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Fighting the wind
#2993252
01/10/09 04:27 PM
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 81
Capcom
OP
Outdoorsman
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OP
Outdoorsman
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 81 |
It seems like every time I go out on the lakes around North Texas I spend most of my time fighting the wind trying to keep the boat from drifting, constantly on the trolling motor. Ive tried anchors and drift anchors and I see some of you out there hovering in the same place actually fishing. How do you keep from drifting when it's windy?
Fishing Shirts, Caps, T-shirts, tackle with your logo on it we sell thousands of Promotional Advertising Products www.homerunpromotions.com
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Re: Fighting the wind
[Re: Capcom]
#2993303
01/10/09 04:47 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 282
revoskeeter
Angler
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Angler
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 282 |
What kind of boat do you have?
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Re: Fighting the wind
[Re: revoskeeter]
#2993315
01/10/09 04:53 PM
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 81
Capcom
OP
Outdoorsman
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OP
Outdoorsman
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 81 |
Fishing Shirts, Caps, T-shirts, tackle with your logo on it we sell thousands of Promotional Advertising Products www.homerunpromotions.com
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Re: Fighting the wind
[Re: Capcom]
#2993381
01/10/09 05:27 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 282
revoskeeter
Angler
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Angler
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 282 |
You need about 35 pounds of weight to keep your boat from moveing.I use castiron weights, body builders use,with a big eyebolt in the middle.
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Re: Fighting the wind
[Re: revoskeeter]
#2993537
01/10/09 06:38 PM
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 81
Capcom
OP
Outdoorsman
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OP
Outdoorsman
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 81 |
Fishing Shirts, Caps, T-shirts, tackle with your logo on it we sell thousands of Promotional Advertising Products www.homerunpromotions.com
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Re: Fighting the wind
[Re: Capcom]
#2995036
01/11/09 10:27 AM
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 173
CWR64
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 173 |
Keep in mind that to be effective and to not drag the anchor across the bottom, you need to let out much more anchor line than the depth of the water. Even a heavy anchor will not hold your boat in place in a strong wind if the anchor line is near vertical. A rule of thumb for ships is that you need to let out anchor line at 5 times the depth.
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Re: Fighting the wind
[Re: CWR64]
#2996528
01/11/09 09:25 PM
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 77
Grizz
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 77 |
Just like off shore fishing and length of heavy chain attached to the anchor and then to the rope will help it grab and hold. A fluke anchor in soft bottom should hold. I have this setup on a 21 ft Stratos and it holds well.
Nothing worse than a limp rod
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Re: Fighting the wind
[Re: Grizz]
#2999138
01/12/09 05:00 PM
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 12,345
PaulGrapevine
TFF Guru
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TFF Guru
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 12,345 |
I agree with the last couple of posts. Get some chain on your anchor rope, a good anchor, and let out twice as much line as how deep it is. I bought one of those chene anchors and love it. A 6lb anchor holds my 18ft boat easily in a good wind. A quality anchor used properly will hold you even in high wind.
Last edited by PaulGrapevine; 01/12/09 05:01 PM.
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Re: Fighting the wind
[Re: PaulGrapevine]
#2999348
01/12/09 06:11 PM
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,621
psycho0819
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,621 |
Great anchoring advice!
If you're drifting, try turning your big motor all the way one direction. When I do this with my Pro-Craft, it will drift sideways, and much slower. If not, she points downwind, and will move right along. But I only use that method in winds up to 12mph. Any more than that and I'm finding some shelter. My little boat don't like the wind at all.
Jay
If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space!
