Anchoring...

[water rat]

Kind of sad I have to ask this question,I have always considered myself a river rat.but since i have gotten addicted to fishing for cats,I need to anchor more than I ever have before..

My question Is what systems do most of you guys use? do you use 2 anchors(one in back and one in front) or one anchor,tied to the boat in the middle?

I run a flat bottom mudhull and It drives me bonkers when I cant get anchored so the boat doesn't sway back and forth...

I was out a couple days ago,I just wanted to enjo the afternoon and drown some crawlers.but with the high water and fast current i ended up tying to a stump..Is there a trick you cat pro's use to hold a boat steady or do we all put up with a little bit of swaying?

[Scott K]

I would have to say I use a brush clip 99% of the time. When I do use an anchor, I use a River anchor (thanks Gordie!) in the front, and a 25# Richtor in the back. Never anchor from the side, current could flip the your boat.

[jwmiller33]

for sturgeon fishing (pretty similar to catfishing) I am super picky about my anchor set ups. I always roll with 2 anchors b/c I can't stand it when the boat sways back and forth. I always use the bigger/better anchor up front in the bow. It works best if you run the anchor rope thru the loop on the very front of your bow (the thing you hook the trailer wench onto). By doing this, you allow your boat to be facing up stream, directly into the current (minimizing potential swaying and increases safety). Let out enough line until that anchor has a good hold on bottom and your not slipping down river at all. Depending on the current, you may have to let out a lot more anchor rope than you would think. It's important to have enough anchor rope in the boat. I always have two 75ft anchor ropes in my boat and when I have fished 40' holes on the St Croix, I wish I had more.

After you have the anchor set up in the bow, take your second anchor and throw it out just behind the transom (on the downstream side of the boat). For this anchor, the amount of line I let out is equal to the depth I am fishing. This back anchors sole purpose is to stop the boat from swaying back and forth. Since you have a good amount of line out on that front anchor, your going to sway back and forth with any wind or waves/wakes from other boats. The back anchor keeps you from swaying and is a key part to the equation.

[pureinsanity]

Most the time ive been out in peoples boats they also use a brush clip. I do know on my dads boat we have 6 feet of logging chain attached to the anchor. We then let out a lot of line so when we start drifting back the chain keeps the rope low and then pulls the anchor at more of an angle to get a better grip.

[Boker001]

I always use one 15-20lb navy anchor on one end usually the bow tied through the winch eye, which digs in almost too well sometimes. I set the anchor and then power the boat over to a tree branch or whatever is strong enough to tie to, allowing the other line with the anchor to feed out. Then i pull in the anchor line until it catches and make it as tight as possible. I end up with very little boat movement, which is a must when catfishing using clicker reels. I like to position broadside to the flow so it allows better casting access when fishing with 2 or more people.

Hope that makes sense. It sounded easy to explain in my head.

[Ed Carlson]

A couple of points first. The most common issue with not holding well with an anchor is inadequacy of anchor line out. Try to use the 5/1 rule...for every 1' depth allow for 5' out of anchor..or more. Coast Guard recommends 12/1 in heavy waves.

I use a 12 lb and 15 lb Digger Anchor and a Drop-N-Stay system on all my boats, from 16' up to 21.5'.

The Digger Anchor system holds exceptionally well and cleans out well and will not get hung up where you can not retrieve it out of a snag. The Digger Anchor has a trip out system that dumps the mud/weeds and releases from snags easily, but hold tight when set.

The Drop-N-Stay System compensates for waves and current so your anchor hold tight and does not get pulled free by surges in the stress on the anchor line. This is a preaty darn bulletproof system and I have tried them all. I highly recommend it.

A Brush Grabber is a very handy tool and one a small river boat should have handy. I also use them often and they do the job intended very well.

Use good rope, not cheap nylon [PoorWordUsage]. I recommend 3/8 double braid solid core rope. It holds well in cleats and is durable and easy on the hands. Use a Bull Ring on the end connection to the anchor not a clip.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

Every river boat needs a brush clip

[dan z]

tying off to shore is one of the easiest things to do...

when there is no shore to spots to secure to, use two anchors and use a ton of line on the one up front... and use one in the back to avoid any major swaying from wind and current.

[fishinJohn]

I am glad this topic is going around. My father in law dropped off a 12 foot jon and a little outboard since I have more storage area and would put it to use. I still need to put some new wood in for the transom so I haven't even had it out but I am already nervous about putting down the anchor for the bow. The last thing I want to be doing is moving all over this little boat in current. I don't plan on taking too much tack out the first few times and wearing my life vest until I get a feel for it or sell it!

[Shack]

Current seam and no brush clamp: 2 Richtors, one off the bow, letting out 10 or so extra yards floating me downstream over the spot/location. The other Richtor off the transom straight down once on the spot. Then the topper is tossing out a walleye drift-sock off the back. Fireman Andy turned me onto using the drift-sock and that the best I have found and pretty darn good trick to prevent the swinging.

