Need help choosing an Anchor

[Anchor Confused]

I don't want to spark a heated debate, but I am looking for help in choosing a new anchor. I have a 18 foot boat. When I anchor, it is primarily on rivers with moderate curent with gravel, clay or mud bottoms.

I will somtimes try and anchor on hard rock reefs up on trips to the Canadian shield lakes. I currently have a 15lb navy style anchor that does not do that well in hard bottoms in the wind or faster current.

I am looking for suggestions on the best all round design. I have looked at the "Digger" and the "Water Spike " and "Danforth style" and the "Folding grapnel" types.

Looking for opinions and experiences.

[luveyes]

Digger is awesome, holds in all bottom compositions.

[stinkycat]

Richter is what I use and has worked great!

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0013645015218a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCHFEAT_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntk=Products&QueryText=anchor&sort=all&Go.y=0&_D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form23&Go.x=0&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

[Hawker]

I switched to a "Box" anchor two years ago and haven't looked back!! I fish in all kinds of water, lakes, rivers (from gently flowing to rip snortin current), and down on the gulf coast. I tried quite a few different anchors, many of which are listed above and the Box anchor (for me) far out-performed all of them. It's worth taking a serious look into, a little on the pricey side and since buying my first have made two others. They hold great from rocks to soft sand!

[ksx3]

In river conditions a 15# anchor regardless of style sounds light to me. Not sure of your draft, weight, beam and load, but it just seems small for your boat size. In our 175 TS (17'11") we use a 20-25# river or navy anchor and can hold most the time. The length of anchor chain can help as well as obviously line pay-out lengths.
For lakes with chop when we can't hold, we ususally slided an additional line / mushroom anchor down the line. If you can't hold that way, get off the lake or use the motors.

[Matt V]

I use a Digger on my 18' Lund. If I were to buy another anchor, I would probably get a Richter. The Digger releases itself from time to time in windy / wavy condition's.

[Rich S]

In my opinion the Richter is the best overall anchor. It really only has problems in a real soft bottom. I would go with the 25lb version, get 100ft of 3/8" or 1/2" diameter rope and a Drop-n-Stay Deuce. That should keep you put in almost every situation.

You can get by with a 28lb navy anchor with the same set-up as mentioned above for a bit less money. The navy anchor will hold a bit better in a real soft bottom but struggles on sand and gravel more then the Richter.

The Digger is my next choice but like mentioned earlier it will release in larger waves. It also does not hold very well on gravel and smaller rocks or silt. This is also true with other fluke style anchors.

Whatever anchor you decide to go with make sure you get good rope and at least 100ft of it. I am of course partial to the Drop-n-Stay as it will make the ride much smoother and will allow you to let out about half the amount of rope and still hold. These are for sale here at WalleyeCentral.

[Wolf River Cam]

We primarily use the river special anchors from Roloff Mfg. We have been using those since I can remember and have never had a problem. The best thing is they are quite, though I don't mind the Richter or Digger. The Roloff anchors dig, and have enough surface area to dig in sand with strong current.

Gary - WRC

[Seedtree]

I've tried the Chine and the water spike anchors. Under some conditions they did the job, but failed miserably under tough conditions. I now have the Richter 18 lb for my 16 foot deep V walleye boat and it is awesome. Save yourself the trouble and get a Richter anchor of the appropriate size for your vessel.

Also, a bit of stretch in your setup is good in heavy seas.

I'd go to their site and watch the video comparing different anchors in a heavy sea.

My .02s.

[REW]

Anchor,
Lots of options.
1. On any anchor, the use of a 4 foot long heavy link chain will help many many times. i.e. by using the chain, most anchors will be about 100% more effective, than with no chain.

2. Use an anchor rope that has a good amount of stretch. i.e. use a smaller size nylon rope like a 3/8th, which will stretch several feet out of 100 feet under stress. This really helps when anchoring in waves. When a wave hits the boat, the rope stretch, but the anchor stays put and then when the wave settles, the rope pulls the boat back into position.
You can do the same thing by buyin one of the different stretch links that fit between the boat and the anchor.

3. Carry multiple anchors and multiple anchor ropes.
I carrry three anchors in my boat. A 5, a 10 and a 15 lb navy anchor. I have never been in a position when I can't get a good hook up using a single or combination of these anchors. I like the compactness of the navy style anchors, which fold flat and occupy very little storage room.
I carry multiple 50 foot 3/8th anchor ropes with braided loops on both ends.
Each anchor has a 4 foot chain permenantely attached. I use anchor clevises, for any and all rope and or anchor attachments.
I have lost too many over the years, when using a snap to attach an anchor to a rope.

