Anchoring for catfish

[Noahtom]

Hello. Planning to go to fort Washington again for some big blue cats. I've been having trouble the last few times holding anchor. What type of anchor does everyone use from their yak? Also how much chain is to much. I don't wanna go overboard and not be able to get my anchor back up. Any input appreciate d

[kevinfry]

usually the issue is not enough rope and no chain.....i only use a piece of chain, the issue is making sure there is enough friction to hold. here are pics of what I use and what rules i follow...

[yakscientist]

The angle is very important as Kevin stated. I use a typical claw anchor, you just have to make sure it's locked before putting it out. If the depth is more than 15 feet, I will let out all 40 feet of my line right away, just to get that desired angle as it's dragging behind me.

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[ronaultmtd]

I have the standard folding 4# kayak anchor...never had a problem holding bottom...never, not once...no matter how much flow...but I use 50 feet of 3/16 braided nylon line with a float on the end. I normally use all my line- lock the folding flukes of the anchor with the rotating ring... and use my YakAttack anchor trolley...works perfectly...and if I get a monster I simply unclip the anchor line and throw it over and chase the fish...90% of the time I anchor from the bow, occasionally I will anchor from the stern- never from amidships...and I use a large aluminum clip in the anchor trolley for a fast disconnect if needed...

[J.A. Veil]

When fishing in Florida, we use 3-lb folding anchors frequently each trip. If the wind is high, it it very important to move the anchor attachment to the rear of the trolley. This places less pressure on the hull. If you leave the anchor attachment point at midships, there is considerably more pressure of the waves on the hull, such that I often drag the anchor. On Wed of this week, I was fishing in Tampa Bay in windy conditions and left the anchor at midships so I could intentionally let the kayak drag slowly across a target zone so I could cast to more area. When I wanted to remain in one place, I trolleyed the anchor to the rear.

When I took a boating safety course many years ago, we were taught to use an anchor rope length of 7 to 10 times the depth plus several feet of chain between the anchor and rope. That may be necessary for a large boat, but probably is excessive for a kayak. I almost never use an anchor on my kayaks here in Maryland. When I do want to anchor (for example smallmouth fishing in the upper Potomac) I use 5 ft of galvanized chain attached to 10-20 ft of line.

[ronaultmtd]

Spring catfish season is on us again...to my way of thinking being anchored in current soaking baits is essential to fishing for catfish...I am aware that under very specific conditions you can drift and catch catfish...I have even caught catfish trolling an XRap, but those are the exceptions and not the general rule...soft, muddy bottoms are the ones everyone seems to have problems anchoring in due to the lack of solid material for the anchor to “hang” into...in these conditions a good four-pound folding anchor needs plenty of rope to put as shallow an angle as possible for the flukes to dig into the mud, otherwise you will hold, break loose, hold, break loose until your anchor finds a log or other obstruction that may not let you keep your anchor...in deeper waters of 25 feet or more you need 125 feet of anchor line...I don’t want to carry 125 feet of line, so I avoid these depths...one tip to fish these deeper waters is to anchor upstream of the hole in shallower edges of the drop off and cast your bait back to the deeper holes...and you would be amazed at how many catfish are in the shallower waters even in the coldest months...seems the February sun warms these shallow mud flats that attract baitfish and predators...so after re-visiting this post today, I decided to upgrade my anchor options. Took a short run to Home Depot, picked up two feet of stainless chain and a 3/16th galvanized anchor clevis...adding the chain to my 4# folding anchor will double its holding power...

[nhunter344]

Like many have said, the amount of line you let out is the most important. When people first start fishing from a kayak (like me 2yrs ago), they'll let out the anchor, wait until it hits bottom and tie it off. That will usually only hold in lakes/ponds with zero wind. Ive heard different numbers, but for me, I usually let out 2x water depth of line. 10ft deep, 20ft of anchor line out. That's holds in most situations. If the current is really moving or there is a lot of wind, Ill let out more.