Yak Fishing Tip #3.

Quicker Anchoring.

If you plan ahead, anchoring is faster and more precise.  Do this at home or the launch site if possible.  If you know you are going to be headed into the current, position your trolley ring at the front of your yak and lock the trolley in place.  Let out the desired amount of scope then pull your anchor up to the ring and lock your anchor in place by tying off at your cockpit cleat. (Or other tie off point.)  When you get to where you want to anchor, Un-cleat the anchor line and the anchor drops to the bottom immediately below your bow.  This allows you to anchor much closer to your desired point without having to get too close to your intended position before dropping anchor.  (less scope too)

If you are approaching from down current, simply reverse the position of the trolley ring.

This is for shallow water anchoring.  I seldom anchor in water over 5' deep.

Life is too short to catch little fish.

 http://www.panhandlefishingbooks.com/

www.stickitanchorpins.com

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Dealer for www.stickitanchorpins.com and Sea Tow

Located in Navarre just north of the bridge.

Anchoring off the bow or stern is about 100X safer than anchoring over the side.  You can flip a yak in a heart beat anchoring over the side.  I am very careful when hauling anchor too.

Life is too short to catch little fish.

 http://www.panhandlefishingbooks.com/

I probably anchor 30 or more times per trip--some times a lot more.  The article you attached is from California.  Chances are, they are talking about deeper water.  I noticed that they mentioned an anchor was not often needed except when beaching.

My anchor is a bar of lead that weighs about 6#.  It seldom gets hung and, when it does, I paddle past it and pull it free from the other side.  The little folding grapnels  most yakkers use would get lost mighty fast here.

In the past several years with literally hundreds of anchorings, I have release my anchor exactly twice due to problems but I often release it several times per day to chase a fish.  In the same time, I took on a bunch of water once but have never dumped.

Life is too short to catch little fish.

 http://www.panhandlefishingbooks.com/

One thought on anchoring from the side from first hand experience, I watched a good friend roll his kayak over in a swift current in a river we were fishing and lose most of his fishing gear and his glasses from not paying proper attention to the current. If you are going to anchor in swift current from the side of your kayak for any reason, make sure that your anchor goes off the kayak from the up river side of the craft! That way it is pulling from the point of attachment over the edge of the kayak or from the side of the kayak directly away from the paddler to the anchor. If you try to anchor by throwing the anchor over the downriver side of the kayak, the current will carry your craft over the anchor and the pull on the kayak, when the rope tightens up, will be under the kayak to a point up stream to the anchor. Most times, after that initial jerk that occurs when the rope tightens up to the anchor, the current will try to spin your kayak around to take the "kink" out of the rope. But either way, you will probably take in water when the anchor tightens that rope and the side of the kayak dips and the water splashes in.

If you think about this, a strong current will have a tendency to roll your kayak over toward the downriver side because the anchor rope will try to straighten itself out and, in doing so, will try to take that little wrap of rope from the downriver side of your kayak around the bottom and straighten it out!! Imagine a yoyo with a half wrap of string around it and gravity pulling it down. The yoyo (kayak) will turn a half turn until the pull of gravity (downriver force of the current) straightens out the string (anchor rope). You certainly don't want to have a rotational pull on your kayak trying to roll you over when you have some emergency that you feel you must deal with at that very moment!!

I was concerned for my friend's safety and his equipment at the moment but we both had a good laugh afterward as I dramatized how he looked when that anchor rope went tight and suddenly jerked that kayak and threw him off balance!! He had such a surprised look on his face and I had no time to shout any warning other than to simply stare and hope for the best.

 

not trying to challenge at all, just bringing information to the debate .

Now how does that all shake out in the overall scheme of things??? 

Why not get back to a friendly discussion about kayak anchors and leave the arguing to all the other fishing forums that are online, eh?? I come here specifically to get away from all that crap and I don't appreciate having to hear about it here too.

So, let's all hug and have a s'mores and sing Kum Baya and go on with the campfire tales, OK?     (That ain't rootbeer in that glass!!)

 

Take a look at everybodies trolley system.  The trolley is designed to anchor from either end of the yak.  I see no other use for the trolley.

Ok, so the article came from NJ instead of CA.  Sorry I missed it.

Tying an anchor off at bow or stern, where it is not accessible for instant release is a definite no-no.  I re-read the original tip and see no problems with it.  It is a valid, useful and completely safe tip.

Moderator:  If this tip is in any way offensive or causes problems, please delete it and, while you are at it, delete all of my other tips.

Life is too short to catch little fish.

 http://www.panhandlefishingbooks.com/

Can you post a picture of your anchor system using the buttons?

Thanks

Charles  ( Pensacola)

 http://www.panhandlefishingbooks.com/

Kinda like hearing one word like, "Phillies" thrown out and thinking they are talking about the old baseball team when they are really discussing the quality of cigars!!

You guys just go with your own flow and forget that I entered into this melee, OK? I thought this was some general talk about how you anchor your kayak and why, not some word fight about things that aren't even brought up until half way through the discussion.

Please forget I interfered in your little "talk" and I will check more closely the next time I feel like trying to mediate any small meaningless disputes.

Thanks for your time?

 

Try as I might , I can't see anywhere that I was offensive or abusive. I simply asked a question, stated an alternative viewpoint and then catch a bunch of crap in return.

I've been trying to soak up as much knowledge as possible about kayaking and you can be damn sure that if I see a conflict of information, I'm going to question it. It has nothing to do with your intelligence or your manhood .

Manny fell out of his kayack right after you passed us and lost his rod.  The Snook started biting exackly when you said they wood.  I caught 3 and gave my rod to Manny so he could catch one.  He caught 2 ladyfishes and a red fish and no Snook.  My big snook was over twenty pounds.

Who is this baitcaster dood?

I'm the NICER KIND of hooker.

Now you know what to look for around here for Snook spots.  There are several similar spots close to where I showed ya'll and some of them hold Snook.  Believe me, Snook ware not common here 5 years ago and most locals haven't caught many yet.

Are you here on vacation or visiting or have ya'll moved up here?  If you are staying, e-mail me and I'll point you at some good Trout spots.

Life is too short to catch little fish.

 http://www.panhandlefishingbooks.com/