Best river anchor?

Whats the best anchor for the river? I see lots of guys with huge water spikes but I like to carry the anchor with me at all times. How do the weighted navy anchors work in comparison?

my opinion, if you are on a river that is snaggy, like the red river, I learned from the locals around winnipeg. I lost a few anchors, most of them make or someone makes their anchors, simply a piece of round steel, weld on a couple of 1/4 inch pieces of flat iron, bend them up, have a tie ring welded on, cheap, very effective, when you get hung up,tie the rope on to a cleat, power off, the flat pieces of steel will bend straight and your free, go to shore, stick the flat iron under something and re bend it. This Works, I have commercially made anchors under the water in various rivers

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Whats the best anchor for the river? I see lots of guys with huge water spikes but I like to carry the anchor with me at all times. How do the weighted navy anchors work in comparison?

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This is a common question and invariably…Waterspike is the favorite by a large margin… lightweight, hold like none other, and even I cant lose one…no matter how hard I try. I’ve lost (4) 18# Richters and two 30# Navy style in three years on P-4 until Dean “saved” me with a 15# Waterspike three years ago.

Why wouldn’t you carry a Waterspike all the time? I only have a 17′ boat and it fits in my storage locker. It disassembles in a minute to fit flat.

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Whats the best anchor for the river? I see lots of guys with huge water spikes but I like to carry the anchor with me at all times. How do the weighted navy anchors work in comparison?

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This is a common question and invariably…Waterspike is the favorite by a large margin… lightweight, hold like none other, and even I cant lose one…no matter how hard I try. I’ve lost (4) 18# Richters and two 30# Navy style in three years on P-4 until Dean “saved” me with a 15# Waterspike three years ago.

Why wouldn’t you carry a Waterspike all the time? I only have a 17′ boat and it fits in my storage locker. It disassembles in a minute to fit flat.

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So is that what I keep snagging and losing all my jigs on?

Now that you have some good suggestions…

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Best river anchor?

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A bass guy.

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Now that you have some good suggestions…

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Best river anchor?

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A bass guy.

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wouldnt work so well BS floats

I have a lot of iron on the bottom of various rivers and adopted the make your own Red River anchor many years ago. Make up a couple spares and you are never without an anchor.

Fits my pocketbook too.

Richter hands down

The ProAnchor by Guidemasters. Local ownership. Best anchor on the market. Won’t break like a Richter. Flat arm designs for better holding. Two sided retrieval bar instead of one. You’ll never buy another anchor again. You keep hearing about Richter anchors, but you’ll wish you bought one of these.

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

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Now that you have some good suggestions…

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Best river anchor?

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A bass guy.

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Gotta love that one BK…….

I just replied to the same question about 10 days ago.. I’ll give the same reply: go to a farm implement dealer, ask if the have any old plow discs? weld a 1 1/4″ X 7″ piece of pipe onto the center of the disc, get a large flat washer that will be able to receive a 5/8″ thread from an “eye – bolt” . put the eye bolt thru the washer , put a nut on the thread and spot weld the nut to the thread, then place the washer/eye bolt combo, nut side down into the 1 1/4′ pipe. now weld the washer all the way around the pipe, add a foot of chain to the eye bolt and you have an anchor with a 12 – 16″ diameter that will hold in any river situation because lets face it a river is primarily sand & muck and the more holding surface the better…….Earmark this for future reference !!!

I love my waterspike but is spring with tons of boats you end up with a ton of jigs from fellow fishermen. I use a rictor easier to set up hooks up right away. Also you don’t need alot of line out to keep a low angle. haven’t lost one yet crossing my fingers. either way is fine but the rictor get my vote most of the time. I use a 25lb and 6ft chain.

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Two sided retrieval bar instead of one.

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I like that over a Richter…

I use a digger brand achor from fleet farm. used it in heavy current coming on a dam and held my 18 footer with no problem easy to deploy and retrieve and awesome holding power in rough water as well.

Mike

Tom- Don’t know if this would change anything… But, what would you recommend for an old school 14′ lund? Had a 25 lb. navy anchor, was not quite enough for the flows.

25 lb navy and 14 ft still didn’t hold? try fishing where there is less current. if you cant get it to hold your boat the fish are not there they dont want to fight the current either.

A lot of times I will anchor in moderate current and cast into seams or wing dams, because (it seems) people often drag the seams. That way I can pitch and also am not in the way. The 25 lb. Navy holds 90% of the time but, that’s not good enough. I guess I’ll just get a water spike like Tom was talking about. Thanks for the tip on the current and fish, ya gotta keep us country folk up on the new fish agenda .

As I read this post,I cant help but think of another option besides Richtor & the Waterspike that was not available untill this year.The I-Pilot is now my favorite anchor! to MinnKota for this awesome product.FYI,I am not sponsored by them,nor do I sell them.

Ya I knew I made a mistake with the fortrex any one want to trade for a terrova?……Dean do you have the river spike that folds flat? I didnt know they folded up/came apart. Ill be down in the morning Id like to pick up an anchor too if you have one. Do you guys run a chain leader on them or just rope?

LOVE MY WATER SPIKE ! I have 4 ‘ of Chain to help it get down and protect the line from fraying. Be sure to let out plenty of line 3- 5 times the depth.

waterspike is the only way to go…just don’t lose it in tha lake like me

Got a waterspike for anyone wanting to take a dive for it at Zumbro river exit below Alma….worked too good. Absolutely could not get it out .

I’ve had nothing but horrible luck with a richter anchor. I carried one in my boat last season thinking that when conditions “weren’t that bad” I’d be able to leave the waterspike in the locker and use the richter. Time after time that $#%^& richter would let loose and drag through a current seam or loose my spot on a reef after spending far too much time positioning to get “just right” on the sweet spot. With the spike… when you’re hooked up you STAY hooked up until you want to switch spots. And I’ve had the same spike for the last 10+ years.

What is your guy’s thoughts on the digger anchor? I got one of these but I haven’t used it much on the river.

Still have the receipt? If so, take it back. Been there done that……did not work for me

I know a few people that used them on Lakes and are pretty happy. It looks like a hybrid…

I bought a spike and it holds like crazy! Did have one time I think it was wedged in a tree but drove above it with the boat and it popped right out. Should have bought one before loosing multiple navys.