Boys we been havin a blast this summer catchin blue cats out at lake Lavon. You fellas helped me out awhile back with some advise, and we've been gettin after em. Our best so far was a 17lb blue the other day. What a fish. Got a couple more questions.

We've been tying up to trees or bridge pilings. we're fishing starting 6pm or so until dark, but the wind gives us heck. The nose is tied off, but the stern of the boat is bouncing all over, and pivoting.

Our only fishing method we've tried is tight lining in our new driftmaster rod holders. It's working, but you just constantly monitor the line, and reel the slack every time the boat sways... Are we missing a better way? Currently we're fan casting out 4 rods with a 3 or 4oz weight.

We watch alot of fishing on youtube, and I don' think i've seen catfish videos in waves like we're seeing. Their boats always seem so still...?

We haven't tried double anchors yet, but in rolling waves is that the best option for our small boat? And where do you store/transport 2 anchors big enough to hold.. that wouldn't solve the problem of rolling up and over the waves as they come though right? and would still require monitoring the lines... ?

We've tried moving out of the wind into coves or other areas, but don't seem to get bit when we're out of the main lake channel/old creek bed... ?

Hopin yall can help me talk through this and figure it out. Thanks!

Yes, throw out the stern anchor without tying it to a cleat. Anchor or tie the bow of the boat, then start pulling the slack from your rear anchor. Once it is secured, tie the line to a cleat. Depending on the speed of the wind or wave height, you may have to remove the slack from the stern anchor a couple of times.

^^^This^^^ and it is best to use a box anchor. Very pricey unless you know a welder. If your concern is the waves and swamping your boat, just be sure you have a quick disconnect for the anchors with a float. This way you can come back to them if you need to drift and you can find them again.

What size anchor is needed for 18' bass tracker? Bow ties to a tree, just need a stern anchor right?

We have an Ultrex trolling motor with spot lock, but it doesn't seem to hold well enough for tightlining

Box anchors do not need to be heavy at all. It is more on how they lock in to the silt located in our area lakes. For an 18ft aluminum boat you could get by with box anchors 8-10 lbs.

Do yourself a favor and get a Never Lost anchor. Last year I lost four anchors in the Tn River. I ordered two Never Lost this year and as hard as my Anchor Management team has tried to lose them, they keep coming back to the boat.

Another solution is to use the tracking capability of your Ultrexx. You know where the fish are, record a track in that area and let the Ultrexx follow it back and forth. Keep the bait about 2' off the bottom and fish straight down.

Box anchors will hold a pretty good-sized boats in the wind and waves my boat is a 2172 Excel it holds it just fine front and back. However we do mostly drifting in the summertime it's easier we set up on them in the winter.and if there ain't no when then get you a trolling motor and drag those Bates around the bottom

We picked up a box anchor the other day from a great fella from this forum. It'll dang sure hold us in place. Using it, and tying off other end to a tree or a bridge pilling keeps us where we want to be.

We haven't tried drifting yet... i guess that's our next adventure.