spot lock and anchors

So getting spot lock on new boat my wife posed the question do you ever use anchors again? Just wondering if its a good idea to keep one for safety and maybe save battery power if you know your going to say sit and fish for panfish? I do know everyone says spot lock is great.

It would be foolish to take out the one piece of fool proof equipment that keeps you off the rocks.

Always keep 1 good anchor in the boat with at least 75 feet of rope.

I would still at least keep one in the boat for safety reasons. I also have a stern mounted talon but do on rare occasion still use a standard anchor.

Yep keep an anchor for sure there have been some serious accident/ fatalities that would have been prevented with an anchor

A real anchor is a necessity. Batteries die, trolling motors malfunction. An anchor could save you life.

After 3 years of not using the anchor, I took it out. I do have bow and transom electric motors and 4 batteries. Just never used the anchor in 3 years. I would have to put it back in if we ever get to go back to Canada. I believe an anchor is required there.

Still prefer an anchor in the river when I’m fishing for cats or sturgeon. I keep two in the boat at all times.

Always have a anchor, could save your life, your boat. the law in canada. I have a talon, spotlock. and anchor with 150 ft of rope. Anchor a must in a river for catfishing for me. Also shallow water fishing for panfish I prefer to be more stealthy

Ah I just use one when I fish my kiddos, other than that you really don’t need one.

Keep at least 1 in the boat but you probably will never use it again with spot lock. You will love that feature.

I was wondering the same thing when we got our new boat, but my wife brought up a good point. You don’t want your prop spinning when your up on the sand bar with little kids swimming around.

I wouldn’t try bobber fishing with spot lock in most cases. Maybe the newer ones with a GPS puck in back would work OK but my older Terrova would be really annoying. Even jigging, if you are going to sit in one spot for awhile, I’d rather anchor than be sliding back and forth constantly with spot lock.

I have a box anchor (https://www.slideanchor.com/boxanchor) which looks really stupid and is kind of expensive but it works great and hardly takes up any space in the storage compartment when collapsed.

Thanks for all the advice. I do plan to keep 1 anchor in the boat safety and never thought of the noise of the trolling motor in shallow water could scare fish away. Thanks again for help in understanding it better.

Shallow water I only use the anchor, also when it is calm the spot lock will jog you around trying to keep you in the spot, which sometimes moves the back of the boat around if you are trying to bobber fish it gets annoying.

As mentioned an anchor could save your life, we all have read of boats having motor problems above a dam and no way of stopping the boat from going into the dam. Or below a dam and getting sucked into the back flow carrying the boat right into the dam..

Although I haven’t used an anchor since I’ve gotten spot lock, it is still in the boat.

My anchor is laying on the bottom of lake due to the old man! He told me a story of his brother in-law that did that 20 years ago and then as he was telling me the story he did it himself in 50′ of water. (we were just swimming). LOL! Haven’t used one since.

I hadn’t used my anchor in 3 years because of spot lock, last year on opener we were on lake at 5 am, was windy, one of my batteries went bad overnight…my brother said no biggie you have an anchor. It was in my basement..lesson learned

I am surprised that MN DNR or state law does not require a throw-able anchor with rope? Bet you don’t want to get caught on any of the great lakes with-out one and at least 200 ft of rope.

mojocandy101 wrote:

I was wondering the same thing when we got our new boat, but my wife brought up a good point…

What’s with these wives always coming with stuff guys don’t worry about?

i have a few river spots where you set up in fast current and pitch to slack current. they require a river anchor. but i always keep one in the boat just in case but like you barely use it unless i’m in one of those spots.

Hey Paul your very correct my wife is one of the good ones! She looked at the boat and said no swapping no messing around trade both and get what I want she was climbing in and out of the boat more than I was She’s even more excited to pick it up than I think I am

mrpike1973 wrote:

Hey Paul your very correct my wife is one of the good ones! She looked at the boat and said no swapping no messing around trade both and get what I want she was climbing in and out of the boat more than I was She’s even more excited to pick it up than I think I am

Does she have a Sister?

I keep one in the boat. Using spot lock + a rear anchor is a necessity where I fish for walleye opener, it’s like a wind tunnel.

Also spot lock, in my experience (2020 terrova) tends to just “give up” if you get too far off your spot. It’s really annoying, maybe I’m doing something wrong.

i think im behind the times. I have spot lock and i seem to forget it exists most of the time and still use an anchor whenever i want to stay in one spot.

When it comes to fishing though im often going about things the wrong way. Probably why most of the time i just choose to take it easy and sip beer…

Probably why most of the time i just choose to take it easy and sip beer…
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Sounds to me like your doing it right!

I was just talking to Evan about this yesterday. I’m totally tired of pulling in my anchor to move 50 feet and reset.

Does anyone know how my trolling motors it will take to hold a 17k boat in place? Also, where I could get 10′ extensions for them?

On a more serious note, a person might be able to get by without an anchor on a lake, but they are a must have on moving water. Must be an echo in here.