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Topic: anchor vs drift sock or other??  (Read 5026 times)

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SirFishAlot

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Just curious what system you guys have that works best for you. Fished pigeon point today and current/wind made it hard to fish over found good structure.I have trolley already just not installed yet.
Like sound of anchor cause if good reef found with drift can just throw anchor and fish right over area.
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bwodun

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anchor in the ocean, in swell and wind is a great way to have a bad day, i would not advise it, but a drift chute is a different story, but i just keep paddling up to my waypoint and drift over it then move on. cameron


kayakjack

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If you get a drift chute, i recommend you get one with at least a 4 foot diameter. The little ones they make for kayaks are not very effective. I also recommend you carry a kelp clip. It is super convenient if there is kelp around. Don't use a hard anchor in the ocean.


rockfish

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paddle more and use heavier gear.  Or get a hobie and hover.
If you are not using GPS its really hard.
anchor in the ocean is not the best idea, and if its the current a drift chute will not help.  A drift chute works best when current and wind are opposing, which is of course when seas are messiest.  Thats when I dig my toes into the sand and have a beer...


and Kelp clips are way cool too, but a frond under the leg works in a pinch :)
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SirFishAlot

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I have kelp clip just alot of times no kelp to clip too. I only fish ocean too.also have GPS. Definitely getting Revo soon.  :smt003
« Last Edit: July 24, 2014, 10:06:36 AM by SirFishAlot »
"A bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work."


AlexB

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Before I got my Hobie, I wouldn't leave home without my drift sock (with anchor trolly). That was for my Scrambler XT (which likes to "tumble" instead of drift straight.

Like others said, using a hard anchor in the ocean is asking for trouble. I've even been jolted pretty good by the drift sock, but not as bad as it could be with a hard anchor.

I just have the small Hobie sock. Works well to slow your drift slightly, and keep your boat oriented how you want it. A bigger one would slow you more.

Keep in mind that a drift sock won't do you any good in current (it will actually PULL you). The drift sock slows you down when you're getting blown around, not pushed by current.


Clayman

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Or get a hobie and hover.
This.  When the drift is fast on the salt and you're bottomfishing, a Hobie really shines.  Just point the bow upcurrent and give the Mirage Drive a kick or two every now and then.
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nudling

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Just a heads up. Drift socks attract unwanted attention from a certain large species. For some reason, they like chomping on motors and drift socks. 
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Sin Coast

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Definitely wouldn't advise using an anchor off the coast unless it's very shallow with small swells & no wind...and no bottom structure. Drift chute works fine, but it's too much work for me. Haven't used mine for years. My technique is to increase the spool tension (to prevent backlash) and open the bail...let the lure/bait freefall with the rod under my leg as I paddle up-drift, until it hits bottom. Then engage the reel and begin jigging. By the time I drift over my reef, my line is vertical...adjust drift by making a few paddle strokes against the drift every 2 or 3 minutes...or until I've drifted past my reef...then reset and start over.
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AlexB

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I use that spool tension trick sometimes, but definitely miss some fish that way. A good percentage of bites happen on that first drop, so I like to have my rod in hand, and a finger on my line.


Elkhornsun

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There is no single best solution that will work in all situations. In the winter there is often no kelp to clip to and high tide also reduces kelp on the surface where you can grab it. An anchor sock or drogue helps with wind caused drift but not with current as when in the southern areas of Monterey Bay. Anchors work if you use 3 feet of chain between the anchor and the line but can get caught in rocks.

It can also be very deep in areas like Monterey Bay near Moss Landing or in Carmel Bay where the undersea canyons quickly reach a mile in depth. I have been 100 yards off the entrance to Moss Landing and dropped an anchor with 300 feet of line and the anchor did not hit the bottom.

A grapnell type anchor is convenient but the least effective for the sandy bottoms found in most places in northern California. A "river anchor" which is a modified mushroom anchor works better as a passive anchor for sand. With a normal boat anchor the anchor is dropped to the bottom and the boat reversed until the anchor digs in which is not possible with a kayak.

Chain makes all the difference in the world in how effective an anchor is on the bottom. I would drop an anchor with 6 feet of chain for my 14 foot inflatable with its 40HP outboard and after a dive check out the anchor and see the chain lying on the sand where it had fallen and no force being applied to the anchor but the boat held in place.

The more effective the anchor setup the less the amount of scope needed to hold a boat in position. Less scope means less line to manage and less chance of getting the anchor line wrapped around the kelp.

This also becomes a viable way to stay in position when fishing inside SF Bay or in the river channels where the current can be very strong. Even with a Hobie I would rather drop an anchor than pedal constantly.


Tote

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Forget fishing with an anchor in the ocean. It's an accident waiting to happen.
Drift chute if it's that windy. which most people won't go out in anyway; or get a Hobie and hold yourself over structure while you pedal.
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PISCEAN

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Forget fishing with an anchor in the ocean. It's an accident waiting to happen.
Drift chute if it's that windy. which most people won't go out in anyway; or get a Hobie and hold yourself over structure while you pedal.

+1. solid advice.
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Elkhornsun

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Only a problem if you don't think it through - as with much in life. The common practice is to have a float and a line from the float to the anchor anchor line reel so you can unclip from the anchor in seconds and then retrieve the float and the anchor line reel when it is convenient to do this. As with most things the devil is in the details and details require some thought.

Well written and illustrated article on this approach which is used in many parts of the USA and the world
http://www.saltwaterkayakfisherman.com/2009/10/deep-water-anchor-reel.html

There are places where with a tidal change the fishing is optimum but the current is 4-7 knots and only a fool would try to paddle or pedal to stay in place. It is also silly to put it kindly to tell someone asking about a drogue chute to go buy a $2,000 ot $3,000 Hobie as that will take care of everything. Might as well advise them to spend $2,000 on a Torqeedo motor and battery while you are being so helpful.

A drogue chute is good for when there is a strong offshore wind in coastal waters to slow the rate of drift of a boat. At times it provide a dramatic reduction in drift and works regardless of the depth of the water under the boat. It also weighs next to nothing and takes up very little space.

Sometimes it seems like some who have 20 years of experience have actually one year of experience that they repeated another 19 times.


dilbeck

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It is also silly to put it kindly to tell someone asking about a drogue chute to go buy a $2,000 ot $3,000 Hobie as that will take care of everything. Might as well advise them to spend $2,000 on a Torqeedo motor and battery while you are being so helpful.

Sometimes it seems like some who have 20 years of experience have actually one year of experience that they repeated another 19 times.

Wow, just wow!  :smt011



 

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