Cut your losses before things get too tight

Today was going to be a good day...

Met up with Noah around 10 and headed to the launch in Milwaukee just down river from GR park for a little sturgeon C&R on the Willy. Unloaded the boats and headed up river to meet up with Jammer. We got up there and after about 20 minutes of attempting to drop anchor in a good spot, Jammer let us tie up with him. In the mean time Jammer had reeled in three sturgeon, things were looking good, real good.

So we are finally tied up with Jammer and starting to get some nibbles.  But neither Noah nor I could get a fish out of the water. We both had a couple on but they all somehow managed to shake the hook. I think it was around 1 when Jammer had to take off, so we all dropped off and Noah and I went to set our own anchor. All set up and a hour or so after we are still getting skunked. We decided to bring up the anchor and reset in another spot. Well the anchor was stuck. We spent a good half hour it seemed working to dislodge it with no luck. I did my best to pull as much line in as possible while preparing to cut it and just give up the anchor. Holding the line TIGHT I let Noah take a hold of it. Figuring he had a good hold on it I let the line go... and I followed closely behind.

Yep, right into the nice warm February Willy. I kept my cool and held on to my yak, though upside down. Preparing to flip the yak back over, Noah tells me to stop. I'm figuring he's going to give me some advice to get myself back on a little easier. Even better he was grabbing my week old rod. Thanks cousin. (looking back now a little disappointed you didn't get any pictures) Thankfully I didn't lose anything but a bit of lead. So in the end when you really can't get that anchor up, don't try to save as much of the anchor line as you can get to the surface, a bit of rope is a whole lot less expensive than a FF, rod and reel, or a bunch of tackle and lead. Cut your losses before things get too tight.

Wow, gnarly adventure Langcod! What were you wearing? How long were you in the drink? How did you do reboarding your yak? Thanks for the words of wisdom, that's how we all learn.

Wow, gnarly adventure Langcod! What were you wearing? How long were you in the drink? How did you do reboarding your yak? Thanks for the words of wisdom, that's how we all learn.

I had waders and spray top on over several layers. I don't think I was in for much longer than a minute or two. The whole thing went pretty quick. As far as re-boarding, I was lucky enough to have had a lesson from a expedition kayak guide back in June when I did a 2 day one night trip up in the San Juan Islands. I rolled the yak back into it's upright position, squared my torso to the yak and pulled my torso up. Once I had gotten my torso up I swung my leg over to the far side. I was then facing backwards on my stomach. I felt comfortable enough to roll back over but Noah was nice enough to tow me over to a dock where I disembarked and stripped some of my cold wet layers and warmed up a bit before we headed back to the launch.

Glad to hear you were able to board, I need to practice that.

So you did get wet. Do you feel ok about your immersion gear?

So you did get wet. Do you feel ok about your immersion gear?

It held up pretty well. Hopefully this situation won't happen again but should it occur again I wouldn't mind something a bit more water tight. If I had been able to stay dry I would have been up to get my line wet again.

Oh it will happen again and again and again. Going for a swim now and then is part of the deal. Glad you only lost lead. Rod leashes and a solid ff mount are solid investments huh. Sucks about the anchor, maybe a buddy who dives can retrieve it for ya.

I may have access to an awesome XL size Drysuit at 35% off. Let me know if Interested.

Today was going to be a good day...

Met up with Noah around 10 and headed to the launch in Milwaukee just down river from GR park for a little sturgeon C&R on the Willy. Unloaded the boats and headed up river to meet up with Jammer. We got up there and after about 20 minutes of attempting to drop anchor in a good spot, Jammer let us tie up with him. In the mean time Jammer had reeled in three sturgeon, things were looking good, real good.

So we are finally tied up with Jammer and starting to get some nibbles.  But neither Noah nor I could get a fish out of the water. We both had a couple on but they all somehow managed to shake the hook. I think it was around 1 when Jammer had to take off, so we all dropped off and Noah and I went to set our own anchor. All set up and a hour or so after we are still getting skunked. We decided to bring up the anchor and reset in another spot. Well the anchor was stuck. We spent a good half hour it seemed working to dislodge it with no luck. I did my best to pull as much line in as possible while preparing to cut it and just give up the anchor. Holding the line TIGHT I let Noah take a hold of it. Figuring he had a good hold on it I let the line go... and I followed closely behind.

