Because of the box anchor thread and a couple of comments there it got me thinking. I know nothing about how to use an anchor correctly. "30' of water but had 90' of rope out because it was extra windy" Can someone explain how I should be trying to set up my anchor based on different conditions? Is there anything different you should be doing with a box anchor vs. fork or river anchor?

Thanks

I anchor totally backwards, so I may not be the most politically correct anchor teacher.

A few thoughts:

Longer the rope, less stress on the anchor, easier to hold in bigger waves / more current.

Anchoring on a uphill slope makes it much easier for the anchor to hold, opposite on a downhill slope.

box vs. danforths are the same. Just a prefernce.

Two anchors is better than one if you are using multiple rods casting out fishing on the bottom. You don't want your boat moving hardly at all. (swaying.)

I have 200ft of rope on both of my anchors.

Attach 6ft of medium heavy chain to each anchor, helps it dig into the soil.

Personally, I reverse anchor (back of the boat into the waves) Not recommended, but I like the way my boat rides the waves anchored like this vs. the other way.

Salsa I do the same on the anchoring because the wave motion doesnt affect ( doesnt make boat dance up and down) it as much as when you are nose in into the waves.

I only do so If the wind to two bad.

I can't anchor from the back into the waves, if I did you could come and get me cause my boat would be on the bottom of the lake,

I like to use 2 box anchors out of the front of the boat it is pretty stable and don't sway near as much as one out the front and one out of the back.

First you kind of visualize where you want your boat to end up, the anchors and the boat will make kind of a Y when you are set, first I throw out the left anchor then reverse the motor and back sideways to the waves and try to stay about even to your first anchor, let out about a hundred ft of rope, now drop the right anchor and move the boat into the bottom section of the Y, now it depends how rough the water is as to how much rope you have to let out, Saturday we were on Ray Bob with 25 - 30 mph wind and we had about a hundred feet of rope out on both anchors, and it held us pretty good, if the wind isn't blowing very much you can almost tighten your ropes up compleatly

one way we have found to stop swinging when anchored is to put two anchors out the front. 45 degrees out from each side. takes some practice and is easier if you throw a marker where you want to end up at.
also 150 ft of rope on each anchor is about minimum, probably 200 ft if fishing deep water.

NOT like this:

Larry, when you use two anchors off the front, is each anchor tied to their respected side of the boat? I've never used a marker but I have thought of it. Would beat trying to anchor up multiple times.

I have a cleat about 2'0 from the front of the boat on each side, I tie off to them, Tom is talking about the same thing, we must of been typing at the same time!!!

I thought so.

What type of rope do you use?

Cotton, it's easy on the hands

Excellent question---

Thanks guys. That is a lot of good info right there. I like the marker idea, especially now while I am trying to learn where I need to be when putting the anchors out.

DDr225 great pic that helped a lot.

I was looking at danforth anchors and looks like any other fork type anchor. I am sure there is some design difference I am not noticing. A 14lber $40 roughly, 16lber $80. Wow what a jump in price. It better hold good.