater Kayak Fishing
1

So sorry if this is a dumb question, but I got a 6ft parkn’pole for my yak, but if I anchor in deeper water, I dont need a “real” anchor, do I? Could I just throw some heavy items on the end of a rope? And how much weight would I need to keep my yak and me in place?

2

I have a small fold up anchor from Walmart that I use, it’s light weight and doesn’t take up a whole bunch of space… I’m 240 pounds and it holds me just fine. It only takes a couple of seconds for it to grab hold of something after I drop it and it will hold for days.

3

I have found in my short experience that it is more important to have the right shape of anchor than one that is light vs. heavy. The little fold up anchors jmorrisett spoke of will hold you well despite only weighing 3lbs bc of the way they dig into the bottom. If you go with one of these from walmart or dick’s make sure to check that the little catch for locking the anchor open/closed works before you buy it. Also, have a good size float on the anchor line so if you have to let the line go in a pinch where there is a lot of current it won’t go under. (I almost learned that the hard way) I use a large sliding float with a small stopper float knotted at the end of the line so I can run it through my trolley ring. Took me a while to figure out the whole trolley thing, but now it’s second nature and very useful.

4

i know its overkill in most cases but i randomly had a 10lb that i use for mine. even in current such as breach inlet or tailrace canal it holds just fine.

5

The little folding anchors work great and take up very little space.

Here is an example of one. they come in 1.5# and 3#. DolphinD at Timeout Sports probably carries them.

http://www.austinkayak.com/products/961/Kayak-Folding-Anchor-Kit-15-lbs.html

6

I carry a 3-lb folding grapnel anchor…got 50’ of either 1/4 or 3/8" twisted nylon rope. It stows well…

7

I have a folding anchor that has worked well enough even in the swift current of the Broad River, but someone had a good idea that would save a few bucks. They’d used a basketball goal net by tying one end shut with nylon line & wove line at the top that could be cinched shut. They filled it with river rocks before launching, then dumped it when finished. – couldn’t beat it for the price & if you have to cut it loose, you haven’t lost much.

8

I have a 5 lb lead weight that I poured from old cast net weights. Melted lead, poured into a coke can that i had set a steel tab in to tie my rope to.

works like a champ

Who’s Ready for a Sleigh Ride? www.KayakFishSC.com

9

I used a 5lb neoprene cover dumb bell… easy to tie off to and always held me in place… like $5 at wally world

“Paddle faster boys… I hear banjo music!”
http://www.HeroesOnTheWater.org
Charleston Director- www.SCKayakfishing.com
www.lowcountryflyshop.com
Tarpon 160os

10

I have a 3 lb folding anchor, but have found it to pull loose during full tide swings. I also have a 10# dumb-bell which works quite well. I seldom use the folding anchor anymore. The dumb-bell is just a cheap plastic coated one from wal-mart. I then just wrap the line around the weight when I bring it up. It then sits right behind me seat for easy access.

Sea Hunt BX22 Br
WS Tarpon 140

11

I have the Bruce claw anchor - also from Austin kayak and love it.

Haven’t looked for a while but that’s the only place I’ve seen them.

http://www.austinkayak.com/products/76/Bruce-Style-Claw-Anchor.html