Electic anchor winch

[larrym]

Have started to fish more with an anchor and wondering about an electric winch. Does anyone use one and, if so, what brand and what are the pros and cons? Also how big are they and can you mount on bow with trolling motor and sonar? If not a power winch what other devices have you found useful as opposed to hand lining?

[REW]

The problem with many of the "electric anchors" is simply the anchor.
Some of the more common electric anchors, are designed to be used only with a simply river anchor, which is nearly useless in many anchoring situations.

The electric anchors that really do work very well - are the style that simply are " an electic windless" basically, these either use an anchor locker - in which the anchor line is stored and the line is payed out from, or - the style that uses a fairly substaintial rope - and that has a deck edge mounted anchor divit. This allows the use of any style anchor - with the electic windless.


Another option, and one that also works very well indeed is simply a through deck mounted motor - with a drum above deck - when it comes time to pull up the anchor - a person simply takes a wrap around the drum, and by keeping slight pressure on the drum, the electic motor does all of the lifting.

These style all work well, and work very well on somewhat larger boats, where there is sufficient deck space and room to mount the motor, davit, and place for anchor rope storage.

For most small boats of 15-18 feet - the sizes of the anchor are such, and the deck room is such, that -- in general the electric anchors aren't terribly practical.

Take care
REW

[Steve CO]

REW has a lot more experience with the various anchor systems than I do, so his comments are probably more accurate in a broader sense than mine. I have used a MinnKota electric on two different boats now and find them useful for some things. In both cases I did not have enough room on the bow to place the anchor winch plus my trolling motor so I put them on the stern. I use the electric when the wind isn't blowing or when I'm in a protected area and it works fine. Saves the old back and arms. I do carry a second (arm/back operated) bigger anchor to use off the bow if the waves and wind are stiff when the little MinnKota anchor won't hack it. Having two enables you to position more precisely, as well. I use the electric 75-80% of the time, but I don't do as much anchoring as some people do. I fish mostly smaller waters and while we get lots of wind here in COlorado, we generally don't get the huge 3'+ waves you see in some areas.

[Marble Eyes]

I have a anchor mate on my boat, and I like it except one thing, the anchor rope is thin enough that it gets caught between the ends of the roller and the metal that holds the roller in place, . I quite often have to pysically yank the rope out of it because it gets bound up and will not either let out rope or retract it.

It appears to me that the sheet metal is light enough that it gets worked out of shape by average use.