Yep, right into the nice warm February Willy. I kept my cool and held on to my yak, though upside down. Preparing to flip the yak back over, Noah tells me to stop. I'm figuring he's going to give me some advice to get myself back on a little easier. Even better he was grabbing my week old rod. Thanks cousin. (looking back now a little disappointed you didn't get any pictures) Thankfully I didn't lose anything but a bit of lead. So in the end when you really can't get that anchor up, don't try to save as much of the anchor line as you can get to the surface, a bit of rope is a whole lot less expensive than a FF, rod and reel, or a bunch of tackle and lead. Cut your losses before things get too tight.

I don't know what the deal was today. Couldn't get the anchor to hold, hooked a couple of nice feeling fish just to have them throw the hook on the way up. Then the anchor stuck too well! After attempting to pull it up a number of times and peddling like crazy to try free it from another of different angles, I had Langston make one final effort to pull it up. Still no love. So at this point we were pretty sure it wasn't coming loose and I wanted to try and minimize the amount of snag hazard I was leaving on the bottom. This was in a 109 feet of water mind you and I guess another 25 feet really wouldn't have made much of a difference. So Langston is directly over the snagged anchor and his boat is broadsided to the current. I've got the anchor line reel and I'm keeping the line slack between the two of us by pedaling in place. So I finally I say "Okay, let it go", as I'm ready let him get clear and cut the line. However, as soon as he let the line go his boat started to roll and was upside down before I knew it. I think the tension of the line, plus the current worked perfectly together to send him into the water.

Crap. Now he's in the water but still very close to the boat. I cut the line to the anchor and head over to help. After checking to make sure he's okay I'm starting to talk him through flipping the boat back over when I see his new tiger stick just barley hanging off the end of the boat, partially wrapped up in his stern line. I grab it and store it behind me. After that Langston gets the boat flipped back over and pops back up onto the boat like it was nothing. He did a great job remaining calm and getting back into his boat.

Big thanks to Willbd for grabbing the fishfinder and few other items that had started to float away.

It is really good to hear everything worked out ok and the only loss was the anchor.   Nice work on keeping your cool and working thorough the situation, guys!

not to armchair quarterback, but how did you have the anchor rigged? conventionally from the top, or columbia river inverted style? and yes i do realize that inverted will still snag up now and then.

Wow, gnarly adventure Langcod! What were you wearing? How long were you in the drink? How did you do reboarding your yak? Thanks for the words of wisdom, that's how we all learn.

I had waders and spray top on over several layers. I don't think I was in for much longer than a minute or two. The whole thing went pretty quick. As far as re-boarding, I was lucky enough to have had a lesson from a expedition kayak guide back in June when I did a 2 day one night trip up in the San Juan Islands. I rolled the yak back into it's upright position, squared my torso to the yak and pulled my torso up. Once I had gotten my torso up I swung my leg over to the far side. I was then facing backwards on my stomach. I felt comfortable enough to roll back over but Noah was nice enough to tow me over to a dock where I disembarked and stripped some of my cold wet layers and warmed up a bit before we headed back to the launch.

I was anchored about 75 yards down stream of them facing up river. I saw them working on the anchor and the next thing I see is langcod in the water.
I did not see the dismount but Langcod did do a perfect remount.
I don't this he was in the water for more than a minute.

willbd

This was my third time anchoring in the Willy and third time at the same spot where you stuck your anchor.
Every time my anchor gets stuck. I think the bottom is mud and the anchor sinks in the muck.

I have to pull on it for 10 to 20 minutes to get it free from the bottom.

I am using a 3 lb grappling hook anchor with 3 feet of chain.

BTW DeluxHarley lost a anchor in the same place as you guy last Friday.

just saw the post on the other thread about the anchor being a drifters pyramid.

had thought maybe you'd been using a regular 4 claw type rigged non inverted.

from reading thru everything sounds like there might be an anchor eater in that area. to bad it's also a good sturgeon hole.

It was a 10# pyramid. I usually anchor on the other side of the river and have never had a problem over there, toward the Lake Oswego side. On that side I think it's more of a sand or gravel bottom. On the other side I think it's far more rocky and snag filled. Jammer mentioned that a mushroom works much better on that side, which I will bring next time. The Pyramid works great but I think I'm going to save it for the Columbia and run the mushroom on the willy going forward.

effectivley, what everyone has done by losing and sharing, is educate me on the fact that i need to expand my anchor selections, and rethink rigging to enable quick changes.

sorry ya lost that puppy, but thanks for the education in the process.