Halibut anchoring etc

OnTick said:
Chasin. I won't comment on safety as I have limited experience in anchoring.

I will say, I can see you have put thought into the situation and have taken it all into account. The guys here seem to mean well, but don't poke their ego by questioning them. It's a weird thing with Fisherman round here as I'm sure you know.

Just do it
Click to expand...
Well said OnTick. And appreciate the comment.
 
I don't think it's a weird thing with fisherman. I think the guys see holes in his plan and are trying to convey that message . Just because you are older and have been fishing the coast for 30 years blah blah blah doesn't mean you are making the right decision here.
 
Anchoring for Halis is no joke.
You need a large Scotsman buffering the swell, a bulletproof system for pulling your anchor, and a way to very quickly release from the anchor in an emergency.
Assume you will be setting and pulling the hook in nasty weather.
You do not want to be up on the bow doing it.
Where I anchor you would be f#$%ing crazy to use a windlass and you definitely wont see anyone doing it.
 
I know I will get piled on for this but, in my opinion (and that all it is) why bother. For all the extra expense and safety concerns, why not just drift. Especially if you don't know the area you are fishing like the back of your hand. I like to drift fish and it is a great way to prospect new productive locations. I guess if your talking about an area you've fished all your life and there's no new spots to learn I guess I can see it. Even then, I just don't like the safety issues involved in anchoring. In my mind it is one of the most dangerous things you can do in open water. At least if a massive wave comes out of nowhere I can maneuver my boat if I'm not on the pick. All my experiences with anchoring have just left me with the gut feeling that for safeties sake I'd rather not. The size of the boat also has a big bearing on anchoring safely.

All I'm saying is that drifting is plenty productive, and can be done through more of a tide range than anchoring up. Please lets not start a big battle over this, as I said this is just my own personal opinion. Me personally, I'd much rather just drift. I just thought I'd give the OP an alternate viewpoint is all, not start a big argument .
 
Well said TheBigGuy. I totally agree. The only time I will be anchoring for bottom fish is something to do after limits of salmon have been caught or in between picking up crab and prawn traps. And when I do anchor it will NEVER be in questionable water/weather conditions period. Not my cup of tea operating like that at all. And only if we don't feel like drifting or trolling for them. More like something to do while we have lunch and chill a bit from moving for something different to do.

The thing that hasn't been mentioned too much here yet is how many accidents have happened on the water with the exact anchoring systems these guys are using. I know this for fact by PM's, phone calls from fishermen, family friends commercial fishermen, and an outfitter store that specializes in rigging anchoring systems.
Saying that though, like I also mentioned earlier is that no matter what the system is there will always be guys that take too many chances and don't play as safe as they should which puts people's safety at jeopardy. And I know there are guys using that system who have done very well with it and have not had any bad issues with the system also.

No matter what some of these guys say here, there is absolutely safe ways to pull with windlass. If you are fishing in questionable conditions unclip from your anchor line and retrieve it later; which is common sense to safe fishermen.

Like others guys have said lot's of guys out there use much, much more powerful windless' to pull their anchors, equipment, fishing gear etc off the sea floor. A lot of them are powerful enough to pull massive boats down. It's been done for decades and will continue to be done. It's a mainstay in the industry and people that do it, learn to do it right. ANYTHING on the water can be done right, or wrong, safe, or unsafe.
 
TheBigGuy said:
I know I will get piled on for this but, in my opinion (and that all it is) why bother. For all the extra expense and safety concerns, why not just drift. Especially if you don't know the area you are fishing like the back of your hand. I like to drift fish and it is a great way to prospect new productive locations. I guess if your talking about an area you've fished all your life and there's no new spots to learn I guess I can see it. Even then, I just don't like the safety issues involved in anchoring. In my mind it is one of the most dangerous things you can do in open water. At least if a massive wave comes out of nowhere I can maneuver my boat if I'm not on the pick. All my experiences with anchoring have just left me with the gut feeling that for safeties sake I'd rather not. The size of the boat also has a big bearing on anchoring safely.

All I'm saying is that drifting is plenty productive, and can be done through more of a tide range than anchoring up. Please lets not start a big battle over this, as I said this is just my own personal opinion. Me personally, I'd much rather just drift. I just thought I'd give the OP an alternate viewpoint is all, not start a big argument .
Click to expand...


If you are more comfortable drifting then defiantly drift.