Off structure I just use to one or two brush clamps.

Richtors are not cheap and guys build similar styled ones in case they are lost. Been using my two since 2008 and I have not lost them. SOme loose anchors while others do not.

[Alagnak]

Yeah. Those who do not lose them are on the couch.

SOme loose anchors while others do not.

[Scott K]

Or they use brush clamps when fishing in timber, or when ever possible. Other then the anchor that a fishing buddy let to much rope out on, and I should have bought a 80 foot roll instead of that 75 foot roll . I havent lost an anchor in over 20 years. I dont think I would consider myself a couch sitter.

[MinnesnowtaWild]

I almost let go of Scott L's anchor once last year...I would have felt terrible if that happened.

[Scott M]

Lots of good tips here. I haven't seen it used a lot, but the 5 gallon bucket on a rope should straighten you out...same principle as a walleye drift sock but in a river off the stern.

[Alagnak]

You said you clip 99% of the time Scott so understandable- 20 plus years is pretty f'ing good! Shack said some lose anchors some do not. [if] a guy uses the anchor quite a bit- especially on the mn- they are gonna get hung up wether it's one that 'releases' or not. But as I've always said I'd rather be lucky than good any day!

Or they use brush clamps when fishing in timber, or when ever possible. Other then the anchor that a fishing buddy let to much rope out on, and I should have bought a 80 foot roll instead of that 75 foot roll . I havent lost an anchor in over 20 years. I dont think I would consider myself a couch sitter.

[Scott K]

I think I am more cautious, and will not fish an area, if I need to anchor in more then 15 feet. I am sure I pass many fish because of it, but I just focus on the areas that I can clip on more.

[pureinsanity]

I almost let go of Scott L's anchor once last year...I would have felt terrible if that happened.

Everytime i hear about scott and anchors i think about last year when scotty lost his anchor on the road. Imagine what damage that would have done! Larry and I were behind him and he didnt know it. Larry came flying up on it in his truck. Scott came flying out of his truck to retrieve it waving his arms to the on coming traffic not realizing it was us. That big hoss would have done some damage to a vehicle thats for sure

[scott b]

Drift sock/35lb.anchor/3:1 rope.

[CarpinMNRiver]

I tie on wherever I can. That seems to be the easiest when in the boat alone. I found this old piece of pipe on the river one day after I lost homemade concrete anchor to a anchorman malfunction. I just slipped it over the rope and it slides over the tip of a smaller anchor I had. It works pretty well.

[DTro]

My anchor rarely hits the water. I have a small enough boat that a cheap $2.00 spring clamp from the bargain bin at your local hardware store will hold me just about anywhere there is a snag or overhanging limb, either that or the anchor gets tossed up on shore around a tree.

[SteveD]

I'm in the process of making an Anchor Spike system that I can use on my pontoon and on my boat. My problem isn't so much current as it is wind. On the St Croix at normal summertime stable river elevations I don't have enough current to keep me from getting blown upstream by the wind plus I get a lot of back and forth swing at low current. I'm getting one of the long 12' push poles like you use for duck hunting and fixing an anchor pipe that I can place on my boat or pontoon. I hope to put the pole in the pipe and then drive the spike into the sand at the back of the boat to hold the boat in place. I've got a number of shallow anchor spots that I hope that system will work on.

I've found the 12' pole that I want to use and now I just have to figure out how to make a clamp on pipe that I can hook on my transom to run the pole through. I've got a concept but it involves some welding - I need to find a good welder. I'll let you all know how this turns out.

[water rat]

Lots-o-good info!! I have to agree about the clamps they work great when near shore or submerged timber.

Steve D,sounds like you need to have a spud pole-hole,we use a similair system on the duck boat,keeps you from rocking back and forth and holds the boat steady.Agreed about the St Croix,It seems It doesnt matter what wind direction Is when your on the river it will follow the valley and do what you dont want It to do...

I have yet to lose an anchor but have spent about 1 hour trying to retrieve one,I lost the coin flip and had no desire to follow the rope down into a timber tangle...45 minuites later It finally broke free...

[DTro]

Those new power poles would work nice in some spots, but not for $1500.

[Gordie]

I've found the 12' pole that I want to use and now I just have to figure out how to make a clamp on pipe that I can hook on my transom to run the pole through. I've got a concept but it involves some welding - I need to find a good welder. I'll let you all know how this turns out.

shoot me an email or call me steve I could weld something up for ya

[SteveD]

Thanks, Gordy. I've been looking at some things I've seen on-line and I have to figure out how to adapt them to my boats. I'll shoot you an e-mail once I get the bracket figured out. I appreciate your help.

Steve