How come nobody anchors in the ocean to fish?

[5-Cents]

Since its winter and there aint much fishing I've been watching quite a few fishing shows on the old Replay TV (Tivo) and it looks like a lot of captains up north of us... BC and AK, anchor their boats to fish for tasty ocean bottom dwelling creatures. My question to you all knowing salty ones is how come nobody does that around here?

Thanks!

[tracker]

Very often just too deep. It is good to cover some ground sometimes also to find the fish. I just dont want that much rope on my boat.

[Nalu]

Depth, swell, and in peoples way here.

[Bendman]

I’ve done it before bottom fishing but it didn’t work that well. The fish moved too much. Mark (Maverick) told me he anchored at the Ranch one time. I wish I could have been there to see it. I could only imagine all the nice gestures he got. :grin:

[Arima Billy]

I carry a 200 ft. shot of line in case I need to throw the hook in an emergency but as for holding a spot to bottom fish I agree with Tracker for the ability to travel and shop around for the fish. AB

[Mark Mc]

I used to do it routinely, but only when I was all by myself. Deep water too. There are some tricks though....like attaching the anchor at the end with the flukes, then tieing the line to the shaft with break-away material.

[shelikeschrome]

Somebody told me a story a long time ago about being anchored in the ocean. Tide came in with a bit of a storm and they couldn't get the anchor up. Had to be rescued! Glad I wasn't there!

Let's see,
The USCG recomends 10:1 scope (3:1 would work for fishing)
The Chicken Ranch is around 85fa
So you will need 255fa-850fa of line to anchor

Now...add 100+ boats drift fishing in the same area you are anchored in and you will have many unhappy people hooking up on your anchor line. One good thing, you won't have to buy hooks and lead, if you aren't skuttled.

[Orca]

Mark,

What line scope did you use, and how about winds/current?

[bajadan2000]

I used to do it routinely, but only when I was all by myself. Deep water too. There are some tricks though....like attaching the anchor at the end with the flukes, then tieing the line to the shaft with break-away material.

In Baja the locals do most of their fishing on anchor to save on gas and to spend most of their time over good spots. They use home made anchors made from 4 lengths of rebar welded together on a center pipe, then bent into a hook shape.

If the anchor gets stuck they just pull hard enough to straighten out the rebar, then rebend to a hook shape. Not pretty, and you need a rocky bottom to hook into. Does not work well in sand.

I have one here, can post a pick if anyone is interested.

[Maverick Maxcat]

We use a standard river anchor and 30' of chain. Out at the Ranch, 500' or so, we just throw out about 50' of slack after the rope stops running and tie it off. It may drag a little, but usually holds pretty quick. Lay out a good scent trail and hold on! Works great. I used to use a bouy and ring to pull the hook, but found that the windlass was just as fast and a lot easier. Please note that I anchor at the head of the drift, so other boats are not drifting down on me or loosing gear on my anchor line.

[Iwish]

I went on a charter in Maine about 2 years ago. They went out about 25 miles and proceeded to anchor and fish for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then they asked us to pull up and hold on. We moved and after about 15-20 minutes down went the lines again. This went on all day and we spent about 1/2 the 8 hours moving. I guess from reading the earlier posts maybe they were just chasing the fish? Does it vary from coast to coast?

[Mark Mc]

We didn't do it if there was much wind. This was on commercial hook & line (rockfish) trips. It was great to anchor when there was a current. I'd set up way, way above the spot to set the pick. Then as you dropped your gear (like a 50 hook gangion with a 5 lb weight) it would get pulled back with the current, right into the fish.

If it's calm, and just a lot of current, you don't need much scope. This is for fishing though, not a safety / emergency anchor job. Of course you want lots of scope if you're in 50 feet of water trying to stay out of the surf. Different story.

[Beefcake]

The halibut charter I was on in Cook Inlet anchored (I think most of them do). It seemed to take a while for our bait slick to bring in the halibut. We started with one chicken, then about 30 dogs, then a few codfish, and then the but fishing turned wide open. Seems like it would be a fun way to fish here in the shallower spots.

