I recently came into a small 8lb anchor to use with my SOT. Before, I would either drift or pull up to the bank and tie off. I was thinking of rigging it to drop off the rear so that I can face downstream while I fish. Is there any reason this is not good or maybe there’s a better way?
8lb anchor?
You mentioned facing downstream,so you must be on a creek or river?I use a 1.5lb.folding grapnel for rocky or grassy bottoms or a 2.5lb. Danforth for sandy or muddy bottoms.I anchor off of the stern using half-hitches until I reach my “spot”,and then put a stick into the next hitch loop to prevent current from pulling out the rest.Works alright for me.That way,you don’t have to worry about the fish getting tangled in the anchor line.I hope this helps;good fishing!!
Trolley…
You may want to try searching the net for “kayak anchor trolley”. Very versatile. There are dozens of links and videos and a few ready to install kits available. I am seriously looking at adding one to my yak.
At home on a shelf
If you’re anchoring in current or tide that is strong enough that a brush anchor or a 2lb dumb-bell won’t hold your kayak, then you are anchoring in too much current for safety.
- Big D
Did I say it was free?
Yeah, I’m getting the anchor free. So, weight isn’t so much a factor at the moment. I was thinking more along the lines of being pulled off balance because I rigged to drop off the side or maybe hindering my field of casting.
Bow or stern
Rig it on the bow or the stern. Use a well secured pulley where the anchor drops off your boat. Scotty makes one, but there are lots of them available on sites like Bass Pro Shops, Cabelas, or West Marine.
Between the anchor pulley and your seat, run the line through something fairly large so that the line will not kink and prevent deployment or retrieval of the anchor. For mine, I attached padeyes, then ran a loop of line through the padeye, and a “quick link” to the line. This allows a kink or something to run through the quick link, but still keeps the line from going wherever it wants to run on the boat. At your seat, secure the line with a clam cleat or a jam cleat. A jam cleat is V shaped and you just mash the line down into it. Friction holds it. A clam cleat has to rotating cams that pinch the line to hold it. To undo the line you either just pull up on it or slightly back to rotate the cams. Each are very, very rapid ways to release line. This is important if your anchor binds up on something subsurface. If it does that and you can’t release line, strong enough current will QUICKLY plane your boat to the bottom with you in it. DO NOT tie a knot in the end of the line to prevent it from slipping through the pulley. You WANT it to slip through the pulley as a safety factor. Finally, use enough line.
Those are my suggestions. As I said before, anchors on small boats can be hazardous. An eight pound anchor off of a kayak is not good. It would be better to buy a 2 lb coated dumbell and use it as the anchor. From a canoe, well then you start getting into some things about the size, the current, the depth, etc.
Just remember, when things go bad with an anchor, they go bad FAST. Be prepared for an emergency release, which should include cutting the line and losing the anchor. Keep the line controlled. Don’t let it wrap around your ankles. Don’t let it get kinked up. Just… be prepared. And EVERY MOMENT that you have the anchor deployed, be wearing your PFD even if you don’t normally wear one.
- Big D
Suggested rigging for 8lb anchor
Here is a link to step-by-step instructions for setting up an anchor trolley system for a kayak. There is a link to a video showing the installation as well.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5750922_install-anchor-kayak.html