my first qras setup

well im putting together my first qras system.im using a 4.5lb anchor 60ft of rope to my float witch is connected to 6ft of rope to my cam cleet. im gonna have to paint or put some reflective stickers on the float.the doodoo brown color would just blend into the water.any feedback would be welcomed

good idea implementing qras.

Depending on where you are anchoring would probably help fine tune your requirements.

The anchor style you chose is kind of overkill.  Plus, all those sharp points and ends are going to be a bit of a hazard stabbing wise, but also when you are pulling anchor in a kayak, it can be a bit messy with all the line just dumped in your lap or on top of all the anchor pieces.  Sharp points get stuck under things very easily and it is very difficult obtaining leverage in a kayak to pull it out.

That float will get sucked under in any decent current which means your whole anchor system will be gone until next slack tide.  Current is very powerful.

Your rope length should cover 2.5 times the depth that you are anchoring plus or minus on the current.  A longer wind on will make it easier to collect or let out more line faster.

If those carabiners are the 99 cent aluminum ones, you should be careful as they will fail causing you to lose your anchor system.

The actual release mechanism on the yak is probably the most important part so make sure that part is right.  If you make a mistake on the anchor set up you just end up having to buy a new one or two (three got me to my final stage).  Make a mistake on the release and you might have to buy a new everything, yak and all.

I'll be out in the delta around 20fow.the carbiners are the 99cent ones I'll change those out.so I'll go get some from west marine.so the float is too small? How big of a float do you kneed?the anchor the guy at west marine said that would be the best for sand and mud.the other anchor I was looking at was a claw type but he said it wouldn't grab sand or mud.also my pa gets a little heavy,empty it's surppose to weigh 110 so I'm guessing with all my crap in it without me it would be pushing 150 would be a safe number

is the black line the line you are attaching to the rear of the boat that will then sit in the jam cleat? I agree on the cheapo HD carabiners. I use those only for light duty applications. For the QRAS you really don't need any 'biners. You can hard tie the anchor to the line, hard tie the float stop above the anchor. You don't need to have one on the bottom since the current will push it up the line. It just looks like you have added some complexity to the system.

A few things I have found....

1. You don't need as much "anchor" as you think. (5lb grapple. Add a salmon lead ball or a foot or two of chain if you want more weight)
2. You need more rope (rode sp?) then you think (2-3x the depth)
3. Use more "float" then you think. Big boat fenders or crab bouy. I lost one set up due to a small float...thank god I was able to drag a hook and find it.

This is just a mock set up.. Your anchor should have a hole at the bottom attach your rope there and run it threw the ring or use a zip tie at the top in case of a snag the anchor flips and comes up upside down the zip tie should break when you yank on the rope.

thanks for the intel,wouldve suck to lose 55.00 on my first try.

Another part you might include is some sort of bungee section somewhere along the line.  The bungee will allow for some give and alleviate some of the impact on your mounting point on the yak.  This is also a good idea if you are running a anchor trolley.  I used a bungee to create the loop that the throw out line slides through.

im using hobies anchor trolley kit.it has a 1ft bungee that they use to attach two rings that the anchor line goes thru.thanks steve for some whos lost you sure know your way around a kayak. maybe one of these days you can show me how to catch a salmon before they die off

Dune, I will post some pics of mine... Slight difference... I guess I'm gonna need more line too. I have 65 ft of rope too... My anchor is 3.5 and I am going to add a trolling weight or 2 to make 5 lbs or so...

Steve, how do u attach the salmon weights to the grapple anchor?

I anchor in super strong current no problem at all with a 5lb grappling style.

One last suggestion.  If you are going to be using your anchor trolley to run your anchor line through, you might think about using a different style cleat.  The type you are using is uni-directional meaning they will only work with tension in one direction.  They are susceptible to slipping if there is any tension that is not straight back.  I had a problem with this type of cleat slipping and causing precarious situations, surrounded by anchored boats/lines, two poles out and the kayak free floating downstream without warning because the anchor line pulled out.  A really solid option are these wind on cleats.  They are basically a 360 degree cleat and will not allow slippage.  I utilize the anchor trolley sometimes as my anchor attachment guide as well when wanting to change angles and this allows me to have the anchor be towards the front, back, or if I want can attach the anchor line directly to the cleat and sit sideways in the current.

With that PA your golden on Salmon chasing.  I would be trolling or jigging/jig trolling anywhere along the Sac and delta main channels.  Being able to constantly adjust your lures depth while keeping consistent speed is the hot ticket right now.  Some day for me.  Very difficult on the big rivers paddling.

Fishstrong, I use a mushroom style anchor so not sure about the extra weight attachments. 

again thanks everyone

hey everyone i anchored up today at sherman island.my anchor worked flawlessly.i just wanted to thank youguys for helping make it happen

hey everyone i anchored up today at sherman island.my anchor worked flawlessly.i just wanted to thank youguys for helping make it happen

Woohoo! Glad to hear the shared knowledge helped.

hey everyone i anchored up today at sherman island.my anchor worked flawlessly.i just wanted to thank youguys for helping make it happen

Woohoo! Glad to hear the shared knowledge helped.

you were right on the anchor.I returned the one in the pic and got a 3.5 grapple with 2ft of chain.and switch out the float to a crab buoy.which I'm glad cause when the tide started ripping the old float would've went under.the anchor work so well rookie slayer pulled up and tied to me for a while

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