[Gloucester]

Thought I would share with you all some anchoring info out of our Seamanship Manual. This is by no means the one and only way to anchor. Just the way we teach and conduct anchoring to our members.
CS

H.4. Anchor Types...There are different types of anchors with specific advantages of each type. The type of anchor and size (weight) of anchor a boat uses depends upon the size of the boat. It is advisable for each boat to carry at least two anchors.
• A working, or service anchor should have the holding power to equal to approximately 6% of the boat’s displacement.
• A storm anchor should be at least 150-200% as effective as the service anchor.

Suggested Anchor Weights for Danforth Anchors
Maximum Boat Length / Working Anchor / Storm Anchor
20 feet (approx. 7 meters) / 5 lbs. / 12 lbs.
30 feet (approx. 10 meters) / 12 lbs. / 18 lbs.
40 feet (approx. 12 meters) / 18 lbs. / 28 lbs.

Ground Tackle H.6.
Anchor System: The complete anchor system consists of the anchor, the rode, and the various fittings connecting the rode to the anchor.
H.7. Anchor Rode: The rode is the line from the boat to the anchor and is usually made up of a length of line plus a short length of chain. Large vessels may use an all-chain rode. Each element of the system must be connected to its neighbor in a strong and dependable manner.
H.7.a. Line Type: The most commonly used line for rode is nylon. The line may be either cable laid or braided, and must be free of cuts and abrasions. Foot or fathom markers may be placed in the line to aid in paying out the proper amount of anchor rode.
H.7.b. Nylon and Chain: Chain added with the rode has several advantages:
• Lowers the angle of pull (the chain tends to lie on the bottom).
• Helps to prevent chafing of the line on a coral or rocky bottom.
• Sand has less chance to penetrate strands of the fiber line higher up.
• Sand does not stick to the chain.
• Mud is easily washed off (without the chain, nylon gets very dirty in mud).
The chain should be galvanized to protect against rust.

The following describes the different fittings used to connect the rode to the anchor:
Part Description
Shackle Bends: the length of chafing chain to the shank of the anchor. Can also be used to connect other pieces of ground tackle together (swivels, thimbles, etc.).
Swivel: Allows the vessel to rotate around the anchor without twisting the line/chain.
Thimble: Protects the anchor line from chafing at the connection point. Use synthetic line thimbles for lines 2¾" in circumference (7/8" diameter) and larger.
Chafing chain: Tends to lower the angle of pull of the anchor and assists in preventing chafing of the anchor line on the bottom.
Detachable link: Attaches the anchor and associated ground tackle to the anchor line (not mandatory).
Eye splice: Used at the end of the line to permanently attach the thimble.

Caution...Never anchor by the stern especially with small boats. Weather and seas may swamp the craft.

H.13.a. Length of Rode (Scope): The scope is a ratio of the length of rode paid out to the depth of the water. Enough rode should be paid out so the lower end of the rode forms an angle of 8° (or less) with the bottom. This helps the anchor dig-in and give good holding power.

Keta...you got it. for us 10:1 is for heavy weather.

Scope of the anchor rode should have a ratio range between 5:1 and 7:1. For heavy weather use 10:1. (Example: For the 5:1 ratio, anchoring in 20 feet of water would require 100 feet of rode.)

H.13.b. Markers: Markers along the line, show the amount of rode that is out. It also helps to decide the scope necessary for good holding of the anchor.

H.14. Setting the Anchor: An anchor must be set properly if it is to yield its full holding power. The best techniques for setting an anchor will vary from type to type; only general guidelines can be given here. Experimenting will help determine the best procedures for the boat, the anchors, and the cruising waters.
Step Procedure 1: With the anchor on the bottom and the boat backing down slowly, pay out line as the boat takes it with a turn around the bitt or cleat.
2. When the predetermined scope has been paid out, hold the line quickly and the anchor will probably get a quick bite into the bottom.
3. If the anchor becomes shod with mud or bottom grass adhering to the flukes, lift it, wash it off by dunking at the surface, and try again.
H.15. After Anchor is Set: After the anchor is set, perform the following procedures:
Step Procedure 1: Pay out or take in rode to the proper length for the anchorage, accounting for the prevailing and expected weather conditions.
2. The scope must be adequate for holding, but in a crowded anchorage consider the other boats in the vicinity. 3. Attach chafing gear to the rode at the point where it passes through the chocks and over the side to prevent abrasion and wear-and-tear on the rode and boat.

