Adding Anchors to Kayaks

HOW would you guys go about putting anchors on kayaks? any info pic or vids would be vary helpful.PS I have a Ocean Kayak Drifter, some other kayak and a new Hobie.

One word qwickrelease, if you say it fast enough it is too one word! Jam cleats or a Kwik release knot. A carabinieri if you have a dive knife. They make anchor trollies just make sure you can release fast if you start getting swamped. 

Where do you want to anchor?

This works well rivers and deep water. If you actually want to build a drift anchor for running creeks and rivers it's a different set up.
http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?page=26

If you want to anchor in deep water, you need to add an anchor trolley system to your kayak so the bow or stern of your kayak will point into the wind and/or current when you're anchored.  If you tie an anchor to the side of your kayak, your kayak will end up floating more or less at right angles to the wind and/or current, which is not a good situation.  I like the anchor trolley system sold by Capt Dick Enterprises, http://www.captdick.net/ANCHOR-TROLLEYS_ANCHORS.htm , because it has a zig-zag cleat which you can use to tie off your anchor line and/or the trolley, but I like the foot of shock cord contained in the trolley line in the Hobie system.  In both systems I replace the ring or rings with carabiners so I can quickly clip my anchor line into and out of the trolley system.

I posted a description of a compact quick release anchor system based on a tie wire reel at http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=15510.msg168110#msg168110 .  This system is based on one developed by Wobbler for sturgeon fishing.  When using this system, if you need to detach yourself quickly from the anchor, either because you caught a big fish and want to let it pull you around, or because some emergency has developed such as an approaching log or excessive current, you can quickly pop the attachment rope out of a zig-zag cleat with one hand, and detach the entire anchor system from your kayak.  The anchor rope and tie wire reel will float from a buoy when you detach them from your kayak, so you can come back to retrieve them later.

Before you build an anchor system, Google "anchor scope."  You'll discover that even if you're only anchoring a kayak, your anchor line needs to be at least three times longer than the depth of the water, or the anchor won't hold.  I do a lot of snorkeling and spearfishing from a kayak, and if the wind comes up when I'm snorkeling around, I don't want my anchor to pop loose and my kayak to go scooting off downwind. 

I actually had an anchor come loose twice (!) when spearfishing out of a friend's motorboat.  He had spearfished for many years out of a small motorboat, and he bought a bigger motorboat and switched the anchor to the larger boat.  Turned out the old anchor was not big enough to hold the new boat on a soft muddy bottom.  Two times we were snorkeling, and suddenly realized that the boat was heading off down the lake.  The first time we had to swim like crazy to catch the boat.  The second time, on a different day, my friend was fortunately just returning to the boat when it popped loose.  I saw the boat head off downwind, and thought "oh no, not again," and was highly relieved to see my friend climbing over the transom.  He finally wised up and got a bigger and more aggressive anchor.

You can get away with just running a bow or stern line and looping it through a ring off the anchor. An anchor trolley is better but it's not required.

This is what I did with the well nuts on the back of a Trident. I have an old thread on here somewhere. I've switched to a six lb. weight. My brother-in-law welded up the brackets out of stainless.






I should add that I only use this in relatively shallow and slow moving water like tide water and not for sturgeon fishing in the Columbia.

You can get away with just running a bow or stern line and looping it through a ring off the anchor. An anchor trolley is better but it's not required.

I use bow and stern lines for Columbia River "BSteves" anchor. Easy and safe.

Really like that drift setup, want to try that on my Tetra and try the Washougal for steelies.

Thanks ya'lll

Anyone tried one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Lewmar-Claw-Anchor-4-4-lb/product-reviews/B000N9ZJ7M/ref=cm_cr_pr_paging_btm_next_2?showViewpoints=1&pageNumber=2

Only 4.4 lb and looks like it would hold really well. Wonder how easy it would be to release, thoughts?

Anyone tried one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Lewmar-Claw-Anchor-4-4-lb/product-reviews/B000N9ZJ7M/ref=cm_cr_pr_paging_btm_next_2?showViewpoints=1&pageNumber=2

Only 4.4 lb and looks like it would hold really well. Wonder how easy it would be to release, thoughts?

I use a 2.2 lb version.  Works well enough, though my snag release zip tie was a bit too small and popped during a retrieval when unnecessary. 

I have a larger fold up anchor for a 14 ft zodiac-style inflatable (4-6 scuba diver platform) but it seems too large for a yak.  If the current/wind is too great for the 2.2 to hold, I may not really want to be anchored.

Where did you get your 2.2 lb version, got a link?

That looks like a good anchor.

Those bruce anchors only really work well for mud, they are harder than average to get to set and can be super difficult to pull, especially in heavy current. I'd lean toward a mushroom if you are fishing rock or gravel or a pyramid if you are fishing mud or using it as a drift anchor.

Thanks, Noah, I figured a 4.4 lb solution for rivers was too good to be true...

Where did you get your 2.2 lb version, got a link?

here you go...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004CG7HHM