Northwest Fishing Reports

So me and my dad just got this nice little 14' smokercraft and we had a temporary anchor(brick) and that wasn't working so well, so we went to sportco and saw that their bullet anchors were 150 dollars! is that the normal price for an anchor and whats so special about them to price them so high?

A 10 or 15lb mushroom anchor should hold your Smokercraft just fine...They run about $30 at most...

I took a 3 lb coffee can with a u shaped piece of rebar and filled it with concrete mix.I have 2 of them for my 16' Smokercraft.Total price = $5.00..It dosent look all GQ or anything but it works fine.

I have used "racfish" anchors for nearly 50 years now and they do indeed do work well. I always carried one in my canoe so I could bass fish on windy afternoons and I have always 2 of them stored on my 17 foot Bass Tracker. Only difference is I used a heavy galvanized wire instead of re-bar.

Alrite thanks guys. I was really hoping that I wouldnt have to spend 150 bucks on an anchor lol.

Take a couple of coffee cans or a clorox bottle with the top cut off to any const. site pouring concrete.If you ask them for a lil premixed stuff they will most likely fill your container up if you tell them its for fishing or take a 6 pak of soda with you.I went to my neighbors house and asked the guys laying a driveway for some.They were more then happy to oblige me.Good luck.

Take a clear plastic milk jug or plastic orange juice jug (the ones with the handle) and fill it with rocks/pebbles. Then put the cap back on and tie the rope to the handle.

Even cheaper and easier than than scrounging for concrete and rebar.

Or, if you have an old dumbell set, use one of the 12-15 lbs weights.

$150 for anchors, I didnt know they could even get that expensive. The coffe cans work great, filling jugs with sand, cinder blocks, free weights all work. If you use on of these methods you end up spending more on the roap than the acctual anchor. But you should be able to get a pair of anchors and roap for $20 - $40

Ok, This is very good news to me. I cant believe sportco had an anchor for 150 bucks. I didnt look at the weight or anything, but it looked pretty darn small.

Based on personal experience, add a foot or two of heavy chain between the anchor and the rope. I bought a nice little rubber-coated 10lb anchor for my 19.5 foot boat and it couldn't hold. The problem was the bottom of the anchor would literally just drag across the bottom. The two "hooks" weren't getting any bite. Well, the weight of the chain forces the anchor to lay (or at least lean) on it's side so the hooks can dig in better. I have about 2ft of rubber-coated chain links, which added weight as well as helped with the bite, and that tiny little anchor holds me just fine now.

Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to add some even on a home-made anchor.

And cheer up, garage sale season is right around the corner. You might get lucky like I did!

TroutCowboy wrote:Based on personal experience, add a foot or two of heavy chain between the anchor and the rope. I bought a nice little rubber-coated 10lb anchor for my 19.5 foot boat and it couldn't hold.

What size of chain did you end up using? 3/8", 1/4", 5/16"? I bought an 8# mushroom anchor for my pontoon and used it tonight on American Lake. The wind was blowing around 15-20 mph and the anchor did absolutely no good. Just drug it around on the bottom.


Chad

racfish wrote:I took a 3 lb coffee can with a u shaped piece of rebar and filled it with concrete mix.I have 2 of them for my 16' Smokercraft.Total price = $5.00..It dosent look all GQ or anything but it works fine.

This is all you need I would use a eye bolt instead of the rebar. In the river we used chain and it worked well.
But the main thing is you can make your own for a lot less money!

leahcim_dahc wrote:
What size of chain did you end up using? 3/8", 1/4", 5/16"? I bought an 8# mushroom anchor for my pontoon and used it tonight on American Lake. The wind was blowing around 15-20 mph and the anchor did absolutely no good. Just drug it around on the bottom.

Thats what my boat is doing. I got two anchors to keep it in place, but the boat was still spinning in circles. By the way how did you do at american? I saw one guy out in a pontoon out there today, he was catching the stockers on a wedding ring.

By the way how did you do at american? I saw one guy out in a pontoon out there today, he was catching the stockers on a wedding ring.

Originally, I went out to help a co-worker setup and launch a boat he recently bought, but decided to drag the pontoon out while I was there. Didn't catch anything, but had fun anyhow. Marked quite a few fish, around 25-30 feet...but they weren't biting anything I was offering. If it's not too windy, I'd like to get out there again this afternoon after work and see what kind of damage I can do....or not do! :-D


Chad

leahcim_dahc wrote:
Originally, I went out to help a co-worker setup and launch a boat he recently bought, but decided to drag the pontoon out while I was there. Didn't catch anything, but had fun anyhow. Marked quite a few fish, around 25-30 feet...but they weren't biting anything I was offering. If it's not too windy, I'd like to get out there again this afternoon after work and see what kind of damage I can do....or not do! :-D

Ive been fishing off the dock kind of by bills boat house if you know where that is. There nailing powerbait off the bottom close to shore. 2 days ago me and my buddy were down there and we each got a 5 pounder. So if I were you maybe try trolling closer to shore.

I like 2 anchors on my boat also.I dislike the spinning of the boat.Especially if you got a few lines out.I have a bow and stern anchor.

racfish wrote:I like 2 anchors on my boat also.I dislike the spinning of the boat.Especially if you got a few lines out.I have a bow and stern anchor.

What size is your boat and how much do your anchors weigh?

I have the 16' Tracer by Smokercraft.My ancors are concrete and are about 25 lbs each.They were free so the weight is heavier then I needed but the price was too good to pass it up.

The best thing you can do if dragging anchor is to let out more line. so the angle from your boat to the anchor is lessened. This is about all you can do. If you have two anchors put both on the bow and they should hold. If not, either get out of the wind/current or get a larger anchor.... one that digs in abit will help also. The purpose of the chain is to keep the angle down. The weight helps a little too. Most small, calm lakes need only a light anchor ie., coffee can or gallon plastic jug. It's up to you to carry safety gear that works and anchors that hold. When you are ready to go over a dam or falls the $150 bucks is pretty cheap.

Have a good safe season.

leahcim_dahc wrote:

TroutCowboy wrote:Based on personal experience, add a foot or two of heavy chain between the anchor and the rope. I bought a nice little rubber-coated 10lb anchor for my 19.5 foot boat and it couldn't hold.

What size of chain did you end up using? 3/8", 1/4", 5/16"? I bought an 8# mushroom anchor for my pontoon and used it tonight on American Lake. The wind was blowing around 15-20 mph and the anchor did absolutely no good. Just drug it around on the bottom.


Chad

Set up the new anchor system. One hundred feet of 5/16" nylon rope, three feet of 1/2" chain, two caribiners and the original 8# rubber coated mushroom anchor. Wind blew just about the same today as it did the other day, and the pontoon held just fine. Whether it was the added weight of the chain holding down the anchor, or the chain effecting the action or inaction of the anchor who knows....it worked. I suppose if it becomes a PITA with the added chain...I'll opt for a heavier anchor.


Chad