Anchoring?

New to kayak fishing, and I see a few fella's keep an anchor on board.  Just curious how you guys are using these, salt or fresh.  Maybe its obvious?

You could do a lot of kayak fishing without ever needing an anchor, so don't feel that you need to buy one.  And it isn't safe to anchor in strong current.  But there are some situations in which an anchor is a useful fishing tool.  For example, kayak anglers use breakaway anchor systems when fishing deep slow pools for sturgeon.  I sometimes use an anchor when jigging in lakes for lake whitefish or lake trout, and I snorkel and spearfish for pike from an anchored kayak. 

If you want to be able to anchor your kayak for some kind of fishing, you should add an anchor trolley system so the anchor line will run from the bow or stern of your kayak, and your kayak will be lined up with the wind and/or current.  Don't tie your anchor line to the side of your kayak, as that will result in waves and current hitting the side of your kayak, which can be unsafe.

You'll also need some kind of a reel for your anchor line.  Your anchor line should be at least three times as long as the depth of the water - do an internet search for "anchor scope" for an explanation of this.

I snorkel and spearfish for pike from an anchored kayak. 

That sounds like fun right there 

Depends on your fishing. Saltwater anchoring is scary. Usually only do that while spearfishing. Freshwater only if it's windy and I'm fishing bait for trout or for sturgeon. Outside of that I don't even bring one. But like many others on here I'm a gear whore and have two one fancy for sturgeon and one dimple for trout/loaner.


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So far, the only two situations I anchor are in slow moving water where I want to linger and thoroughly fish a spot. One, tidewater salmon fishing, casting, not trolling and second, while bass fishing some sluggish waters here in the Willamette Valley. In both cases, the water is slow and not too deep like less than 15'.