I will start with the lightest anchor and shortest rope that I think will hold the boat. If the anchor doesn't hold - I will first lengthen the rope to drop the angle of the rope with respect to the bottom to get a better hold.

If one anchor won't hold under adverse conditions, I will daisy chain anchors with 50 feet between them. I will use the heaviest anchor first. i.e. the 15 foot, then 50 foot of rope, then the 10 lb anchor, then 50 feet of rope, then the 5 lb anchor - if I am in a super storm has has happened to me a few times.

The other anchors mentioned in the other posts will all work. Some better and some not as well. Each have their advantages, as well as disadvantages. For example, the water spike holds very well, is reasonaly light, but has the disadvatange of being rather large and bulky and needs to be disassembled and or assembled before and after use to store in smaller compartments.

When you get into a crowded area with lots of boats and or in swinging current, it is to your advantage that will hold with a very short rope. For example with a big crowd you don't want to be using a 200 foot rope.
So, then it is to your advantage to use an anchor that will hook up better with a short rope and a steep rope angle.

Take care
REW

[Backwater Eddy]

My vote is firmly for the Digger anchors.

No need to add a chain, they hold in a wider variety of conditions then any other style I have bought or manufactured myself, and they are nearly imposable to hang up to the point of loss...nearly...always that one snag out there that will get ya...but I fish some really snaggy nasty stuff and have yet to loose one.

Be sure to use good NEW rope, solid core braid nylon at 3/8 to 1/2" is my preference with a clevis on the end.

I would also recommend the Digger anchor cleats, very nifty system. The solid core braid rope works best in them and eliminates a lot of anchoring hassles when fishing alone.

[Backwater Eddy]

I use a Digger on my 18' Lund. If I were to buy another anchor, I would probably get a Richter. The Digger releases itself from time to time in windy / wavy condition's.

You can adjust up the trip tension on the Digger to eliminate false trips, and use at least a 5/1 ratio on rope.

Even better, if you add a "Drop-N-Stay" to your Digger anchor line, your all set, your golden in any wind or current. If your an open water Wind Warrior or a River Rat, these are a must have deal.

http://www.drop-n-stay.com/dropnstay.asp

[bus33]

I like my water spike. The only issue is that it is a bit cumbersome when it is not in the water.

[Chris K]

I bought a box style last spring, and I have been very impressed. It wasn't cheap, but it worked incredably well and I had a big boat (Lund 208 Pro V GL) I liked how it folded up too and it was really easy to store. I also carry a Richter, and I don't use it nearly as often as I used to now that I have the box anchor. Chris K

[thump55]

I fished a tournament on Winnebago two weeks ago in nasty 20+ mph NNE wind. I used a Drop-n-Stay on each of my navy anchors to anchor sideways on west side reefs and they held great. No chains, short anchor rope, 'nuf said.

[Terroreyes]

Another vote for the Richter. That's the only type I could find to hold my 21 Tundra in the Detroit River in the varying bottom compositions. Only one time it failed me was anchoring in mud in 40FOW with a raging 7MPH current. I threw out a cheap mushroom anchor on the other side and that combo worked in that situation.

[Mark O.]

I second and third the use of the Drop-N-Stay with any anchor. I just use your basic 28lb Navy anchor. That has always worked fine for me. I had a WX1880 Skeeter and never had a problem with dragging. If I did decide to buy a new anchor, it would probably be a Richter.

[wa11eye]

heavy richter in any water conditions. i use the 25 or is it a 28, either way, get the heavy richter and i would also suggest the drop n stay duce. this takes a lot of the tension off of your anchor. did this in 8 ft seas and never moved an inch. these work well in mud, not sure who posted that but they work great. you need to drop them with the ""handle facing up" so that on the retrieve you can release it with relative ease.

do it right the first time, buy a richter. i've paid for too many anchors before i've had this one. wont need to buy one again unless my rope breaks. in fact, i'd probably dive for this one.

[eyecatcher01]

i use a 25lb navy anchor with 3ft of chain and a airhead tube tow rope with a built in bungee (http://www.overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?r=view&i=10369&pdesc=Airhead_Bungee_Tube_Tow_Rope&merchID=1008&str=bungee). i have a 2025 and it has never slipped with this configuration, yet that same anchor with just a plain anchor rope would slip with my 18' alaskan.