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Re: Fighting the wind
[Re: PaulGrapevine]
#3000744
01/12/09 11:51 PM
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Joined: May 2007
Posts: 463
Cast Net
Angler
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Angler
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 463 |
I agree with the last couple of posts. Get some chain on your anchor rope, a good anchor, and let out twice as much line as how deep it is. I bought one of those chene anchors and love it. A 6lb anchor holds my 18ft boat easily in a good wind. A quality anchor used properly will hold you even in high wind. I have a cheap knock off 6lb chene anchor, 6' 5/8 chain and 200' of 1/2 rope. That holds a 24' off shore CC the weighs over 4000lbs in winds up to 25mph in 80' of water on Texoma. Weight of the anchor system is probably the least important factor in getting a good anchor set. Having a good length of chain keeps the anchor down allowing it to set and minimizes rope abrasion. I think a scope of 5:1 or even 7:1 is probably appropriate for offshore fishing but is excessive for a 17' boat. If the conditions are so rough that you need to use more than a 3:1 scope, the water is going to be too rough for a 17' to begin with.
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Re: Fighting the wind
[Re: Cast Net]
#3018595
01/18/09 10:47 AM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 188
Backlash2
Outdoorsman
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Outdoorsman
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 188 |
Most likely most of the boats you see hovering in place has a 24-36 v trolling motor .Had a minn auto pilot that was great just for holding me in place . Never had to put a anchor out with it.
Go Fishing,Good Luck!!!! Backlash2/Lenny
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Re: Fighting the wind
[Re: Backlash2]
#3018704
01/18/09 11:40 AM
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,228
5-20
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,228 |
Yep - a strong t/m, comfortable butt seat and knees that won't give out on you are what you need!!! Sometimes you just gotta be willing to take the pounding. Really, if it's a glass boat, you should be ok. If it's a tin boat - oh, I'd just get outta there and find a protected areas. Tin boats are just too light/catch too much wind and just too exhausting to try to control, unless you anchor... Actually... anchor... what's that?! 
Toads for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
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Re: Fighting the wind
[Re: 5-20]
#3018999
01/18/09 01:22 PM
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 28,103
Uncle Zeek
aka "Mom"
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aka "Mom"
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 28,103 |
I second the anchor chain. I've learned to keep two different lengths of chain at home for the boat: a 6' length for ordinary days and a 12' length for high wind days. Also have a chene anchor & it seems to be an improvement over my last one ... although I'm open to ideas for something that will set easier in strong winds.
"Decency is not news; it is buried in the obituaries --but it is a force stronger than crime" ~ Robert A. Heinlein Artim Law Firm, PLLC Estate planning & tax attorney AND 07/02 FFL 2250 Morriss Road, Suite 205, Flower Mound, Texas 75028 972-746-0758 mobile zac@artimlegal.com
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Re: Fighting the wind
[Re: Backlash2]
#3019469
01/18/09 04:20 PM
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,336
BigDad
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,336 |
Most likely most of the boats you see hovering in place has a 24-36 v trolling motor .Had a minn auto pilot that was great just for holding me in place . Never had to put a anchor out with it. x2 the minn kota with auto pilot. Takes most of the work out of holding in place the wind. Lot easier than dealing with an anchor unless the wind is really howling.
Joe
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Re: Fighting the wind
[Re: BigDad]
#3024395
01/19/09 10:44 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,725
Capt'n Wings
Extreme Angler
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Extreme Angler
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,725 |
You need a two fluke anchor (Chene, Danforth, Guardian etc,) at least 6 feet of chain and at least two times the depth on the anchor line. If this doesn't hold you then you shouldn't be out there. Fluke anchors are famous in freshwater for getting lost by hanging in brushpiles, stumps, logs etc. A good compromise is a rubber/plastic coated river anchor. They're the black ones with three stubby flukes and come in different weights. They can still hang up, but not as easily. They're pretty good for all type bottoms.
When setting up your ground tackle (anchor system) imagine that you're drifting toward a giant spillway with no p[ower and you REALLY need to stop. In that situation, what would you want to have? That's the one you want. :-)
Last edited by Capt'n Wings; 01/19/09 10:45 PM.
"Faith requires one to elevate the practice of not thinking to a virtue," Mark Twain
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