[flynhi66]

Do you have one long anchor line that you tie-up (shorten/lengthen) as required depending on where you anchor, or do you carry several different length lines?

reason I ask is I have the typical 300' line AND the 50' "tag" line (above the float).

In my observations (KP/Scap Area), I have not seen anybody using a full 50' of tag from their float (I realize this is probably more important up-river where the current is a bit faster).

Where I anchor (30-80 foot depths), I have a "wad" of rope - some of the tag and some of the anchor line that I currently throw in a bag, and tie a loop knot on to take up the slack. I am wondering if there is a better knot or method to accomplish securing the unused portion of both lines. Sticking them in a bag is the easy part - how to connect the "new" ends is the part I am unclear of.

Any advice welcomed
JW

 

[The Bloodletter]

The simplest and easiest way is just to use your 300' section and a mesh rope bag. I usually set my anchor and bouy, tie a loop in the rope for easy release from the cleat, keep the remaining rope in the bag and then throw a couple half hitches around the top of the bag. This way when we have a fish on scenario, all I have to do is take the loop off of the cleat and chuck the bag overboard. No float required (but I would recomend staying within 30' of your bouy for obvious reasons) because the half hitches get tighter as the current pulls on the bag and the bag will hang in the current just below the surface. I guess you could carry around multiple lengths of rope for different spots but I think that would be cumbersome and unnecessary. The last thing I want is more crap cluttering up the inside of my boat. This is what works for me. Try it out and see what you think.:cheers:

 

[red willie]

i use an extention cord spool,, with a 7ft tag of floating line with float, and a carabeener<sp?> on the other end,, when i set anchor i roll all the left over line on the spool, and then snap on the spool and a few raps of line,, hope this makes some sence,, this setup for me is the best way togo,,

i have 400ft line, 6ft chain and a 35LB anchor,, works great from the mouth to the dam,,

just MHO,,

rw

 

[freespool]

I have the same setup as Red Willie, very sanitary way to keep things from getting tangled, add the Miller Marine Anchorlocker, and it's :dance:.

 

[wsuweston]

We fish mostly in shallower water. We use 50' ropes and clip them together as needed

 

[IDWITHELD]

Check the "tech tips" for a post called "Anchoring My way". I believe the author was Gundog.
He has some good pics showing how its done.

 

[fishingfirst]

I keep my rope in an old plastic milk crate. I've also cut a couple of notches for the anchor to rest on top when not in use (so the anchor doesn't scratch the diamond plate while motoring).
I have a dock bumper on the end of the tag line. After anchoring, whatever line is left in the crate I wrap with a bungy cord, leaving the floating 25' of line and the dock bumper loose. If we need to drop out to follow a fish, the whole wad of line goes over. When motoring back up we grab the dock float and pull in the bundle of line and back in the box it goes.
Having the large milk crate also makes it fairly easy to coil the line into when retrieving the anchor. When the boat is back on the trailer, then the milk crate with anchor and ball comes inside the cabin for the trip home.
The only time I switch out is when I fish the coastal rivers, then I switch to a smaller anchor and 50' of rope. Not much need for the 45 lb anchor with six feet of chain and 300' of rope when you're fishing in 10' of water!

Scott