What’s the best anchor?

We’re complete newbies, haven’t even been on the water yet, but what type of anchor should I buy?

I don't know if its best, but I have a mushroom anchor.
The lakes around here is full of shale. I feel a hook type anchor would dig in too much, then I lose a anchor. Its bad enough losing lures.
I pretty much only use it in my pontoon, and then infrequently as I move around a bit.

I've never used one in a tube.

So I anchors are those things I really never use. But people do use them. There is the sack with rocks in it tied to your anchor rope. I have also heard of people using a 2 to 3 lb dumbbell, you know the rubber coated kind.

If you do use an actual anchor be sure to set up a break away line on it. Just in case it gets wedged. This will keep you from getting in to a spot you might have trouble getting out of. I guess the last thing to think of are you trying to stay completely still in one spot. Or just looking to slow down a little. Hope this all helps.

I’ve never used an anchor.
If my fins could not keep me in place or propel me in the direction that I wished to go … then for what ever the reason … it’s not the right time to fish.
Rule [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] … Know your own limits and be safe!
Keep it simple … it’s just float tube fishing.

Just my two cents.

SP Dan   <“))><

Hello Texaz,
For freshwater fishing I have 2 modes (I prefer to fly fish, but I'll throw plastics if someone wants me to):

1. Midge fishing: I prefer to use a 1 or 2# rock cod weight...I started when lead was cheap...but I still like lead...it's small and compact and doesn't have any edges to get caught...if the wind is up, I use my fins to help maintain position, but if the wind is really strong, I'll switch to a rental boat with two concrete anchors, and I've caught trout slowly dragging anchor that way...you learn to set your hook by how your indicator goes (or stays) underwater, not the fact that it goes underwater.

If hiking, I'll bring a plastic bag and use rocks.
I've also had a 2# dumbell weight I had available when I forgot my anchor (I used to keep everything in a rolling scuba dufflebag because I hated forgetting anything).

I really, really don't like traditional "winged" anchors, even the small ones because I've had to cut one off when it got stuck, and I was outside the harbor (saltwater) and I almost rolled my kayak because of the height of the swells and I tried pulling it free by hanging on as I rose.

Those anchors have a small ring on the bottom so you can rig a second line, or a breakaway retrieval line in case the anchor gets stuck (easiest is to rig the main line to the bottom ring, then either use a small zip tie, or thin line to secure the main line to the "outside" of the top ring...and carry spare zip ties).

Mushroom anchors are ok, if you still rig a breakaway setup and can find one small enough, but they tend to gather mud...a rock cod weight just easily rinses off...I'm too lazy to rig a breakaway (just either zip tie the rope to the anchor or use thin twine) so I always carry a knife or cutting tool of some kind (I also have a cutting tool on my keychain).

I suppose if you use powerbait, then you'd use an anchor...but I rarely use powerbait, and usually it's with kids present (or people that don't fish) and that's usually from shore, or a rental boat.

I have used an anchor (in saltwater) when I was caught in a tidal current in a narrow channel so I fished (and caught!) until the current slowed enough for me to get back to my launch point.

I have also anchored with my back to the reeds, I threw my rock cod weight behind me, into the reeds because the trout were cruising the edge of the weed line (you could watch them swim by, about a rod length or two away)...if I had a traditional anchor, I might not have gotten it back, even with a breakaway retrieval setup.





2. Not midge fishing: LoL, you can probably tell that I prefer midge fishing and I was very sad when my local lake (the best midge fishing lake in southern California) decided to end float tubing (they switched from a private fishing concession, to Orange County control so among other things, they enforced normal lake rules).

I don't use an anchor when Not-Midge-Fishing in fresh water...I basically don't use an anchor when fishing saltwater inside a harbor...I cover alot of ground usually when not-midge-fishing.

I use a fish finder to determine what the lake bottom under me is like (trout like to follow underwater features, panfish and bass prefer different things according to the season) and I drop my line according to what I see. I look for anything different, so I'm always slowly kicking around...and if I'm in a lake, I fish this way until I get to where I want to midge fish, then I drop my anchor because even a few inches in height can make a difference for getting bit or not...when I was using a rubber ducky style fish finder, I could only tell a half-foot difference because my number kept going up and down, and sometimes that was enough of a difference for me to get bit (trout tend to follow a specific depth line or edge).

