Anchoring up in moving water

is there any general rules of thumb as far as anchoring up in moving water? i could imagine things could get very sketchy very fast being in a light vessel such as a kayak. the only big issue i could see with anchoring would be having the anchor line out and having debris coming down the water and hitting the anchor line and causing the nose of the kayak(whatever side is anchored)  to be hit and dip down as the drag on the anchor line is suddenly increased I know that is the main reason why boats don't anchor up on the Sacramento river when it is running at full bore. I have seen entire trees moving down the Sacramento at an incredible rate of speed while i was sturgeon fishing and could only imagine what kind if sh** they would get into if the anchor line was hit by one of these trees.

so would it be similar as far as risks go just on a smaller scale if i were to anchor up on the American even though the flows are relatively low?

Make sure you can release your anchor rope quickly and have a knife handy.

Make sure you can release your anchor rope quickly and have a knife handy.

+1 

Make sure you can release your anchor rope quickly and have a knife handy.

+1 

im assuming that they make quick releases and anchor rope floats?

I cannot reiterate enough...use extreme caution when anchoring up in current! It can go from good to bad in a split second. Get use to the kayak first then if you want to try anchoring up do it in a slow section until you are comfortable with the way the boat handles on anchor in the current.

Anchoring tips for the local rivers (Sac or American).

• Anchor line straight out the back of the kayak otherwise the kayak will want to cock sideways. When this happens the current will try and roll you.
• Quick release!!!
• Do not use a grappling style anchor <-- disaster waiting to happen. Use a mushroom or a pyramid style roughly 10lbs.
• Try anchoring up in the kayak 2-3 times without any gear on board or anything on the deck.Get use to dropping the anchor and retrieving it.
• If the kayak starts to sway, dropping your heels or feet over the side will help to correct it.
• Make sure you have your PFD on.

Here are a couple river options I have built over the years. This will give you some ideas.

The second picture allows for a scotty anchor lock bracket to be installed. Note:Lock should be removed.
http://www.lfsmarineoutdoor.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/2/7/276-Anchor-Lock-scotty_28.gif

Good advice Erik.
If you are new to kayaking and fishing, it's best to focus on learning how to be a safe kayaker first.
Worry about the technical overkill of fishing tactics after you can show proficiency at staying out of trouble in your small plastic boat.
BTW the search function on this site will provide many hours of answers to most of your questions.

^^^^^^^^ what he said.

Ok fair enough i will try searching things out before making it a topic and reduce "beating a dead horse" style of talking points. I just have so many questions lol! yeah i guess i should go sit in yaks and buy one before getting knee deep and asking questions way ahead of where i am standing essentially. ok i will start searching... or maybe i should get back to work. haha when they check my web traffic they are going to look at me like WTF are you doing on a kayak forum 5 hours out of the day?!?! lol

Yeah bro, it's soooo addicting.
This site has so much fishing intel in the archives, I still am discovering hidden nuggs of great stuff after 2yrs of lurking and 7 yrs of membership.
BTW: I'm sure I'll see you OTW around the Sac area soon.
Novofish - Tony

I fish on anchor in significant current pretty often in the lower delta. I once had something huge hit my anchor line and pop my quick release. My large float sucked under in a millisecond and never came back up. If it weren't for my quick release my yak would have capsized, took on water and ended up at the bottom of Suisun Bay and I would have most likely floated to Martinez. Don't ever go on anchor without one.

Type "Quick release anchor system" in the search bar and follow the instructions exactly.  I tried throwing together a QRAS without the bungee cord and had a bitch of a time staying anchored, so follow Tote's tutorial exactly and you will be solid.

Then when you get out there and fish, take pictures and report back! Even if it's a skunk!

Here is a link to Tote's QRAS tutorial, I looked at his and made a modified version for myself, works great.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=16289.0

Here is a link to Tote's QRAS tutorial, I looked at his and made a modified version for myself, works great.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=16289.0

step by step....easy to understand and using things that are all easy to attain. i like it. when/if i every get my rear in a yak to test them i will refer back to this. good post to the author and big ups for the link referral...

Great reply and a wonderful tutorial

Here is a link to Tote's QRAS tutorial, I looked at his and made a modified version for myself, works great.

http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=16289.0

The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river.