[alex17]

Hello I am a new member, I was recently paralyzed in a bowhunting accident. I am considering purchasing a pontoon float boat for the upcoming fishing season. I was looking at fishing from the pontoon while floating down the river, is it possible to anchor while on the river to fish? I know they sell various anchors but which is the best for use on the river without getting stuck in the rocks? I currently fish on the AuSable river in Michigan and the current on the river varies but it doesn't get too crazy, just looking for advice and past personal experiences with this matter. I will fly fish again this season!!! Thanks Alex17

[Joni]

Originally Posted by alex17

Hello I am a new member, I was recently paralyzed in a bowhunting accident. I am considering purchasing a pontoon float boat for the upcoming fishing season. I was looking at fishing from the pontoon while floating down the river, is it possible to anchor while on the river to fish? I know they sell various anchors but which is the best for use on the river without getting stuck in the rocks? I currently fish on the AuSable river in Michigan and the current on the river varies but it doesn't get too crazy, just looking for advice and past personal experiences with this matter. I will fly fish again this season!!! Thanks Alex17

Dave Scadden had an idea for river anchor. Take a very large linked chain, actually about 4 to 7 links per strand and about 4 to 5 strands. Put these strands on a caribeaner(sp) and attach rope. Great river anchor, but some don't approve of what it might do to the bed....I think you have a good excuse, and right on! Tight Lines to you Alex.

[jimbow]

I am familer with that water and what you need is a piece of heavy chain. will hold you and also slow you as you drift. You will have to try differnet lenths but my guess is about two foot of logging type chain will hold you.

[tightlines57]

There is something called a drift anchor. It works on a canoe but I don't know how it will work on a pontoon. It's intended to slow you down but not stop your drift. If you do a Google search you can probably find one. Here is one site I found by searching Google: http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/drift-socks-anchors/ Good luck and have fun.

[BigCliff]

If u wanted one that will hold a little better on the river bottom, I have seen some that appear to be a cast iron cylinder with some stubs sticking out radially from both ends. It would likely be pretty heavy, but would hold the bottom pretty well.

[Frank Whiton]

Hi Alex, sorry to hear of your accident.A pontoon boat would work well on the AuSable river. The guides on the river liked to use a large chain dragged behind the boat. They used it to control their speed as they drift. It is terribly hard on the river bottom and I hope that practice has been stopped. If you have fished the AuSable you probably have see the drag marks on the river bottom. A better choice is the Mushroom style anchor at 8lbs. It will hold you in any currant that you could safely anchor. The further back you let the anchor go the better it will stop you. I prefer the River Anchor but have not been able to find one that weighs less than 12lbs. The river anchor is like the Mushroom but has three sections. The tips of the edges will dig into the bottom better. If the Mushroom or River style gets hung up in the rocks you can pull yourself back to the anchor and lift it up. On the AuSable I would think logs would be a bigger problem. If the currant is so strong that you can't pull back to the anchor, you have anchored in too fast of a currant. Always have a knife handy to cut you anchor rope. In most cases you can find a back eddy or slack water at the edge to anchor in safety. Many times the eddy will hold you in position with out anchoring. Are you able to launch and load a pontoon boat? Can you use one or both of you legs? If you can use a leg then a fin is very handy keeping the boat turned to the direction you want to fish. You can do it with an oar but the fins are better. Do you have any particular model in mind?

Frank

[Joni]

I have the anchor that Cliff mentioned (big cylinder with spikes). It is a great anchor, but if there are weeds or underwater trees/branches, it can be a nightmare to retrieve.
I know a lot that use the mushroom. I have tried it and I didn't feel it held me in place well, but that might have just been my experience. Same with the pyramid or dumb bell, specially if the bottom is rocks.