So, if you're trying to save money, bring a plastic bag, and a rope, and fill the bag with rocks when you get to where you're going...but you don't really need an anchor unless you happen to get really lucky and be on the downside of a creek inflow into a lake, and it's highwater time, and the water is flowing through the trees and brush, and the fish are going crazy on the bugs that get swept through and then the midge fishing is about one hit every one or two casts, for the whole afternoon...oh, did I segway back into midge fishing? Sorry.

You don't need an anchor.

NulodPBall wrote:Hello Texaz,
For freshwater fishing I have 2 modes (I prefer to fly fish, but I'll throw plastics if someone wants me to):

1. Midge fishing: I prefer to use a 1 or 2# rock cod weight...I started when lead was cheap...but I still like lead...it's small and compact and doesn't have any edges to get caught...if the wind is up, I use my fins to help maintain position, but if the wind is really strong, I'll switch to a rental boat with two concrete anchors, and I've caught trout slowly dragging anchor that way...you learn to set your hook by how your indicator goes (or stays) underwater, not the fact that it goes underwater.

If hiking, I'll bring a plastic bag and use rocks.
I've also had a 2# dumbell weight I had available when I forgot my anchor (I used to keep everything in a rolling scuba dufflebag because I hated forgetting anything).

I really, really don't like traditional "winged" anchors, even the small ones because I've had to cut one off when it got stuck, and I was outside the harbor (saltwater) and I almost rolled my kayak because of the height of the swells and I tried pulling it free by hanging on as I rose.

Those anchors have a small ring on the bottom so you can rig a second line, or a breakaway retrieval line in case the anchor gets stuck (easiest is to rig the main line to the bottom ring, then either use a small zip tie, or thin line to secure the main line to the "outside" of the top ring...and carry spare zip ties).

Mushroom anchors are ok, if you still rig a breakaway setup and can find one small enough, but they tend to gather mud...a rock cod weight just easily rinses off...I'm too lazy to rig a breakaway (just either zip tie the rope to the anchor or use thin twine) so I always carry a knife or cutting tool of some kind (I also have a cutting tool on my keychain).

I suppose if you use powerbait, then you'd use an anchor...but I rarely use powerbait, and usually it's with kids present (or people that don't fish) and that's usually from shore, or a rental boat.

I have used an anchor (in saltwater) when I was caught in a tidal current in a narrow channel so I fished (and caught!) until the current slowed enough for me to get back to my launch point.

I have also anchored with my back to the reeds, I threw my rock cod weight behind me, into the reeds because the trout were cruising the edge of the weed line (you could watch them swim by, about a rod length or two away)...if I had a traditional anchor, I might not have gotten it back, even with a breakaway retrieval setup.





2. Not midge fishing: LoL, you can probably tell that I prefer midge fishing and I was very sad when my local lake (the best midge fishing lake in southern California) decided to end float tubing (they switched from a private fishing concession, to Orange County control so among other things, they enforced normal lake rules).

I don't use an anchor when Not-Midge-Fishing in fresh water...I basically don't use an anchor when fishing saltwater inside a harbor...I cover alot of ground usually when not-midge-fishing.

I use a fish finder to determine what the lake bottom under me is like (trout like to follow underwater features, panfish and bass prefer different things according to the season) and I drop my line according to what I see. I look for anything different, so I'm always slowly kicking around...and if I'm in a lake, I fish this way until I get to where I want to midge fish, then I drop my anchor because even a few inches in height can make a difference for getting bit or not...when I was using a rubber ducky style fish finder, I could only tell a half-foot difference because my number kept going up and down, and sometimes that was enough of a difference for me to get bit (trout tend to follow a specific depth line or edge).

So, if you're trying to save money, bring a plastic bag, and a rope, and fill the bag with rocks when you get to where you're going...but you don't really need an anchor unless you happen to get really lucky and be on the downside of a creek inflow into a lake, and it's highwater time, and the water is flowing through the trees and brush, and the fish are going crazy on the bugs that get swept through and then the midge fishing is about one hit every one or two casts, for the whole afternoon...oh, did I segway back into midge fishing? Sorry.

You don't need an anchor.

Thanks for the great information!

SP Dan wrote:I’ve never used an anchor.
If my fins could not keep me in place or propel me in the direction that I wished to go … then for what ever the reason … it’s not the right time to fish.
Rule [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] … Know your own limits and be safe!
Keep it simple … it’s just float tube fishing.

Just my two cents.

SP Dan   <“))><

I’m going with this approach.  Just ride the tide.  Plan a little , look at the tide charts compared to your launch point  whether it’s incoming/outgoing and how strong ( you can tell how much current by how steep the curve is) check the weather, and read the water.  And above all, like Dan says, “BeSafe”