Weighing Anchor

Summer 2009

Kayak fishing: Staying put is a simple do-it-yourself project with a little rope and chain

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: DOWNLOAD

By Dan Armitage

Anchors or stakes can be used to keep the kayak in place while fishing, even if the angler is not aboard.

Last spring, boating made national news due to an anchoring mishap involving several professional athletes, three of whom lost their lives. As soon as I heard the anglers were fishing a sunken wreck in the Gulf of Mexico, I had a handle on what had happened. Having fished offshore wrecks myself, I know that you need to anchor the boat to remain over the structure and the fish the wreck attracts. I also know how dangerous that can be when waves or wind or current – or all three – kick up and start dashing an anchored boat around. Unless you have a way of quickly releasing that anchor line, the conditions can quickly conspire to swamp the boat, using the force of the unforgiving tether against those of the sea. I suspect that the anchor line on the ill-fated boat in question was made tight to a cleat on the bow, and before that line could be loosed – by untying the knot, slipping the noose or cutting it outright – the damage had been done and the boat had swamped.

Those same forces come into play aboard any boat that is linked to the water’s bottom via an anchor, and few craft are as vulnerable to the consequences as a kayak. Anglers considering using an anchor to stop or slow their kayak’s passage must weigh their options – and each situation – carefully.

Anchors are powerful tools for anglers, allowing their boats to remain in position within catching range of the fish being sought. The bottom-hugging devices are also dangerous in current, a condition that kayakers frequently – and intentionally – surround themselves with. Avoiding immersion in our favorite element is a matter of knowing when and where an anchor is appropriate and when it is not. It is always risky to anchor in current, and the consequences of a lightweight boat coming to a dead stop when an anchor suddenly catches can be quick and dangerous.

Grapnel, for gripping, and chain for gliding are two extremes in kayak anchor designs.

The most important part of a kayak’s ground tackle, as anchoring gear is known in boating circles, is found on the boat end of the rig. You must be able to quickly release the anchor line, or rode, if you find yourself in a situation that risks swamping your craft. Several styles of quick-release jam cleats are available and popular with paddlers, devices that are mounted on the gunwale that use the line’s own tension to keep it snug without having to tie off with a knot or use a loop. A quick flick will loose the line and free the kayak from anchor. Some kayakers place a colorful float on the end of the line to allow them to spot it and retrieve the anchor rig once they gain more control over the situation.

On the positive side, it doesn’t take much weight to slow or stop the progress of a boat as sleek and light as a kayak. Anchors designed for paddle-powered craft are much smaller than those intended for traditional boats, and weight is only one factor in an anchor’s design. Anchors use weight, shape or a combination of both to achieve their task. Grapnel anchors are relatively light in weight but their claw-like arms grab and hold subsurface structure such as rock and wood to tether their craft in place. Compact mushroom anchors rely on weight more than shape, and are best used on mud or sand or structure-free bottoms. Between those two extremes are anchors of various shapes and designs, many home made.

A do-it-yourself anchor

One favorite do-it-yourself anchor among kayak anglers is made of short lengths of 3/8-inch-diameter chain attached to the end of a line using a snap or carabiner. Having a few foot-long lengths of a dozen links or so allows the angler to quickly attach only as much weight as is needed to anchor or slow the drift of a kayak. A benefit of the chain is that its shape is such that it rarely hangs up on rocks or other structure, making it a favorite among fishermen in current who want to slow their drift to a pace that allows them to work an area with casts without stopping altogether.

Another issue is the anchor point on the kayak itself. Many kayak anglers prefer the anchor line to be snug to the boat’s stern, so that the wind or current is at the angler’s back, making for easier casting and a unobstructed view “downstream.” A kayak’s shape dictates that the safest anchor in terms of stability is off the bow or stern, but in cases when the wind and current are moderate, you can vary the anchor point along the length of the kayak to better position yourself with regard to your target. That’s why many fishing kayaks are fitted with trolley systems down one side of their boat, either home-made or available as aftermarket accessories or options from some manufacturers. These clothesline-type rigs allow infinite adjustment of that anchor or pivot point from the comfort of the cockpit, yet maintain the all-important quick-release safety feature.

A final anchoring device, the stake, is popular with anglers who get out and wade, using their kayaks simply to get to and from the fishing grounds before exiting the craft to pursue their quarry on foot. Just remember to keep a close eye on the wind, current and tide when walking away from a staked-out kayak; an oversight could leave you up that creek without paddle or a boat.

Dan Armitage is a boating, fishing and travel writer based in the Midwest. He is a licensed (USCG Master) captain, hosts a syndicated radio show and presents kayaking fishing seminars at boat shows.