Anchoring for Halibut

[KFhunter]

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.

When whitecaps are coming towards the stern I toss the anchor line around a rear cleat, faces the boat into the waves 1/4 away.  Boat planes to one side in the current though, but you can pick a side to plane too.

Easy to yank the line off the cleat too, the boat swings around facing the current.

I dunno if that'd be safe or not in the salt, depends on the current and if the stern is burying in down into the current.

[Stein]

When whitecaps are coming over the stern, I turn the boat to the dock and push the throttle lever forward.

[KFhunter]

Lol then I'd never fish!

[Mfowl]

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.

I use this same anchor for columbia and hali fishing. Depending on how big your boat is, adding chain does wonders for holding bottom. 10-15' is pretty common.

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.

  Kelp patties too! PITA to clear your buoy!

[HvyHorn338]

I've been using the 13lb Rocna with chain the length of my boat for 5 years now in the straits, ocean etc with great results.  No issues ever with setting, tide changes or retrieval.  Grabs on all bottom surfaces that I have experienced so far.   

[fishngamereaper]

Any proper anchor system requires chain to achieve good hold. Preferably the length of your boat at minimum.

[Stein]

Anyone run Spectra cord?  Sounds pretty appealing to have a small spool of 5 mm as opposed to a huge bucket of thick rope.

[KFhunter]

Anyone run Spectra cord?  Sounds pretty appealing to have a small spool of 5 mm as opposed to a huge bucket of thick rope.

Would you need to add stretchy stuff?

Less drag in the current too

[Stein]

I'm not sure if they run some nylon at the top or just spectra all the way in. I would think the ball retrieval thing would have a hard time grabbing onto something that thin?

[Angry Perch]

I'm not sure if they run some nylon at the top or just spectra all the way in. I would think the ball retrieval thing would have a hard time grabbing onto something that thin?

You could go to the setup with a ring instead of the rope grabber doo-hicky.

[7mmfan]

I'm not sure if they run some nylon at the top or just spectra all the way in. I would think the ball retrieval thing would have a hard time grabbing onto something that thin?

You could go to the setup with a ring instead of the rope grabber doo-hicky.

   however, what makes the ring work is the resistance of the rope in the water as you pull away from it. The buoy is the lifting mechanism. If your rope, or in this case spectra fiber, slices through the water with little resistance it will take much longer for your anchor to pull. To safely pull your anchor this way you need to be in a slight turn the whole time to keep the anchor line off the side of your boat and your prop, the spectra would likely just pivot on the buoy because of low water resistance.

[Angry Perch]

I'm not sure if they run some nylon at the top or just spectra all the way in. I would think the ball retrieval thing would have a hard time grabbing onto something that thin?

You could go to the setup with a ring instead of the rope grabber doo-hicky.

   however, what makes the ring work is the resistance of the rope in the water as you pull away from it. The buoy is the lifting mechanism. If your rope, or in this case spectra fiber, slices through the water with little resistance it will take much longer for your anchor to pull. To safely pull your anchor this way you need to be in a slight turn the whole time to keep the anchor line off the side of your boat and your prop, the spectra would likely just pivot on the buoy because of low water resistance.

That makes sense. And this is all reminding me that I need to do some anchoring/ retrieving practice in Sequim Bay this spring. It's all new to me.

[Stein]

I don't really like the ring because it's much harder to use if you don't put out all the rope.  With the clinch type, you can let out however much you want, cinch it up and then the ball will stay put and you can let a bit more out and tie off to your bow.  When you are ready to go, just fire up the motor and start pulling it.

With the ring, you would have to fasten the ring to the rope and then undo it before you could pull.  It also won't hold the rope so once the anchor comes up and you let off the throttle the anchor will fall back to the bottom.

In my mind, the ball doesn't really help pull the anchor, it mostly helps on retrieval as you can run the rope through all the way to the chain and it will hold it there while you pull in just the rope without having to heave the weight of the anchor the whole time.

If you drive over the top of the anchor and pull it the opposite direction it will either come up or the zip ties will break and then you pull the anchor out of the snag backwards.

I think spectra would work better, it's the force of the water against the ball that does all the work both in pulling the anchor off the bottom and  then up to the surface.

[Angry Perch]

I don't really like the ring because it's much harder to use if you don't put out all the rope.  With the clinch type, you can let out however much you want, cinch it up and then the ball will stay put and you can let a bit more out and tie off to your bow.  When you are ready to go, just fire up the motor and start pulling it.

With the ring, you would have to fasten the ring to the rope and then undo it before you could pull.  It also won't hold the rope so once the anchor comes up and you let off the throttle the anchor will fall back to the bottom.

Once the chain pulls through up to the anchor, there should be more weight in chain than anchor, and it should hold.

In my mind, the ball doesn't really help pull the anchor, it mostly helps on retrieval as you can run the rope through all the way to the chain and it will hold it there while you pull in just the rope without having to heave the weight of the anchor the whole time.

If you drive over the top of the anchor and pull it the opposite direction it will either come up or the zip ties will break and then you pull the anchor out of the snag backwards.

I think spectra would work better, it's the force of the water against the ball that does all the work both in pulling the anchor off the bottom and  then up to the surface.

[7mmfan]

The ring definitely holds the anchor, I've done it about 900 times. Once your chain makes it through the ring, your anchor will hang in it and you just pull it in, just like with the lift and lock system.

You are right that if you want a lead from your buoy to your boat, you need to tie it off,  and then pull back to it if you want to untie and pull your hook. It's not difficult, but is another step and easier with 2 guys. Depending on the size of your boat, this isn't really necessary. I've anchored in hundreds of feet of water hundreds of times, in really big water, with no lead, but I was in a 32' boat.

I'll also add, if you intend on anchoring in rock frequently,  buy the cheapest Danforth you can get and invest in more chain. Your anchor will hang, and the cheaper anchor will bend out easier. The chain is what hooks you anyway.