Kayak Anchoring Basics

Anyone willing to share the basics of how (and what) to anchor in the columbia or other similarly-sized and currented rivers? Moved here recently from Chicago, with the lady and my Tarpon 140. We've got plenty of salmonids under our belt, having kayak-fished Lake Michigan for years, but I'd love nothing more than to add a new-species notch for sturgeon. I recognize that anchoring a kayak in any current, especially in deep water, can be immensely dangerous, so I'd really appreciate any insight that anyone here would be willing to offer.

Thanks much and tight lines to all,

David

FWIW, i'd searched around NWKA to find if this has already been posted before, and couldn't find anything. Either i'm terrible at searching (entirely possible), or I just missed it. No offense will be taken if someone just responds with a link instead.

http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=2041.0 is a good place to start (if the link didn't work - it's a sticky on top of the drillin and cutting section).  there are also a few good links on drift boat style anchors - which I would not suggest on the Columbia especially this time of year - you need a system that you can easily and quickly free yourself from your anchor line.  that being said, there is a big difference between reading it, and doing it.  which is why I got all the stuff for anchoring in the Columbia yet have not deployed it - have just stuck to trolling.  I've spent enough time on the stretch of river I live by bank/boat fishing and have seen way to many barely visible logs floating downstream.  especially during the winter/spring runoff.

I have only really been anchoring for about a year for sturgeon.the current of the river and wind play into how I tie up.most of the time I have a anchor out the stern with the bow pointed down stream and your set.then I undo a snapif the fish is big enough and let the sleigh ride begin

Metatopic: A note about searching: The search on this forum seems to be context-aware. In other words, if you are in a specific subforum and you search the results are limited to that subforum. So for the broadest search, click "Forum" in the main menu, then search for whatever you're looking for.

Topic: There are a lot of opinions on here about anchoring. Being able to release the anchor quickly is probably the only universal point of agreement.   I will just throw in my two cents: You don't have to anchor in 80 feet of 10 kt. current to catch quality sturgeon. Also the length and weight of chain is just as important as the anchor itself.

http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=2041.0 is a good place to start (if the link didn't work - it's a sticky on top of the drillin and cutting section).  there are also a few good links on drift boat style anchors - which I would not suggest on the Columbia especially this time of year - you need a system that you can easily and quickly free yourself from your anchor line.  that being said, there is a big difference between reading it, and doing it.  which is why I got all the stuff for anchoring in the Columbia yet have not deployed it - have just stuck to trolling.  I've spent enough time on the stretch of river I live by bank/boat fishing and have seen way to many barely visible logs floating downstream.  especially during the winter/spring runoff.

That's good advice. Especially the part about there being a big difference between reading and doing. It really helps to be able to watch a buddy do it a few times. The thread posted before is a good starting point. I'd suggest building your system and then giving it a couple of test runs in shallower water, maybe 20-30 feet with a mild current. I'd highly suggest getting more floatation than you think you'll need. If you get the smallest red anchor ball that Fisherman's stocks, you'll be golden. Boat bumpers and crab floats work great in slow to medium water, but if you are sitting on the Columbia on a strong outgoing tide the river will bury your anchor. DAMHIK. You can also pretty much guarantee that you will lose an anchor sooner or later. Having a good method to release your boat from the anchor is also key, there was a drowning last year on the Columbia from someone that got hung up on their anchor rope with no PFD.

Have you given some thought to the type of anchor you're going to use? If you're anchoring on a muddy Columbia bottom a 10lb pyramid is a great way to go, but it can get stuck on a more rocky bottom. Probably the best all around anchor is an 8 lb mushroom. It holds okay in the mud but is very good on rocky or a gravel bottom.

No matter how or where you anchor, have an easily accessible, sharp knife on your person when anchoring and be keenly aware of your anchor line management.

-Spot- 

Thanks everyone for the wealth of information and advice. Re: type of anchor - not sure yet. I'm starting from scratch re: anchor system, so I'll probably go with the mushroom anchor, per Spot's suggestion. I do have the trolley rigged up, but might upgrade the gear, since I just have small hardware capable of handling the anchor I've used in small ponds.

At home on Lake Michigan amongst my kayaking buddies, I was known as "the guy that takes safety way too far," which is, frankly, a designation I'm proud to own. I always wear a pfd, easily accessible knife, handheld waterproof ship-to-shore, never go out when it's iffy, etc...

A related question: I've been out on drift boats a number of times, and noticed that there's a lot of swaying back and forth when anchored up in current. Does that happen with the yak, too, when anchored at only one point of the yak (bow or stern)?

A related question: I've been out on drift boats a number of times, and noticed that there's a lot of swaying back and forth when anchored up in current. Does that happen with the yak, too, when anchored at only one point of the yak (bow or stern)?

You will have some swing from side to side if you anchor off the bow, or stern in a river.  It can range from mildly annoying in calm current to downright dangerous in swift rivers.  There are some things you can do to fix it though.  If the current is not running too hard, you could hang a small drift chute off one side of the downstream side of your kayak.  Dangling one foot off the side of your kayak while on anchor can keep you from swinging too.  For the Hobie users reading this, put your drive in backwards to prevent swinging or if the current is slow enough, keep your rudder down and use that to minimize the swing.  I advise against keeping a rudder down while on anchor in a swift current - it's just a pain to use and may create enough drag to cause your anchor to slip downstream.

