Anchors

Hey guys,

Can anyone recommend a good anchor for the river? I have a Tracker Pro-Guide Deep V 16 ft. The anchor I’ve been using just doesn’t cut it with the high currents and wind. What’s working for you guys?

Thanks,

Bob

Get the 28lb navy anchor at Fleet Farm and you’ll be good to go in any condition plus they are cheap compared to every other anchor out there. P4Angling

This is a common post. You could not go wrong with a 9300 series Watersprike with 100′-150′ nylone rope. The biggest problem with most anchors hooking up is the lack of letting out enough rope for the anchor to lay down and hook up. I also suggest a 3′-5′ section of chain between the anchor and rope to avoid rocks wearing thru the rope. Follow these instructions and i guarantee you won’t move a foot in heavy waves and/or current. And did i mention it only weights 10# so it won’t break the back and if it gets snagged you motor up current or away from the angle its set and it will self release.

Ditto on the Water Spike ! Dean Marshall at Everts set me up and It’s the best anchor I’ve used in over 30 years of Fishing. Put it to the test this week on Bay DeNoc in 40 FOW in the mud. 20+ MPH winds whipping up 3 footers and it never slipped.

Thanks for the feedback. I was checking out the Waterspike at Gander Mt today and will probably go back to pick it up tomorrow.

You going to want to pick up a Richter anchor.

The waterspike is a very good all around anchor. It holds well and is still light enough to be pulled from the water easily. Just make sure you add a section of heavy chain to it.
Dean sells waterspikes at Evert’s.

Waterspike with some chain on it. They are light and hook up very well. The only times I have had problems with it is very high current and hard gravel bottom. You would need a very heavy anchor to hold in those conditions. My Rictor anchor didnt not work as well as the waterspike. It was heavy and the flukes would pull loose on soft bottoms in high current.

Dumb question I have a chunk of chain already but curious why were spose to use the chain with the water spike?

The chain causes the anchor to lay down on the bottom so the spikes will dig in. When it snugs up with the wind or current the spikes will dig right in.
When deploying a Waterspike be sure to lower it straight down by hand. Don’t just toss it out with a big splash. If you toss it, it may not lay down right so that the spikes catch.

This is good advice to lay the waterspike straight down and once it hits the bottom let out plenty of rope until the boat is in position. It takes a little planning to get proper boat position but worth it. When i first started using it I was throwing it as far as i could but often it landed backwards and the snag free feature of the anchor caused it not to hook up. It was operator error rather than a flaw in the anchor. I bought one size larger than recommended by Waterspike and it helped hold in heavier current. Good luck.

Last year, I bought a ‘digger’ anchor at Gander Mountain… kind of like a waterspike but more compact in size. the flukes are designed to swivel and the base has ‘diggers’ that drive the flukes into the bottom. The first few times out with it, I’d throw it from the boat and then get pi$$ed that I spent that much money on an anchor that didn’t hold. The last few times out, rather than throw it out, I’d gently drop it straight down, let out some rope, and let the boat drift into position. Once I had the proper angle on the rope, the thing would dig right in and hold fast! You aren’t supposed to tie any chain onto it, just rope directly onto the anchor eyelet.

I also have a waterspike-type anchor and have found the same technique works great for that one too. If I don’t want to swing around too much, I’ll drop the digger, drift back, use the trolling motor to swing past the position I want, then drop the water-spike type anchor and drift back to position. My boats not moving at that point! By adjusting the amount of rope on one or other (or both) anchors, I can maneuver my boat with pretty good precision.

Great tips! Thanks guys. I really appreciate it. It’s a real drag (literally!) to be on a spot, drift, and try and get back on in heavy currents. I’ll probably start using two anchors from now on.

here’s a brief description of the digger anchor (from Cabela’s):

Digger at Cabla’s<<<

28lb plastic coated Navy anchor at Fleet $30.

28lb painted Navy anchor at Lake of Woods $50…ouch but what else are you going to do when you slide with a 20lb Navy and a 25lb river anchor out? I have a Pro-V 1660 and the 28 held steady in 3′ to 4’+ foot waves a couple weeks ago.

Good luck,

Ferny

I ended up going with the water spike and went up a size. I tested it out today. It takes a bit of practice, but after a while I seemed to figure it out and it worked pretty well. It was brutal at times with the wind gusts and heavy current. I did get a 3′ piece of 3/8 chain to put on it as well. I forgot to upsize on the rope, though. I only have 50′, which works fine in shallow waters, but if I tried to anchor anywhere over 18 fow It held for a while and then started dragging.
Anyway, it ended up calming down a little and I trolled for a while. I marked a ton of fish, but only ended up landing an 11″ crappie caught in about 8-10 fow on crankbait?! pretty weird, but tasty!

18# richtor

1675 Explorer SS loaded down