Wind and Sturgeon

Just don’t seem to mix well. Even when in current using an anchor straight off the bow of the boat and using a back anchor, the back end swings around moveing the bait on the bottom.

I’ve aways had my best luck when there is no wind and the boat isn’t swinging from side to side.

One way around this is to anchor using a cleat on the forward side of your boat. The current or wind will keep pushing your boat and the back anchor (when needed) will keep it from moving forward when the wind lets up.

In the photo inset is a normal anchor set up. The larger diagram shows the anchor point forward, but on the side.

Give it a try and let us know how it works for you!

When it gets really windy, my anchors seem to eventually dig into the silt on the bottom(where there is silt), even waterspike type anchors. If you can keep your front anchor from draggin, it will eventually bury itself in. Windy days I often have to cleat my anchors just to pull them off the bottom! I think the tugging of the anchor line makes them dig in further over time.

Waterspike type anchors work great for front anchors. If its extremely windy, try putting a 10# anchor of any type in front of the spike… It will grab.

Amen to that

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Windy days I often have to cleat my anchors just to pull them off the bottom! I think the tugging of the anchor line makes them dig in further over time.

Waterspike type anchors work great for front anchors. If its extremely windy, try putting a 10# anchor of any type in front of the spike… It will grab.

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It took 150 horsies to get my anchor out of the mud/silt last week. It was really windy with alot of boat traffic and the anchor was buried. It looked like goose crap when I pulled it up…
Even with a back anchor the boat still moved alot, SO…I think that sideways to the wind/current would help alot. And spreading the anchors out to prevent swinging would help too
No wind and no boat traffic is still the best

I’ve seen some folks use two anchors (river type) on one side of the boat…then fish from the other.

I’m not comfortable fishing that way on the Croix with the type of wakes that come by.

Thought I would mention that before someone goes and swamps there boat.

BK – Try a drift sock off/out of the back of the boat. We used it this year during the sturgeon excursion and it worked well. The nice thing is that it’s easy to get out of the way when you have one coming to the boat… easier than hoisting a heavy anchor every time. Hope this helps. MIKE

I also have heard the drift sock works well to hold ya steady.

Drift socks work great when there is current… right now I think the drift sock is just ging to dangle under your boat on Lake St Croix… the current is pretty much non existant.

Maybe we can hang a drift sock like a sail… there has been more than enough wind most days!

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I also have heard the drift sock works well to hold ya steady.

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This does work well, but there is not much for current in the Croix right now.

BK, you may have said this before, if i remember right , but when the wind/current is really not cooperating with boat control, sometimes, if possible boating to a shore-fishable location may be the best option, if available.

There was a few times last Saturday that when we tied the front anchor to the area where the crank up for trailering goes. Instead of a cleat on the top/side. That seemed to help? I don’t know maybe?

What to do when the current (when exsistant) is going down stream and the wind is rippen up stream?

At any rate, if a guy just keeps one rod in his hand and just reel up or let out line during sway, he’s gonna have better luck detecting any kind of a bite vs. setting it in a rod holder. All just a first year rookie’s experience from one day fishin.

On Sat we started out with the front anchor straight out the front of the boat but I got too annoyed by the swaying and went with the front-right cleat with the nose pointed out to the middle of the river. That helped immensely.

Toward the end of the night we switched up enough times that somehow we ended up in deeper water with a stronger wind than the previous position, and Darren was not feeling like letting out any more slack in the front anchor, so we inadvertantly tried drifting slowly (every 5th wave or so would move us a foot or 2).

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On Sat we started out with the front anchor straight out the front of the boat but I got too annoyed by the swaying and went with the front-right cleat with the nose pointed out to the middle of the river. That helped immensely.

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Guess who was anchored right behind you with a front anchor off the front/right cleat and a back anchor off the back/right cleat and had major swaying problems?

Wind was predominantly upstream, slightly to the right so I was hoping current & wind would hold me steady with my anchor positions. Wrong!

What did eventually work was bow anchor tied to the very front of the boat with a significant amount of rope out. Once that position was established, back/right anchor went straight down and we held pretty good.

In this case… I would guess it might be a boat to boat difference as I am much lighter than you guys and more subject to the effect of the wind. If not more subject, affected differently anyway.

Like Dan previously mentioned though, hold a rod! It is important!

This is the technique I like to use when there is a lot of wind. Two anchors off the bow set at about a 45 degree angle. Trouble is you need a couple of guys to work this best. One on each anchor and one driving the boat. Set the first anchor and then slowly move over to the opposite side and set the second anchor and then move back to the middle – back off the amount of line you want and then tie off.

Good Points: You don’t swing

Bad Points: Cumbersome to get into position if you are alone or just two people; If a fish gets into the anchor and you have to lift an anchor – you will end up having to reposition the boat again.

Here’s some good tips on anchoring and wind.

Again this is a post from a while back…but Great Info!!