Kayak Anchoring Basics

Author: JayPenfold

Category: Equipment, rigging & preparation

Created on Thursday, 06 October 2011 10:09

Written by Jay Penfold

Anchoring your kayak gives the means to hold stationary in tide, wind or current and present lure or bait to the same area of habitat or structure repeatedly without having to preposition the kayak in between casts or captures. A particularly good technique for bottom bashing with baits, float fishing, or drifting live baits. Also useful for kayaks without an alternative method of propulsion such as a Hobie Mirage drive or pedal powered propeller. 

Anchor types for kayak fishing:

An anchor can be as simple as a “Deadweight”, a heavy object (brick, dumbbell) on the end of a rope attached to the kayak or as complex as a specialised kayak anchor attached by means of an anchor trolley. A basic diagram showing the anatomy of an anchor can be seen below. The most commonly used kayak designs are the Plough and the Grapnel. This is because for their size and weight, they offer the most versatility and holding power. They stow easily and can be deployed easily from a kayak. They can also be rigged to be tripped out from the bottom easily should they become stuck without capsizing the kayak or having to sever the anchor line.

Commonly used on fishing kayaks, an anchor trolley allows the kayak to be anchored from the bow, the stern or any point along the beam by means of a travelling pulley. Conventionally, a pair of anchors may be used to hold a boat across a current, an anchor trolley enables a kayak to be held across a current with only one anchor, enabling the fisherman to either work a cast radius of feed out a float/live bait.

Plough anchors are designed to hold on most most bottom types, working particularly well on sand, silt and mud bottoms. They resemble the ploughs found on agricultural equipment. Australian company Cooper Anchors make an excellent lightweight nylon anchor boasting some exceptional holding power. Featured on the ABC's New Inventors television program, the anchor can be configured to be zip tied at the crown to allow for retrieval if the anchor gets well and truly stuck. Reefing hard at the anchor will break the zip tie and release the anchor rope from the anchor ring to the crown end of the anchor, thus pulling it backwards out of the substrate. Wrapping the zip tie around twice will retrieve the zip tie also, not leaving plastic behind. 

 Cooper anchor with zip tie

Grapnel anchors are comprised of four or more tines that protrude from the anchor's shank. They will hold on any bottom and hold very well. With four tines, it doesn't matter which way the anchor falls, it will always be able to find purchase on the bottom. There are many collapse-able grapnel anchors designed specifically for kayaks and small boats, made from galvanised iron and designed to be easy to stow in a hatch or well These too can be rigged to reverse the crown and ring positions to dislodge a stuck anchor. Grapnel anchors are also very useful for retrieving lost crab pots or dropped fishing rods. 

 Grapnel anchor

Rode and Scope

The length of rope and chain attached to the anchor is known as the “Rode”. Holding ability relies on the length of Rode sagging against the bottom to stop the anchor slipping. When anchoring, allow a minimum 4 times the amount of anchor Rode to the depth of water. (I.e one meter of water requires four meters of Rode. This is known as anchor “Scope”. A scope ratio of 5:1 will hold in most conditions experienced in a kayak. If the anchor flukes slip in the current or wind, a ratio of 7:1 may be more appropriate. To break the anchor out of the bottom, simply shorten the scope until you are over the top of the anchor and it should come free. 

Rode and Scope