WaterSpike Anchors?

I know a lot of Mille Lacs guys run (or ran) these anchors….they were very popular for the last few years.

So what’s the verdict? Thumbs up or down? And what is the big difference between the waterspike and a good ol’ chene anchor like this one from Cabela’s? Chene Anchor

I have been very satisfied with my 28 pound navy style anchor. I am looking to lighten the load a bit and found a WaterSpike for $50 on at SportsmenGuide outlet store. Just wondering why, even at clearance, they cost so much! Are they worth it?

Thanks,
Jon J.

I believe the waterspike is very similar to the anchor on the link. I used a waterspike that I got for free and didn’t care much for it. It is a little bigger than my navy anchor. It also took a lot longer to get to the bottom and hooked up. That is valuable fishing time and makes it hard to position the boat.
Although pretty heavy, I still think a good sized navy anchor is better than any other anchor.

Jon J.

There are many fisherman using the Waterspike anchor. Chris Carlson owner/designer made the first Waterspike in shop class in our high school here in Isle,Mn.

I think the Waterspike anchor works very well as long as you have it equiped with a long enough anchor rope. One of it’s biggest advantages is its ability to release from its hooked position. I have had to cut the rope on navy anchors in the past. A navy anchor can get hooked and your not able to get it un-hooked from the rock bottom. Another strong point of the Waterspike is that it disasembles well for storage in the boat!

jon j.
i have used a waterspike for the past 7 years. i was not to impressed at first, it wouldn’t hook-up right away. i found a 15lb mushroom anchor off of pine island. i attached it to the anchor rope with a 2ft piece of chain about 6ft above the waterspike. since adding the mushroom anchor i haven’t had any problems and it is lighter than 28lbs.

Say Guys, I have used a Water Spike for many years, Even before they were called Water Spike ! I have found out by trial and error that you need to attach 3 foot of heavy chain to the anchor. The chain makes the anchor fall faster and makes it lay down so the flukes start to dig in as soon as it hits the bottom. I also have found out that the chain makes it easier to get the anchor un-stuck because the chain keeps the rope at a low profile so it will slide up the anchor release ! Bob is right you need to play out more rope than normal ! I use my Water Spike in all conditions,”Lake&River” !! The more the boat pulls the more the anchor digs, But the chain trick really works, it’s easy, I have lost only one anchor in 30 years, that was because I didn’t tie the rope to the anchor !! “Sorry Hoggie” !!!
My Dad Was a commercial fisherman in the 60’s, I always wondered why he had three foot of chain attatched to his anchors !! I use the Water Spike in all conditions, the more the boat pulls the more it digs ! My Dad passed away 12 years ago, I swear that man could smell out fish in thirty foot of water. He was the proverbial Al Linder / Babe Winkelman of the 60’s, my Dad could have taught these two boys how to fish just by looking at the water !! He is “NOW” one of the smartest men I have ever known !
Try the chain trick, I’m sure you will be impressed !

Richard (Smitty)

Keep a tight line !!!

Lake or river, I will never use a navy style anchor again. Even a “near 30 lb’er” performs poorly compared to a good spike at half the weight. I use it on my wingdam trips when I deploy and raise the anchor 25 + times a day… and I would have no tolerance for an anchor that cost me even the smallest amount of fishing time. Try raising a 28 Lb anchor out of 20′ of water in current 20 times in 6 hours! I’ve got a 15 Lb (I believe) spike and when I tie off the rope with some slack in the line, when the rope comes tight, the boat STOPS now!

Love it. Invaluable tool. It did take me a little bit of practice to get the spikes to set. In the river, get position above the wingdam and drop the anchor when the boat is moving downstream. Deploying when the boat is motionless and then moving downstream to set the anchor works poorly. Try this little adjustment and you’ll love your spike again.

Sorry I forgot to mention the need for a chain……..Yes I have around 3 feet of steel chain attached to my anchor along with 200 feet of rope. It comes in handy when you have windy conditions and need to hold your position. It also allows you to cover more area by changing the hooking position on the bow of the boat.

Chain really helps to keep your rope from getting frayed. The constant back and forth movement of the boat and your rope moveing on sharp zeebie rock’s is not a good combo. Steve

I have used this anchor for quite a few years now. It did take a bit to learn how to deploy it the right way. With 3′ of chain and 150′ of the nice 5/8″ derby braid rope , I can hook up the Tyee fairly easy.
Dino