I take anchoring up on a day to day scenario. Some days I just wont, Some days it looks pretty rough and it works out great with the nose of the boat into the chop and swell keeping me out of the wind. Other days its choppy and breezy and I anchor up an the boat sits sideways in a chop going one way and a small period swell going the other and its uncomfortable. Maybe I can put the kicker in reverse to put the stern down wind, maybe I just pull the pin and try another day. Somedays its immaculate out and I set up and the boat doesn't ride great but its nice out and were fishing. Some days its nice out and the boat rides perfectly.

My experience here of the west coast is you can never tell how the boat will set up in conditions. Try it if its reasonable out but dont ever expect it to be fishable. Ive had days where the boat just swirls above the anchor and there is nothing you can do about it.

The areas where I fish if you want quality then anchor up but never have an expectation.

Even boats ride differently. My boat just wants to drift sideways so it sucks in wind and chop.

The nice thing about working with the ring and float recovery system is that i never recover the anchor with the same amount of line out as the depth of the water your in. Every time I recover my anchor I am doing so with 500 feet of line out so if there is an issue with the anchor caught on the bottom there is no chance the a large swell can take the boat down or over. Once the achor is to the float it isn't touching the bottom again so it is safe to retrieve.

I don't understand why guys insist on using sinking braid for this. I have a problem with dragging/draping line all over the bottom. then when the achor is at the float(for recovery) all that line is sinking. It must be a rash to recover and have a risk of catching on the bottom during recover. I triple the amount of required chain and use floating 3 strand polypropylene. Its stretchy and strong. So strong infect that I use 1/2 inch for the first 200 feet and then splice in 5/16 for 600 feet. This is on a 24 foot aluminum.
 
Great post Birdsnest thank you for the info! I wonder if the one way pulley (can't remember what it's called it was on the Murphy video I posted earlier) under the scotchman would help with that, ie the line dropping back down after lifting it off the bottom instead of the use of the standard ring with the scotchman. As you pull the rode/anchor come up but if it slacks I believe the one way pulley shouldn't allow it to drop back down. Not sure how well they work but the theory sounds good.
I'm still gonna be using the scotchman on the anchor rode while lifting with the windlass to help take the weight off the bow. Not sure yet if I'm gonna use a ring with it or the pulley. Pretty sure I saw that they are one way pulley's which should help with that.

Sounds like you've got a great system that works very well for you and your boat. That's the key. All our rigs aren't the same and we adapt and create safe, well working systems. Gathering helpful info from where ever it comes from then adapting things to make the best of it. As long as it's safe for you and works well then right on.

I 100% agree with you on the long rode scope. I have a lot of room for as much rode as I want in my cuddy under my windlass so I will always use a high ratio scope. Always have when anchoring for leisure too. Like you said that is also key in not putting pressure on the bow when using the scotchman as a pressure/weight releaver.

I've got some other ideas too for improving the anchor itself that my commercial buddy thought is a great idea. I'll put pics up after it's welded and set to go. I'm not a fan of having any chain on the bottom myself. And it's scientifically proven once your scope goes over a certain line to angle ratio there is zero effect/usefulness of a chain. The pull eventually will go to 100% verticle pull on the sea floor until you start to lift from your Scotchman pressure point, even with plain old rode as long as your anchor has sufficient weight too.
 
CD
The ring and Scotsman system needs chain to work, because you pull the rode then the chain through the ring, then, when the flukes hit the ring, the weight of the chain falling on the other side of the ring is more than that of the anchor, and it keeps the anchor trapped at the ring.
I used the anchor puller thing you mentioned first before, but I find the ring to be a more simple concept, nothing to get jammed, no problem dealing with spliced rodes, less to go wrong. I'm much happier with a ring and chain.
 
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I can tell you one thing I dont know if this guy is doubting all of this to spite us ?? sure seems like it ive read and re read what you have written and boat windless is good for short lil pulls not 600 ft of rode and chain and anchor. it may burn out ...its just a glorified starter motor.
You say your not going to anchor in questionable stuff well from doing this a long time sometimes the bad weather comes in and comes fast to fast for you to realize.

im not even going to comment on the benefits to catching as thats for another thread ,

Im telling you your asking for trouble!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the ring system locks the anchor into place its the easiest and safest ive used them all. its got nothing to do with boat or size of boat it can be used on any boat only thing thats different is amount of chain and weight of anchor . go out with someone who is experienced and done it a few hundred times you MAY learn something...

