anchors and drift chutes - when and where are you using them

i'd really love to hear about when, where and under what conditions/fishing situations are folks are using anchors and drifts chutes - i'm especially interested to hear if you use them in the salt or in river situations - like say the mouth/lower ends of wide slow rivers

i'm a bit OCD when it comes to understanding things, and i realize that most understanding comes from doing - this being said, i'm always trying to stack the odds in my favor...hopefully all my questions benefit others in some way

as most of you know by now - i'm 3 weeks or so into my kayak fishing career - getting out on some local lakes regularly but ready to get out into the salt and some estuary/river settings...seems like on the lake  i'm always fighting the wind and associated current - i have found a number of times where using an anchor was a good thing...

thanks for listening -

anthony

I can only think of a few situations in which I use an anchor.

1) Sturgeon fishing.  Always.
2) Estuary or hatchery (hoodsport) fishing for salmon.
3) Freshwater when soaking bait for trout or panfish.
4) In the rivers when steelhead fishing.  Be careful.  River currents are not to be taken lightly.

Drift chute.  I hate to use them.  I only use them when I want to force the situation when fishing.  When it's windy enough that I need to use a drift chute, I usually choose not to fish.  If I've already planned a trip somewhere and want to salvage a fishing day, then I'll use one if the weather necessitates it.  IMO, there is a fine line between using one and choosing not to fish.  Don't push it unless you have some experience under your belt.  I usually recommend newbies to not worry about it until they are more seasoned, and then only use if you know what you are doing.

-Allen

Ditto what pole said on drift chutes.  I can't stand them. what a PITY.  If you need one offshore its probably to windy to bother fishing  anyway.  Even with offshore current drift I would rather just go up a jig size or two then mess with a drift sock

i do mine a little differently.  i (will) use my anchor for when i paddle up the mouth of the Puyallup River on and incoming tide to plunk eggs in the tidewater of the river.  i use my drift chute not to stay where i am, but to move.  i use it around Point Defiance to mooch with the tide when i'm trolling gear.  just paddle out, get into the current, deploy the drift chute, and let the current do the work for me.  water speed there can get upwards of 4-7 mph on a rippin' tide and can lead you right into or on top of a bait ball. 

Bobby

once again, its great to hear real life stories and experience as opposed to my no experience assumptions - thanks folks!

Anchoring is useful for flounder fishing too.

I am pretty much in the same boat as antpo. I am fishing little lakes and I am ready to go out on rivers, specifically the Columbia River and other estuaries like the Lewis River.

It's funny I am also kinda OCD and analytical about info and I have to fully informed before I do something.

One question I have is how do you anchor if there is a current? The Columbia River is a major river with strong currents at times. How do you anchor in such conditions? or do you? and at what depth? Do you still use the 3lb anchor or would you go heavier?

Unlike P² and PP, I like drift chutes. I've always used it to slow me down in the wind, but I guess it works as well to catch a current. I have yet to find the need to help me go down hill though.

 It's not the first thing I'd put in a newbies hand, but they work great on lakes and on the ocean in just a moderate breeze (<10 mph).  I do have some slight concerns about lines and entanglement, but they are great for slowing your drift even in a light breeze.
 
 Granted, I have not used one since I was in So Cal, but back then, the Ikea chute was great for hanging over a submerged rock pile off the coast for a LOT longer than my fishing partners in easy conditions (like smooth water and 7 to 12 mph winds).

 Perhaps mine worked because its HUGE compared to most drift chutes sold for small boats (think: the bottom half of a big garbage bag). It deployed easily and was just as easy to pick up, ball up and stuff in a hatch or in the tank well. Don't think it would be good for dicey conditions though. Kinda like flying a spinnaker in a storm.

Redfish: There are a couple of good articles on anchoring in current here and on the homepage:

http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,2041.0.html

But as far as I'm concerned, that's still yakfishing 202 and not something I'd want to do the first time out or alone.

Wali

I use an anchor when I want to stay relatively close to a particular location. In a lake, in the wind, I'll still swing around unless I use a second anchor.

I use the drift sock when I want to.... ....drift.  I'm a firm believer in drift anchors. I consider mine a safety item, not a liability, but I have a big boat background (and a lot of experience on the water, in a lot of different boats). It has definitely saved many marginal fishing days, for me. I've even fished out of my open rowboat (with chute) on days when PP has packed it in. But since I don't get to the wet side of the mountains all that often, I try to eak out all the fishing I can.