H.16. Checking the Anchor Holding: There are several ways to make a positive check to ensure the anchor is holding, and not dragging.
• If the water is clear enough to see the bottom, movement may be detected easily.
• If the anchor rode is jerking, or vibrating, the anchor is most likely not holding.
• Monitor bearings taken on at least two landmarks (if available) that are a minimum of 45° apart, or use radar ranges and bearings. Small changes usually mean that the wind, tide, or current has caused the boat to swing around the anchor. If the compass heading is constant, but the bearings change, the anchor is dragging.
• If using a buoyed trip line from the crown of the anchor, apply reverse power to test the anchor’s holding. The float on this line should continue to bob up and down in one spot unaffected by the pull on the anchor rode.
• Some electronic navigation units (GPS/DGPS) have anchoring features that will warn if the vessel has drifted out of its swing circle. These can be used, but should not replace visual and radar methods.

H.17. Making Fast: After the anchor has gotten a good bite and the proper scope has been paid out, the line should be made fast to the connection fitting (bitt, cleat, etc.). A check should be made to ensure the vessel is not dragging anchor before shutting off the motor. The fundamental idea in making fast is to secure in such a manner that the line can neither slip nor jam.

H.18. Anchor Watch: Maintain a live watch whenever anchored to monitor the conditions and equipment. Things to watch for are:
• Dragging anchor.
• Changes in the weather.
• Other vessels dragging their anchor or anchoring near your vessel.
• Connection of the anchor rode to the fitting.

H.19. Weighing Anchor: When it is time to weigh anchor and get underway, perform the following procedures:
Step Procedure 1: Go forward slowly and take in the anchor rode to prevent fouling the screws.
2. Fake the line on the deck as it comes onboard.
3. When the boat approaches the spot directly over the anchor, and the rode is tending straight up and down, the anchor will usually free itself from the bottom.

H.20. Clearing a Fouled Anchor: If the anchor refuses to break free, perform the following procedures:
Step Procedure 1. Snub the anchor line around the forward bitt or cleat and advance the boat a few feet.
2. Sometimes even this will not free the anchor, and the operator should run in a wide circle, slowly, to change the angle of pull.
3. Take extreme care to ensure the anchor line does not tangle in the screws during this operation.

Another way to break out an anchor is with a “trip line” (if one was rigged before anchoring). A trip line is a line strong enough to stand the pull of a snagged anchor (a ⅜-inch line is a typical size). Perform the following procedures if a trip line is needed:
Step Procedure 1. Attach one end of the trip line to the crown of the anchor (some anchors have a hole for this purpose). The trip line should be long enough to reach the surface in normal anchoring waters, with allowance for tidal changes.
2. Secure the other end of the trip line to a float that can be retrieved with a boathook.
3. If the anchor does not trip in the normal manner, pick up the trip line and haul the anchor up crown first.
Besides helping recover a fouled anchor, a trip line helps determine where the anchor is on the bottom in relation to the vessel. This may help prevent other boaters from anchoring in the area as well as help make the approach back to the anchor during recovery.

[5 Salt]

We use a standard river anchor and 30ft of chain. Out at the Ranch, 500' or so, we just throw out about 50' of slack after the rope stops running and tie it off. It may drag a little, but usually holds pretty quick. Lay out a good scent trail and hold on! Works great. I used to use a bouy and ring to pull the hook, but found that the windlass was just as fast and a lot easier. Please note that I anchor at the head of the drift, so other boats are not drifting down on me or loosing gear on my anchor line.

I like this idea.

Majority of river achors can be rigged to to pull from fluke end - although one could easily rig any other anchor type with a gavi-loop of chain and a visit to the welding shop. 30-40ft of chain would solve the rode issue for pleasure use and having 30-40ft chain cetainly would be of great benefit when one was attemping to stay out the surf in 50-100ft of water during an emergency.

Question of cost for 500ft of quality nylon 3/8in rope - something with high breaking strength to allow for less drag in current but the ability to hold in an emergency - is my question.