David,

Some pics below and 2 cents on my final solution.  It's the product of many trials, errors, and comedies while anchoring on Columbia this year.

- As noted by Noah, float needs to be adequate.   What's adequate?  Well, I had to wait for slack tide one afternoon because my volley-ball sized float submerged after casting off during a hookup.  The float pictured is the Polyform A-1 and it's been fine so far.  The currents range from .8 to 1.5 fps where I anchor on the big C.

- I tried the flat ski-rope style spool first and found it difficult to uphaul the anchor.  The extension cord spool pictured lets you keep one hand stationary in the center and the handle is far enough from the center to give the leverage needed to quickly uphaul.  After deploying my anchor, I hold the remaining line on the spool with the black Velcro strap shown.  You need something like this because when you cast off, the entire spool/float combination goes overboard.

- Any anchor will hold if employed right.  The bottom where I anchor is usually sand that's been swept clean by the current in the main stem.  For this, I found it takes less line to hold bottom with a multi-tine grapnel anchor than a mushroom.  A section of chain immediately above the anchor also helps it dig in with less line.  Because uphauling is awkward on a kayak, I like to use as little line as possible, knowingly ignoring what the safety guys / Coast Guard types recommend on line length.  2:1 ratio has been very comfortable/effective with a 3-lb anchor in 50-foot water.  A grapnel also gives you an extra rigging option that's useful if snagged on bottom.  Note the small zip tie on the stem and the heavier one at the base.  Haven't snagged it yet, but on land I confirmed I can snap the top ties, streamlining the anchor, and retaining a connection with the stronger tie on the bottom.  If that doesn't free me from the snag, I'll beg help from fellow yaks or a powerboat for the job of breaking the bottom tie before resorting to cutting the line.

- The 'natural' direction to anchor is bow facing down river toward your rig.  But, checking 6 for logs, as mentioned by crabbycabby is serious business on Columbia.  Be especially cautious if you see limbs poking above the surface - it means there is a lot, if not all, of a tree under the surface.  Hasn't happened to me on a kayak, but I've been on a boat when we failed to see a tree drifting into us until too late.  We were lucky to only lose the anchor and line in that fiasco.

- I don't anchor near other boats if there's any wind other than a tailwind because I can't figure out how I would gracefully retrieve a drogue on hookup.

- I made one mod to the standard Hobie anchor trolley system.  As pictured, I put a single cleat on the top, aft deck.  After hoisting the anchor line to the stern, I use this cleat to keep the trolley from sliding forward and causing my boat to sideslip.  Important if you want to maintain your cool in front of other boats in a hogline :-)

Check 6 for trees and good luck,
Slime

Anyone use a fluke anchor?  I used a 25 pound one when i was in the columbia fishing for sturgeon.  It held very well. 

Slime--thanks for a very well explained post. i am looking to  anchor in 70-90 ft of water on the salt for halibut. At the most there would be 1.5 knots of current to deal with. I'm hoping to get away with 200 ft of line plus chain.
we'll see if this works.
T2

T2,

I'm not confident that what I described for David would work in your conditions, it's outside my limited experience, but I'm sure you'll find others on NWKA who can confirm what will work.  My setup works in 50 feet of water at no more than .9 kts (sorry, I used fps in my orignial response, instead of kts, because that's what NOAA gives us for the Columbia).  90 feet at 1.5kts doesn't sound like much more, but it is.  You'll have a lot more drag on your line and hull.  Drag increases linearly with surface area and you'll have almost twice the line that I do exposed to the current just to reach bottom.  But more importantly, drag also increases with the square of the velocity of the water, acting on both your hull and deployed line, so in addition to the increased drag from the surface area of a longer line, you'll also have nearly 4 times as much force acting against that longer line and against your hull.  Maybe 200' will be enough, I really have no clue, but my gut tells me more will be needed and maybe a different anchor.

I recently paddled in some 1-2kts waters while flirted up to the edge of a seam with some 4-5 kts water coming out of Deception Pass in Puget Sound.  It thoroughly reinforced my respect for large bodies of moving water and I was only trolling with favorable winds!

good luck,
Slime

I use a 2.2lbs Bruce style anchor, I find its much more efficient on sandy bottoms and easier to pull up(25lbs just seems crazy to me). I would never use steel cable for an anchor line(1/4 braided works great and is not to hard on the hands, plus you can cut it with your knife. I 3Xdepth - scope so 50ft of water = 150ft or line, as long as your bouy is buoyant enough this works in some pretty heavy water. I would also keep plenty of distance from your anchor float(10+ ft). I would be very hesitant to have any type of spool on board and make sure your line from your float is through trolley ring and attached to some type of quick release, this has saved my bacon on several occasions from rogue logs and other debri. When in doubt cut the line it's only an anchor. Remember there are people who love and care for you, "Don't be an a$$hol3" think of them before you do something stupid. Prepare to lose gear and crap yourself doing it. I will post some pics of my tried tested and true anchor system, it has served me very well in Fraser River, on many lakes and in the deep blue.

Slime--thanks for a very well explained post. i am looking to  anchor in 70-90 ft of water on the salt for halibut. At the most there would be 1.5 knots of current to deal with. I'm hoping to get away with 200 ft of line plus chain.
we'll see if this works.
T2

Have you considered using a sea anchor (aka boat brake, drogue).  I've only used them minimally but they can be quite effective for reducing wind drift and they are simple to use and compact.