The main reason WHY I do that special every year is so people understand the how, what, where, of anchoring as a system is expensive and last thing i want to see id someone lose an investment or worse their boat....
 
x2 what Wolf says. I have had 2 experiences over the years that taught me to take safety seriously and to respect the unpredictability of the ocean when anchoring for halibut. Twice I had to unexpectedly and quickly disconnect from the anchor. Once when I had to disconnect from the scotchman as the current unexpectedly sucked it under water for 2.5 hours. The other time when the wind changed direction so fast, I barely had time to cut the bow to stern safety line before my boat got swamped. That was some scary ****!

I been fishing and boating all my life and know how check the weather and tides/currents, but things can change unexpectedly out there and FAST! Safety when anchoring in deep, unprotected water has to be priority one - not experimenting with new/interesting ways of anchoring for halibut. I would recommend the setup that has proven to work well for these waters (and saved my boat/me, as it has for other guys) as Wolf and many others have described here. Using a windlass for the points Wolf makes above is not very safe, or smart IMO.
 
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eriks said:
CD
The ring and Scotsman system needs chain to work, because you pull the rode then the chain through the ring, then, when the flukes hit the ring, the weight of the chain falling on the other side of the ring is more than that of the anchor, and it keeps the anchor trapped at the ring.
I used the anchor puller thing you mentioned first before, but I find the ring to be a more simple concept, nothing to get jammed, no problem dealing with spliced rodes, less to go wrong. I'm much happier with a ring and chain.
Click to expand...
Thank you Eriks
 
scott craven said:
From reading this thread it appears C.D. has already made up his mind what he is doing, just looking for approval
which he apparently hasn't gotten.
No point in beating a dead horse, let the man do what he wants and hope that it all works out.
Click to expand...
Thanks Scott, yes I have and you're right, absolutely no point in beating a dead horse I agree. Has been a good thread. Thanks for all the info and comments guys.
 
Actually its been quite a silly thread.
You may get away with this fishing calm inside waters like telegraph cove but if you go out to the real ocean you will sink your boat.
Please let us know how this works out for you after you have anchored a few times off the west coast.
If we don't hear from you I'm sure we will read about it.
 
Birdsnest said:
If you are more comfortable drifting then defiantly drift.

I take anchoring up on a day to day scenario. Some days I just wont, Some days it looks pretty rough and it works out great with the nose of the boat into the chop and swell keeping me out of the wind. Other days its choppy and breezy and I anchor up an the boat sits sideways in a chop going one way and a small period swell going the other and its uncomfortable. Maybe I can put the kicker in reverse to put the stern down wind, maybe I just pull the pin and try another day. Somedays its immaculate out and I set up and the boat doesn't ride great but its nice out and were fishing. Some days its nice out and the boat rides perfectly.

My experience here of the west coast is you can never tell how the boat will set up in conditions. Try it if its reasonable out but dont ever expect it to be fishable. Ive had days where the boat just swirls above the anchor and there is nothing you can do about it.

The areas where I fish if you want quality then anchor up but never have an expectation.

Even boats ride differently. My boat just wants to drift sideways so it sucks in wind and chop.

The nice thing about working with the ring and float recovery system is that i never recover the anchor with the same amount of line out as the depth of the water your in. Every time I recover my anchor I am doing so with 500 feet of line out so if there is an issue with the anchor caught on the bottom there is no chance the a large swell can take the boat down or over. Once the achor is to the float it isn't touching the bottom again so it is safe to retrieve.

I don't understand why guys insist on using sinking braid for this. I have a problem with dragging/draping line all over the bottom. then when the achor is at the float(for recovery) all that line is sinking. It must be a rash to recover and have a risk of catching on the bottom during recover. I triple the amount of required chain and use floating 3 strand polypropylene. Its stretchy and strong. So strong infect that I use 1/2 inch for the first 200 feet and then splice in 5/16 for 600 feet. This is on a 24 foot aluminum.
Click to expand...

spot on
with all due respect to Mr Murphy , i tried the one way pully gadget as in his video,
deep sixed it in short order , 4 in ss retrieval ring is all you need , works flawlessly everytime .
( thanks Osama )
biggest tip i can give , make sure your deck hand doesnt throw the anchor over the side
before its tied off !!
umm yup ....it really did.....

fd
 
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Samnjoe said:
Actually its been quite a silly thread.
You may get away with this fishing calm inside waters like telegraph cove but if you go out to the real ocean you will sink your boat.
Please let us know how this works out for you after you have anchored a few times off the west coast.
If we don't hear from you I'm sure we will read about it.
Click to expand...


I anchor offshore all summer long along with a fair handful of others. Its true, If you don't understand it don't do it. If your tempted to try and you don't understand it then it is a great idea to associate it with death.
 
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