[1shooter]

I use a Pro Anchor for my 1850 sportfish and it holds well. Similiar to the Richter but it has some features I liked better.


http://www.guidemasters.net/anchor/home.html

[DW]

I use a 15# Delta with chain. This is a serious, big water anchor, that holds in a variety of bottom conditions including rocks, sand, mud, and weeds.

[REW]

In addition to all of the other comments - one very big help is lots of rope that has some stretch.

If you keep a 250 foot length of 3/8th nylon rope on the boat, you can often anchor up very well with a very small and light anchor.

the secret is length - to get a low angle of attack with respect to the bottom, and rope stretch in the length of the rope.

That is why the posts of some sort of bungee system as part of the anchor hook up is a great suggestion. This is especially true when anchoring in open water with big waves. The bungee system, will allow the boat to move back as a wave hits, and then the bungee will pull the boat back to location as the wave goes away. The same thing is true with a long smaller diameter (3/8th) nylon anchor rope.

Don't use a poly rope for an anchor rope - poly has virtually no stretch. Bad for an anchor rope - good for a ski rope.

Also, the use of a 3 or 4 foot chain about doubles the effective weight of an anchor. i.e. you can use a 15 lb navy anchor with a 3 or 4 foot 1/2 inch link chain and have virtually the same bottom hooking as a 25 lb navy anchor with no chain.
Also, the lighter anchor - even with a bit of chain is much easier to lift than the heavier 25-30 lb anchor.

Take care
REW

[Rich S]

There are other benefits to the stretch of a Drop-n-Stay as well. The ride while anchored is much smoother (no jolts). It is easier on the boat cleats so no more stress cracks around the screws in fiberglass boats. The stretch allows the boat to ride over the waves instead of the rope keeping it down. This means no more waves over the bow while anchored.

The standard rule is a 5:1 scope but we have found we can cut that almost in half and that is without the chain! The chain will also help and like REW mentioned it will allow you to use an even lighter anchor. If you do decide to still get the chain I would get the rubber coated. It is much easier on your boat during retrieval.

I second the nylon rope over the poly as well. This rope has some stretch but no too much. The problem with having too much stretch inline is it makes it a real pain in the butt to retrieve the anchor. This is the reason I made the Drop-n-Stay attach at the boat instead of inline.

Here is the link to an article I wrote on anchoring. Mods, let me know if there is a problem with posting it:

http://www.drop-n-stay.com/Anchoring1.asp

[Brother 620]

Thanks to the advice of some here at WalleyeCentral I bought one of the drop-n-stay’s mentioned. I have not had any problems at all holding my 620 Ranger. That really amazes me because it has been so windy this year. I would highly recommend these!

[Backwater Eddy]

They really do work well. I have seen them hold 24' pontoons in serious winds on a river. The concept and product is a very sound one.

[Speedy]

I 2nd and 3rd the Drop-N-Stay. I started using them last summer and will not look back. I use the deuce in really rough conditions and the regular in not so rough. I also like to use the deuce to anchor sideways. Hook the deuce to the front and rear cleats and you are good to go. I use a Digger anchor(the heaviest) or a 28lb navy. I fish out of 619 Ranger.

[Backwater Eddy]

They work well rigged to drift socks too.

The Dock-N-stay is nice and short for this purpose, or used to slow a troll with a sock, or to pin ones self to the current in a river with a drift sock to beat the effects of a pesky cross wind.

[Anchor Confused]

Wow, great info from all who responded. It seems the thing to have besides a good anchor is the Drop and Stay !
Seems like this product make all anchors better !

Thanks for all the info. I am going to get a Drop and Stay.

[Rich S]

Wow, great info from all who responded. It seems the thing to have besides a good anchor is the Drop and Stay !
Seems like this product make all anchors better !

Thanks for all the info. I am going to get a Drop and Stay.

Sounds great! Don't forget that they are for sale here at WalleyeCentral. Here is the link:

http://www.walleyecentral.com/tacklebox/sub_category.php?idproductstree=190&minimumorder=0

Let me know if you have any questions.

Rich Stadler

[Backwater Eddy]

If Walleye Central chooses to add them to there site, that in itself is a very good testimonial to there performance in the field.