Preferred Anchor

+1

This is how I pull my anchor also (except I drop the line/float and spool out the same side it came up on and it just trails out behind me as I pull my way up the line towards the anchor).  Doing it this way can literally be a live saver.  If your anchor is stuck and the current gets tricky all you have to do is let go of the line and you are free.  Last thing you want is a bunch of line tangled around your mirage drive or legs, over your lap, etc with your anchor still stuck to the bottom.  A stray loop can become a deadly knot in a heartbeat.   Once I have the anchor on deck I just flake the line into my lap until I get down to the spool and then wind it back on the spool.

Great discussion of yak anchoring. I used to have an 8# mushroom that I used with my 13' sq stern canoe, and it was always more than enough to hold me in rivers and lakes. Lost it due to the shackle coming undone. I didn't have it attached to the bottom holes and zip-tied to the eye like recommended. So if you use a shackle, always wire your shackle pin! That's what the little hole in the pin is for. If left to its own devices, eventually it will come unscrewed and your anchor will escape, and maybe leave you screwed.

I found some chain and an old adz head, and wrapped the adz head with the chain, so that it looks like a big ball of chain.
Weighs exactly 15#, and it hold great. Its a little sloppy and hard to figure out how to attach using the breakaway zip-tie method, but so far I haven't had any issues with it hanging up too badly. It works great and fits in with the aged junk look of my beater 16' john boat (A tree fell on it in a wind storm and severely crunched the starboard rail, but its been pounded back and welded.  Perhaps one of the ugliest craft on the water, but she gets the job done, within limits.
I also use this one on my Don Hill mini-drifter. Makes a great driftboat anchor.

I have always heard positive comments about the Bruce anchor. I'm glad to hear that some of us are using them and find them to be good for the job. I might get one of those.

For lakes and slow-moving water, tidal creeks, etc. when fishing from my Ultimate 12, I have been using a 4# plastic barbell weight with two large axel nuts lashed to it (one on each side) for extra grip. Its very easy to deploy using my anchor trolley in my Ultimate 12. It won't hold in stronger current, but I have used it as a drag to slow my downstream progress, much like drift boats sometimes drag chain.

I'd like to find a 5# or 6# mushroom anchor to replace the barbell weight. It would be perfect for the Ultimate 12 and my mini-drifter. 8# seems too heavy for my yaks.  So far I haven't wanted to anchor when fishing out along the jetty. I don't have an anchor line reel or enough line for any water deeper than about 25' or 30' if I want any scope. I mainly anchor in creeks, rivers and lakes.
Since 15'-25' is all the deeper one needs to fish when chironomid fishing for trout in a lake,  I have only what I need for that, which is about 50' or 60' of 1/8" nylon braid tied to another 25' of floating polypro braid. In fact, lake fishing I've never yet had to let out enough line to get into the polypro braid. I'm usually anchoring in depths less than 20'.

I can see that I'm going to need to get: a more appropriate anchor, a much longer anchor line, and one of those cord reels if I'm going to fish deep holes in the Columbia for sturgeon, or try to anchor offshore.
My mind boggles when I read that some of you have over 300' of line. I'm not sure if I'd want to drop anchor in over 100' when in a yak.

I think having some sort of buoy between the boat and the anchor might be an added safety measure. However, I haven't been doing this in my yaks, other than my small crab-pot buoy that I have attached to my line winder, so I can unhook from my trolley and leave my anchor if necessary, and then go back to it.

+1

This is how I pull my anchor also (except I drop the line/float and spool out the same side it came up on and it just trails out behind me as I pull my way up the line towards the anchor).  Doing it this way can literally be a live saver.  If your anchor is stuck and the current gets tricky all you have to do is let go of the line and you are free.  Last thing you want is a bunch of line tangled around your mirage drive or legs, over your lap, etc with your anchor still stuck to the bottom.  A stray loop can become a deadly knot in a heartbeat.   Once I have the anchor on deck I just flake the line into my lap until I get down to the spool and then wind it back on the spool.

That is an interesting idea Pelagic! Sounds like an upgrade to what I was doing. I will definitely try your approach next time out.

Sweet! Thanks! That link was quite helpful

Oh yeah, forgot to ask. What type of knot are you guys using to tie together sections of anchor rope? I started using a blood knot but wanted to get your opinions.

I'd love to get a Cooper Anchor if anyone knows how to get them into the USA. I've heard they're available in Canada.

http://cooperanchors.com.au/

Not clear why a retailer or distributor in the US hasn't picked up this line.

http://cooperanchors.com/contact-us/

Got any ideas?

Not clear why a retailer or distributor in the US hasn't picked up this line.

http://cooperanchors.com/contact-us/

Got any ideas?

Because it's Metric.   

Oh yeah, forgot to ask. What type of knot are you guys using to tie together sections of anchor rope? I started using a blood knot but wanted to get your opinions.

I used blood knots as well. They cinch down nicely with 1/8" line I use.

Depends. I use the yellow hollow poly braid and went with the finger trap method. Works pretty good and helps lay the line nice n smooth on the cord winder.

Depends. I use the yellow hollow poly braid and went with the finger trap method. Works pretty good and helps lay the line nice n smooth on the cord winder.

I use this rope as well.  I've had an issue with the  "finger trap" method slipping though.  To help prevent this I used a zip tie to lock in in place.

Depends. I use the yellow hollow poly braid and went with the finger trap method. Works pretty good and helps lay the line nice n smooth on the cord winder.

I use this rope as well.  I've had an issue with the  "finger trap" method slipping though.  To help prevent this I used a zip tie to lock in in place.

Pull a bit of the tip back out through the braid and melt it with a lighter.  Then squish it with pliers so that there is are some distinct edges. Now milk the tip back into the braid.  It'll hold solid now.

I use a double fisherman's knot because it is easy to tie.   

+1 on the fisherman's knot. Actually, a double fisherman's knot - two wraps on the overhand.

I use that because that was what I learned to use in my Mountaineering classes to tie two climbing ropes together. Since I used to trust my life to it while rappelling, I figured it is OK for my anchor line.