Can someone please tell me what the best anchor weight is for lake kayaking? We got our son a 40-lb. anchor, and he claims that it is too heavy. Thank you.
yikes…
…40#'s is way too heavy for kayak…all ya need is a 10# 'er at most …they sell fluked , collapsible anchors weighing as little as 1.5#'s
Much lighter
I use anchors that weight 8 to 10 pounds when fishing from “small” boats that are much larger and heavier than kayaks. When I fish from a canoe and need an anchor, I tie a rope to a cylindrical piece of scrap metal. If I had to guess, I’d say it weighs 3 pounds. Use a true anchor with flukes (grippers) of some kind, and I’m sure 2 pounds would be secure enough most of the time. I’ve seen folding kayak anchors that probably don’t weigh any more than 2 pounds.
40# is crazy
If you are in conditions that need a 40# anchor for a kayak, you don’t want to be anchored anyway.
A cheap way to try a few weights is to buy inexpensive dumbbells at wally world. Get 2 or 3 sizes from 3 to 8 lbs and see what works in what conditions. I like dumbbell anchors because they are cheap and thus easy to cut loose if need be.
40# anchor would be good on 65’ yacht
4# would more than suffice on a kayak.
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=102090&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=10105&subdeptNum=10372&classNum=10418
It depends on the bottom
If the bottom is rocky, a light grappling anchor is best. They are easily made out of steel rods. Ideally, it should be made from a thin enough metal so that it can be pulled free when it gets too stuck.
For sand, a small Danforth, or Fluke anchor is ideal.
None of the above anchor designs use weight as their primary method of holding. Instead, they catch the bottom and dig in.
John
Here… Get this…
http://www.amazon.com/Seattle-Sports-Kayak-Fishing-Anchor/dp/B000VINN00
Paddle easy,
Coffee
Get the smallest Danforth anchor
that you can find. It should only weigh a pound or two.
It works on the principal that the two “wings” dig into the bottom and then hold the boat.
jack L
he needs a bigger kayak
40 lb. anchor , lol , that’s perfect …
… best I’ve heard lately 
anchors hold by grip, not weight
So a light anchor will easily hold… IF… that anchor is designed for that bottom.
So, check the bottom and decide.
BUT, generally, the folding anchors work well for kayaks.
They come in 1.5# and 3# weights.
Now, rigging a line-system to keep the anchor hanging from the bow is the hard part.
Anchors hanging from the cockp[it cause the boat to turn sideways in the current/wind and rock. So hanging from the bow is safer.
There are a number of ways to do this.
He is telling the truth
– Last Updated: Jul-08-11 12:52 AM EST –
40 lbs is too heavy :-)...
I've heard a lot of good things about Guardian anchors:
http://www.boatersland.com/guardian.html
Their smallest model G5 (FTSG5) weighs 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs) and is recommended for 12ft-16ft boats. Should be alright. It's aluminum - not steel - therefore lighter weight, but like somebody said, it's grip that holds, not the weight.
On calm day any anchor will hold your kayak.
In heavy weather AND on bottoms where there is no good grip for anchor, you need a heavier anchor - but nobody is fishing from a kayak in such a weather.
PS: you didn't say how he's rigging that 40 lbs anchor to the kayak. Again, on calm weather you can simply throw it from the side, but then the boat turns sideways to wind and in any small chop this becomes annoyance and danger. I would imagine a pole with hook at the end, to grab the line tied to the bow.
I prefer to use
a 2.2lb Lewmar claw anchor. Depending where you shop it runs $7-$14. This anchor holds well in gravel and mud, but it is not good in rocks. Use an anchor trolley so you can position the anchor at the bow or stern as needed and have a sharp knife handy just in case you need an emergency release.
Or try this
for the Boundary Waters Trips we all bought basketball nets, tied the bottom closed and fill with rocks from shore. Use a carabiner to close the top then add a length of rope. Bang you have a portable, packable anchor that can go from 1 to 40 pounds.
I like that… I’ll even sell the OP my
Anchor & do that! I have the one like I linked in my above post.
Paddle easy,
Coffee
Better yet
Just fill that goofy looking hat with rocks and use that. I’m resisting going there.
Net
Only problem with a basketball net is it would easily get hung up on trees and brush at the lake. A small, cheap nylon bag would be better and do the same thing.
i have one of those
I found it on the beach. A rubberized bag with drawstring and rope. the end of the rops had a float and clip.
Obviously it was designed to be stored flat and light, then filled with rocks, dropped over the side and clipped to an anchor-line.
There is an old saying
in my “old country”: Cheap fish - crappy soup.
You can fill a bag with rocks, yes. Doesn’t have to be rubberized, btw - you want to drain water before throwing it back in cockpit. But when it has no grip, it has to work by its weight, which is inefficient way of functioning for an anchor. I tried this, it works, and kind of pain with extra pounds of weight and water seeping from between the rocks after you’ve brought it in.
coffee can with concrete & big eyelet
jabbed in the middle. ~20lbs always worked well in a light canoe. I DO have a question for anyone that’s used the lighter-weight hook-style anchors…if they catch…how do ya’ get them to release their grasp when it’s time to move on?
$.01,
steve