How do you guys anchor your kayaks while lake fly fishing?

[hendodesign]

I have a 14' wilderness systems fishing kayak that I use occasionally for stillwater fly fishing on a few of our little local lakes. I went out last weekend and the wind got annoying. I would get a cast out and would immediately need to paddle back out. I have read about pulley systems, but for a lake that is average 10-20' deep is that a good idea or am I going to get blown around, but just tethered to a single point?

 

[denver1911]

I use a 2.5 lb steel weight plate. I installed two eye-bolts on my boat. One on the bow where the weight hangs and another about halfway to the cockpit to run the rope through. Sure, the 2.5 lb plate won’t hold me in a gale, but I don’t fish then anyway.

 

[dynaflow]

I started with a house brick on a rope but went up market (lol) a while back and bought a small collapsable anchor....still use the nylon rope though.

 

[Ard]

I'm thinking you fellas aren't in deep water. I have one of the small collapsible cast anchors in my Mokai with 30 foot of line on it. I just use it to make sure the boat doesn't drift away while I am away from it wading. In case you aren't familiar with Mokai they are an 11 1/2 foot kayak with a 7.2 hp jet prop motor in them.

 

[hendodesign]

Not a huge lake but has some deep spots. Sounds like I should grab a collapsible anchor. What’s the benefit of using an anchor pulley system. Just to change the anchor connection point on the kayak?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[denver1911]

Connection point. I tried one and decided there was not much value (to me) in being able to move it around. Thus my answer of just hanging it from an eye bolt on the bow.

 

[dynaflow]

"I have one of the small collapsible cast anchors in my Mokai with 30 foot of line on it"
Ard,that's what I'm using at present....K.I.S.S. works for me.
Cheers

 

[dakotakid]

I have a collapsible anchor but prefer to use a five pound ProForm Purse Kettlebell weight instead. The advantages of that vs the collapsible anchor are that it is less likely to hangup on structure, it won't rust (so I can also use it in saltwater) and it costs less than $6 from Home Depot online with delivery to store.

I have it on parachute cord and attach to the kayak with a carabiner clip, both are relatively inexpensive, especially online. To manage the anchor line, I use a YoYo hand reel which I've drilled a couple of holes that are the same diameter as the parachute cord and slice a bit of the plastic out between them so that I can clip the parachute cord into that opening to regulate the amount of line I want out at any time.

A float is also recommended in case you want to unclip the anchor and be able to return to the same spot. Also very handy if the anchor line accidentally detaches from the kayak.

anchor 1 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/153050346@N08/, on Flickr

anchor 2 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/153050346@N08/, on Flickr

anchor 3 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/153050346@N08/, on Flickr

anchor 4 by https://www.flickr.com/photos/153050346@N08/, on Flickr

 

[desmobob]

Use a trolley system with a folding grapple anchor and float. For saltwater use on Cape Cod, I have a miniature plow anchor I substitute for the grapple type.

Tight lines,
Bob

 

[gpwhitejr]

I made an anchor trolley with stuff from the hardware store (pulleys, springs, paracord and carabiner). I bought a small anchor (I think 1.5 lb) at West Marine. For a while I also used a homemade buoy (a 1-gallon milk jug painted bright yellow); in the event that a huge fish started pulling my kayak, I could disconnect the anchor (attached to the buoy) from the kayak, and come back and retrieve it later. That scenario proved to be wishful thinking, so I stopped bringing the buoy along. The anchor works OK, with the trolley you can orient it so the wind (or current) keeps you pointed in the right direction.

By the way, some people use sea anchors (parachute, drift sock, whatever you want to call it), commercial or homemade. I haven't tried that but might this summer.

 

[hendodesign]

Love the DIY nature of some of these! I may even have a smaller weight sitting around house. I didn't know that only 5lbs was enough to keep me from drifting.

 

[dakotakid]

I find that if it takes more than five pounds to keep me from drifting, the conditions probably aren't conducive to fly fishing from a kayak.

 

[City Rat]

I was just thinking about how to anchor my traditional sit inside kayak if I wanted to cast from it. Very interesting ideas on anchoring. BTW does anybody cast from a sit inside kayak or are you all casting from sit on top, satcom capable, motorized jobs with depth finders.

 

[dakotakid]

I was just thinking about how to anchor my traditional sit inside kayak if I wanted to cast from it. Very interesting ideas on anchoring. BTW does anybody cast from a sit inside kayak or are you all casting from sit on top, satcom capable, motorized jobs with depth finders.

I now cast from a sit-on-top but have also done so from a sit-inside kayak.

 

[City Rat]

Cool,
I love having more options. Thanks.

 

[gpwhitejr]

BTW does anybody cast from a sit inside kayak or are you all casting from sit on top, satcom capable, motorized jobs with depth finders.

I have a sit inside and a sit on top and I cast from both; each has pros and cons (no motor, nothing high tech, I bought them both cheap on craigslist).

 

[City Rat]

I have a sit inside and a sit on top and I cast from both; each has pros and cons (no motor, nothing high tech, I bought them both cheap on craigslist).

As I'm very new I'm compelled to ask, what are the pros and cons of casting from a sit inside kayak?

 

[dynaflow]

I fish from a S.I.T.as getting in and out is just so much more convenient,as is having a towel on your lap to hold the coils of your fly line...plus it's cooler temperature wise where I live and I can hang my legs over the side if I want.I don't go out in the ocean.

 

[City Rat]

Gotcha, thanks.

 

[mtboiler]

I have two systems depending on what I am doing. I carry an 8lb mushroom anchor with 50 ft of para cord for when i am driving to a lake. Works great for about every situation I can think of. If I am dead drifting a shore line, I fix the mushroom anchor straight up and down on my hip d ring so when the wind pushes it kind of bounces me along the shore line.
I also own an anchor bag. It is a rubberized mesh bag that I carry when I bring my packraft. Weighs next to nothing, but with a rock it is a perfect solution. I carry a 30 ft section of para for it. Drop it at a 45 or off my hip. Great set up.