Anchoring for Halibut

[OltHunter]

Felt this was enough good info here to revive this thread instead of starting a new one! Apologies if this is frowned upon...

I'm working on setting up my anchor system, with the anchor ring and buoy, similar to @Stein and sounds like a few others here use a similar method.  I was wondering what you all do in areas with a lot of pressure and anchored up boats?

Let's say you got you anchor down and there are 10 other boats all around you.  Do you have to hand retrieve or are you just picking a clear lane and running the boat that way?

I haven't anchored up for halibut before, and that was my main concern.  Or maybe you are able to spread out a bit for halibut and it's not an issue.  I just know shrimp fishing with your pots you think you have a good spot and setup and you're going to have a good day and then someone comes and basically drops their pot on top of your pot and tangles up your line on the retrieval!

Thanks!

[fishngamereaper]

Since your just motoring over you own scope you shouldn't have to pick a line. Its not like your dragging your line across the surface, your just surfacing your line where its at if that makes sense.  If someone over anchors you tell em to move.

If you need you can slow motor and have someone hand pull and not use the ball. Once you get past your anchor hold it will come free.

With that said there is plenty of room and hopefully people give you room. When, (rarely) I do anchor I've never had anyone closer than 500-600 yds. If someone dropped right near me I would personally move. 

[KFhunter]

They get close on the Columbia during sturgeon season, but I've never had a problem running up a lane to pull anchor with the bouy.

[Mfowl]

Halibut anchoring is not like the Columbia. You want space and other guys on anchor don't want anyone nearby. Many fish through tide changes and their will do a 180 drift over their anchor. I would recommend giving plenty of space and just not worrying about others lines. Also, the halibut are drawn in to sent and sound of your anchor set. You are not on travel lanes like salmon fishing. If they are there, they will come to you.

[Stein]

Since my last post I upgraded to 400', got a good deal on eBay and now don't have to worry about it.

I agree, anchoring in 60' on the Columbia is night and day from 125-300' on the salt.  Give your fellow anglers MUCH more room.  You can still anticipate where you will drift and that, but room is your friend.

Wind will blow and tides will change.  A tall boat with 400' out will swing much differently than a sled with 150' out, you can't really predict what will happen when tides and wind changes.  On the Columbia, it's way more predictable and easy to slide into a narrow slot.

As mentioned, there are no slots, you are fishing a huge area, use that to your advantage.

[OltHunter]

Thanks all for the input.  I haven't really hit halibut much, so didn't know how crazy it got with boats and anchors.  I'd never plop down close to anyone, but curious if that was an issue you all have/had to deal with.

[KFhunter]

What achor do you use to keep it down after a tide change and 180 swing around?

Our fluke style anchors on the Columbia is meant for a one way pull, and we use zip ties on them for break aways, to dump the flukes.

[Stein]

The challenge with fishing is that you may be in much different bottom types, from mud to rock.  I used to have a fluke with breakaway, but it doesn't hold well in rock and can get choked up in eel grass or kelpy areas. 

I switched to a Lewmar style and it seems to work well under most bottom conditions I have anchored in.  During tide shifts, it seems to shift and regrab the bottom and I haven't had it kick loose after I was solid.

It also has a breakaway feature, I would be hesitant to use one that didn't as they can be difficult to pry loose with a smaller boat that lacks the weight of a big cabin boat or sailboat.  The breakaway seems to have been tripped maybe 1/3 of the time.  I tend to go pretty light on the breakaway, usually a couple of zip ties instead of metal as my boat is fairly light and nuisance tripping hasn't been an issue.  If the hook is stuck, I want the breakaway to easily pop so I don't have to really yank on it or have the perfect angle.  My lewmar style has chain that is zip tied to the front so it can be popped loose from a wide variety of angles.  The breakaway on the fluke had to be pulled fairly straight back, if you don't get the angle right it wouldn't let go and I like to pull a bit from the side so the rope isn't directly under the boat and near the prop.

[KFhunter]

Oops I lied, we're using this type,
maybe I should make a few in case we loose one.

The zip tie keeps the chain at the top of the anchor, when pulling if it hangs the ziptie breaks and the chain pulls from the bottom, shich slides the "flukes" straight up and out.

Haven't lost one yet in the Columbia, but others have and salt that much easier with a wider drift potential.

[Stein]

I know those are popular on the Columbia, but not so much on the salt.  I haven't used one, but have seen a few boats with them.  Just a guess, but it looks like it might be a bit snaggy in rocky areas and not much surface for holding in sand.  I'm a novice, so I wouldn't put any faith in my guess there.

This is what I use (many different manufacturers):

https://www.amazon.com/MarineNow-Galvanized-Bruce-Style-Anchor/dp/B00X4SNK6Q/ref=asc_df_B00X4SNK6Q/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=416802958964&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14516787702492273918&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033354&hvtargid=pla-883554305508&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=95577037802&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=416802958964&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14516787702492273918&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033354&hvtargid=pla-883554305508

[KFhunter]

Ya, and really pull up the weeds!


Good on gravel, pebble bottoms, with loose rocks in sandy or clay bottoms.

[Stein]

The area I usually fish is rock bottom and the fluke would either set right away or drag and bounce, set for a second, kick loose, drag, etc.

I would also use it to anchor the boat near a beach in the summer and it wouldn't set well in the eel grass.

Galvanized anchors are cheap, I should have upgraded years ago.  The new one, knock on wood, does the trick.  I don't think hali anchoring is very demanding, I'm only out there a couple hours usually around slack and not during ripper tides, huge weather, large boat, or the stuff that people anchoring overnight might see.  I have seen people hali fishing with Columbia anchors, someone around here might be able to chime in.

[Brushcrawler]

I use a Columbia anchor for halibut. Only drop the hook on smallish tides and never in more than 150. Remember to keep an eye out for people drifting down on you, I e had to blow the horn on a couple guys not paying attention. Sometimes they donate their spreader rigs to your anchor line.

[OltHunter]

I know those are popular on the Columbia, but not so much on the salt.  I haven't used one, but have seen a few boats with them.  Just a guess, but it looks like it might be a bit snaggy in rocky areas and not much surface for holding in sand.  I'm a novice, so I wouldn't put any faith in my guess there.
This is what I use (many different manufacturers):

That's a really good price, thanks for sharing.  I was looking at the Rocna 13lb fisherman anchor for $230!  Could do 22lb for $80

[GWP]

I have only been fishing salt for a couple years total. Been an interesting journey. Had 100’ plus out in 30’ of water and had a big wave sneak up on me and break OVER the outboard. That was an eye opener for sure. The ocean does not really care about your ‘feelings’!!! 😳🤯😄
The whitecaps on Lake Washington are ‘cute’ compared to the ones I have encountered in the sound or on the coast. Tide changes are a whole different animal to get used to.