Preferred Anchor

I snagged and lost my 3lb claw anchor this past Saturday on the Willamette. This presents an opportunity to change my anchor situation. I did walk over to Dick's here in Hillsboro at lunch today and buy a 3lb claw to replace what I lost, but I may switch to an 8lb mushroom and just keep the claw as a backup. Thus, I thought it would be interesting and useful for everyone to have a collected thread about what everyone is using, under what types of conditions and what kind of success that are having with there setup. Also, if you use different anchors in different situations that would be great knowledge to share. Thanks for playing!

For me it was (and may be again) a 3lb claw with about 3-5lbs of chain mostly anchoring in the Willamette. Caught pretty well most of the time. I had gotten it stuck pretty good a couple of times but had always been able to free it before Saturday. Overall I think that this is a good setup.

For that stretch of the Willy, I would probably say that a claw (grapnel) style of anchor would be my last choice.  I use one of INSAYN's custom made pyramid and I'm really happy with it.  Image the bottom your are working with in that particular stretch of the river.  There is a lot of solid rock bottom or large rocks and cliffs with plenty of debris on the bottom or even just gravel.  Your best bet with this type of bottom is something with a lot of weight to it so you don't drag your anchor into a snag.  I think another good option aside from a pyramid for that type of bottom is a large, beefy shot of chain.  Something that is maybe 3 ft. long but weighs around 10 lbs..  With this you have a lot of surface contact with the bottom and a lot of weight spread over that surface contact and it won't hang up as much as anchors.  Mushrooms can work well here too because they have a good amount of weight and aren't nearly as grabby as a grapnel.  Don't expect them to hold in higher flows though.  You can also hook up a mushroom with a breakaway mechanism. 

If you're looking at anchoring at a place with a soft bottom, you could go with a grapnel, but you never know where a snag might be so make sure it has a breakaway mechanism.  Mushrooms are great for this type of bottom too since they are actually designed for mud, silt or fine sand bottoms.  They sink into the bottom and the mud flows up through the holes in the bell.  The further they sink in, the more suction they have and can resist a surprising amount of pull.

My advice, talk to INSAYN.

I like the 3lb claw + chain combo.  I've got it stuck a few times but been able to free so far. 

I don't know if a mushroom will hold you in a current or if it will roll.  I have a 5lb mushroom that I like to use while fishing slow moving or still water.

My claw gave me nothing but headaches.  Those tines would snag on anything.  When anchoring up in the Columbia Estuary, I even had it turn into a drift anchor and pull me downstream....

8lb mushrooms have treated me well on the Willamette.  Yes, I've lost one but I can confidently say it was a rope failure.  When fishing the Columbia (or anywhere with a sand bottom and swift current) I prefer my 10lb pyramid.  It bites quickly and deep, which is a must when joining the hog lines.

-Spot-

When using the pyramid, do you need to use a chain as well?

I'll pile on the claw-hater club...for the Willy anyway.

Couple of question for all of you mushroom users.

1. Do you use a chain with the mushroom to get it to lay down?
2. Do you you use a break away type install? The 8lb mushroom I saw today did not have an eye on the bottom. It did have holes through the mushroon itself. Perhaps these could be used as the "bottom" eye.

Thanks for the input so far!

The claw is a joke IMO.  Small-medium rock/sand/gravel=pyramid    Grabby Basalt bottoms like parts of the Willamette= Mushroom (cheap and effective) or Chain, (pyramid would work but costs to much to risk losing very often)

What would folks preferred anchor weight be If I were to cut some kayak sized "boom chain" anchors?  10-12 lbs?  I could also rig them so you could tie up a "break away" and pull them from the reverse end if snagged.  Should be way less sticky in places like George Rodgers on the Willamette. 

I'm down with the boom chain. 

The claw is a joke IMO.  Small-medium rock/sand/gravel=pyramid    Grabby Basalt bottoms like parts of the Willamette= Mushroom (cheap and effective) or Chain, (pyramid would work but costs to much to risk losing very often)

What would folks preferred anchor weight be If I were to cut some kayak sized "boom chain" anchors?  10-12 lbs?  I could also rig them so you could tie up a "break away" and pull them from the reverse end if snagged.  Should be way less sticky in places like George Rodgers on the Willamette. 

I am surprised to hear that folks are so down on the claw. I picked one because a lot  of anchor system photos on this site show a claw as the anchor. I had assumed that is what most folks used. I am glad to hear everyone's comments. I will keep the claw in my crate as a backup but I think I will switch to something else for the Willie.

Thus, I would love to buy a chunk of chain from you pelagic.  I guess 10-12lbs would make sense. I would certainly trust your judgement in this.

However, all of the discussion raises a question for me. Is a chunk of chain adequate for anchoring in the Columbia? Or, do folks swap out their anchors depending upon their location? If so can you please say what you use where.

I (and probably a lot of other less-experienced kayakers) appreciate all the information.

The claw is a joke IMO. Small-medium rock/sand/gravel=pyramid    Grabby Basalt bottoms like parts of the Willamette= Mushroom (cheap and effective) or Chain, (pyramid would work but costs to much to risk losing very often)

What would folks preferred anchor weight be If I were to cut some kayak sized "boom chain" anchors?  10-12 lbs?  I could also rig them so you could tie up a "break away" and pull them from the reverse end if snagged.  Should be way less sticky in places like George Rodgers on the Willamette. 

See 1st couple sentences of above post.

Hey Pelagic, I saw that you said that a pyramid was the best for sand and gravel. I was curious if you felt that a 10-12lb chain had enough bite to be adequate in those conditions (sand gravel) or whether you felt it would be just for the Willamette.

I'm down with the boom chain.

+1    I can't really decide what weight would be best though.

I'm not a real expert on this, but after losing a couple of folding anchors, I switched to a 8# mushroom. I use some chain and secure the anchor via one of the drain-holes on the bottom. I zip-tie the chain to the anchor eyelet and have had great luck so far in the Willamette. It pulls up without even a jerk and I am yet to even break my zip tie on the retrieval. The mushroom holds well for me and I use A LOT less anchor line than I would in a PB, which keeps me from swinging too much in the wind. I don't at all like yanking on a stuck claw anchor while out in this cold water. Once again, I am new to kayak fishing, but the mushroom has made me happy.

I'm down with the boom chain.

+1    I can't really decide what weight would be best though.

I'd be up for a chunk of chain anchor! 10 pounds is probably plenty, but only one way to know.