Anchor choice

I have been using a length of heavy chain as my anchor. It works well in lakes and low flow sloughs. I doubled it up trying to make it hold in the faster flows and it is just not doing the job. I like the fact it won't snag easy but I going to replace it for sturgeon fishing. After reading past topics I'm trying to choose between the three common types in a 5lb size. What style do you use? What are the pros and cons? I worry about it getting stuck in the mud. Which kind are the easiest to pull out of the mud. Thanks

I never had much luck with those anchors. They always got stuck in the reef and I'd end up losing the anchor and the 100 ft or so of anchor line with it. Started using dive belt weights (cheaper), those seem to work better.

I'd also be interested to hear what is being using successfully. And, I see some older posts where people claimed that a 3 pound anchor was plenty, but most of the recent posts insist that 5 pounds is needed...

I use a claw style anchor with 3-4' of chain. The chain is attached to the forward point with a shackle and the rear point with zip strips. If th anchor gets snagged I can give it a couple hard pulls breaking the Zips strips and the anchor pulls free.

Using this on the Tote QRAS modified

Hope this helps

Pic #2

Pic #2

What do you like about that style?

Here's a good way to rig a grapnel-style anchor.  The chain increases the holding power of the anchor, and will allow you to use a lighter anchor.  Attach the chain to the bottom of the anchor with a quick-link, and to the top of the anchor with a breakaway device such as a cable tie or a loop of heavy monofilament.  If you snag the anchor on something, the idea is that you can break the break-away loop, which will reverse the direction in which you are pulling the anchor and often release it.  Attach one or two spare cable ties to the top of the anchor so you can re-attach the top of the anchor to the chain if you have to break the original breakaway loop. 

When choosing a breakaway look, be sure to  hook the anchor to something on dry land and try to break the loop.  An average size cable tie is too strong to break from a floating kayak with somewhat stretchy anchor line.  If you can't find a light enough cable tie, try using a loop of monofilament.

Pic three,
    The ring is designed to slide back up the shaft to reverse the direction of pull, ( when it's stuck ).
  You'd have to paddle up stream with the rode  ( rope for land lubbers ) loose, then pull to extract it.

The first time I wanted to anchor my yak I just grabbed a 5# dive weight and tied a line directly to it.  I'm still using that setup.  Most of the time it holds really well. I think there's something about the way it lays flat and then digs into soft bottoms.  Sometimes I have felt it slide across hard bottoms like the clay type banks that you find in the delta, sometimes it sticks after dragging a bit, others I just move a ways and have been good.

If you're interested I can dig out the setup and take a pic.

I poured a small plug of lead in a beer can with a copper loop moulded into it. On the grappling style anchor I attach it to the base of the anchor. The weight of the plug holds the blades firmly in the mud. It has never slipped. Even on a seven foot change.

The first time I wanted to anchor my yak I just grabbed a 5# dive weight and tied a line directly to it.  I'm still using that setup.  Most of the time it holds really well. I think there's something about the way it lays flat and then digs into soft bottoms.  Sometimes I have felt it slide across hard bottoms like the clay type banks that you find in the delta, sometimes it sticks after dragging a bit, others I just move a ways and have been good.

If you're interested I can dig out the setup and take a pic.

Thanks for the offer. I think I get the same action with my chain. It was coming up pretty clean so I think it was a hard bottom. When I want to target a hole for sturgeon I need it to hold. Moving to a better anchor spot would defeat that goal.

Here's a good way to rig a grapnel-style anchor.  The chain increases the holding power of the anchor, and will allow you to use a lighter anchor.  Attach the chain to the bottom of the anchor with a quick-link, and to the top of the anchor with a breakaway device such as a cable tie or a loop of heavy monofilament.  If you snag the anchor on something, the idea is that you can break the break-away loop, which will reverse the direction in which you are pulling the anchor and often release it.  Attach one or two spare cable ties to the top of the anchor so you can re-attach the top of the anchor to the chain if you have to break the original breakaway loop. 

When choosing a breakaway look, be sure to  hook the anchor to something on dry land and try to break the loop.  An average size cable tie is too strong to break from a floating kayak with somewhat stretchy anchor line.  If you can't find a light enough cable tie, try using a loop of monofilament.

How heavy of an anchor do you use? How does the spare zip tie work? Are they re useable so you can open them and then attach it to the chain?

Pic three,
    The ring is designed to slide back up the shaft to reverse the direction of pull, ( when it's stuck ).
  You'd have to paddle up stream with the rode  ( rope for land lubbers ) loose, then pull to extract it.

This is the kind I used back in the day when I had my 20ft Sea Ray cuddly cabin. It worked well in San Pablo bay even with the tide and wind. I often had to pull it out under power. I wonder how easy it is to remove from mud when paddling upstream in a strong current.

For muddy bottom a 5-10 pyramid anchor works really well. Grabs well and doesn't tend to get hung up like the claws. Works well for gravel as well and you can use as a drift anchor as well. For a rocky bottom I like an 8 lb mushroom. These are by far the most popular choices here in the NW.

Mooch gifted me this anchor when he retired from Dino hunting. Works great don't need a chain or long rope much less hassle on a yak.
I Use a 10lb pyramid for rivers 5lb for lakes.