Halibut anchoring ????

Jencourt

Jencourt

Well-Known Member
Been using typical Scotchman, bow to stern set up for about 4 years now. One thing that has always been on my mind is , how far from boat do you want Scotchman. I have been running on a ring so it is loose and at times has been pretty far away and could allow for an idiot to pass between. I run a second small float on a 50 foot line between boat and big float. Depending on depth and scope my distance from main float changes. at times as tide shifts I have gotten right up to it. Others it gets way out there.

Was thinking of going to an easy lift system . Am I missing a step or is this normal and do I need to just pull in some rode as If it gets to far away from me.

Thanks: Ray
 
I use a 50' section with a small float at 25'. Same bow to stern sliding line. Both ends of 50' have a stainless "clip" for releasing. Definitely would not want to be 100' or more away from anchor buoy. Had a couple hang up their downriggers on my rode and didnt understand that they needed to back off to release it. As they pulled my boat closer they got the idea.. Just some retired Albertans checking out what we were doing while i honked and yelled at them to stay away.. Could have passed behind my boat while trolling.. They were clueless as to what was going on.. I took it easy on them once they backed off the rode while our boats were less than 70' apart.
 
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The ring that is on your rode needs to be attached to a quick link. If it is loose and sliding up and down, it defeats the purpose of take up the strain of the downward pull when current is really moving. 50' of floating line with a few bullet floats is common. One end has quick link which attaches to your rode, other has clip to attach to bow/stern line.
 
I use a second ring that is inside the shackle at the end of the main line. The spare ring is the same size as the first and prevents the Scotsman from getting any closer to the boat. When the current is changing I will put the kicker in dead slow reverse and steer the boat away from the Scotsman and anchor line to prevent getting fishing lines tangled into the anchor gear. Once the current is pulling enough to keep me downstream again I shut the kicker down.
 
Good one profisher.. I will swing mine around with the big motor , with lines up just to be safe.. Start fishn again.. 10 min manouver saves slot of stress.
 
Thanks for the feedback. I see how the second ring will keep the float from sliding up the rope closer to the boat. I normally use my main to kick the boat back and get it hanging straight on the slack.So is it safe to say that 50 feet is a good distance to be from my Scotchman?
 
I have used fifty feet for ever.. Doesnt over pull even in a swell.. Put a couple bullet floats at 25'. Helps with retrieval if you ever hafta "quick release".
 
Second ring like Rollie uses also allows you to let go of your anchor in an emergency and everything stays put at the Scotsman. Couple of weeks back the current was so weak the breeze was blowing us back on the Scotsman, so down went the kicker and we used it to keep ourselves off the anchor idling in reverse.
 
ok, I might be opening up a whole can of worms here. . .I have been trying to figure out this halibut anchor system from reading but I am completely confused. Could someone describe the set up? Also what is the advantage of it--it seems like a lot of rigging and floats when you could just drop an anchor.
 
mjd said:
ok, I might be opening up a whole can of worms here. . .I have been trying to figure out this halibut anchor system from reading but I am completely confused. Could someone describe the set up? Also what is the advantage of it--it seems like a lot of rigging and floats when you could just drop an anchor.
Click to expand...

You could just drop one. But this is more about retrieving it. You would probably not enjoy (I don't) anchoring for hali if you were hand pulling your anchor, chain and 500 feet of line. The rings and or pullers let you use your boat to pull it from the bottom. My boat's 17 feet and has no anchor windlas or winch.
 
mjd.. have you ever heard of hard anchoring? eg. direct line from your bow to the bottom. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE DANGERS IN THIS? think through that... the system allows for degrees of safety by the boat pulling on the scotchman and not directly being attached to the bottom. alot like a simple mooring. another eg. you are hard anchored 3 miles offshore and the tide changes, swings your boat so the bow is now into a much larger swell and your bow is now being pulled under water. DOES THIS HELP you understand?

mjd have you ever walked up the side of your boat, reached the bow and in a wind/tide swell been able to unhook your boat in 250' of water and hand pull your anchor that is hooked on mud and rocks? i know i have not. ever.
this system is simple and somewhat safe to use when shown how or practised in safer conditions. i practiced in burrard inlet in 60' of water to understand it and be more comfortable. i have a line tied from my bow eye to my midship cleat with a stainless clip for quick release, if it is pulled too tight i can cut this line and safely float away from my anchor, only to retrieve it later... no can of worms opened, but hopefully a can of safety.

dint mean for this reply to harsh in any way, sorry if it was, but first thing that comes to mind when boating behaviours is safety and common sense. any questions?
 
The advantage is that you can disconnect quickly and return later to retrieve it, in case there is a freighter coming down on you, current threatening to swamp your boat, a buddy sticks a fillet knife into his eyeball or your kids are waiting to be picked up from school. Simply anchoring means possibly having to cut your line and lose the gear in case of emergency. Also, not everyone has a windlass or has the muscles to retrieve an anchor from 200 feet.

My simple system consists of (in order): anchor, chain, rode (approximately400ft if you want to anchor in 200ft of water, give or take), 4" ring, approximately 50' more rode (with bullet floats), and a caribiner. The caribiner is connected to a line that is tied tight from bow to stern of the boat. The 400ft rode runs through another 4" ring that is connected with a couple meters of rope to a Scotsman so the the chain and rode can slide through from the anchor to the 4" ring. The ring at the end of the 400ft rode acts as a stopper for the ring connected to the Scotsman so that the short Scotsman rope doesn't slide onto the shorter 50ft piece of rode (this keeps the Scotsman away from the boat and acts as a shock absorption system for when your boat is moving in the swells).

So, when anchored, the caribiner should be sitting along the bow/stern line at the bow of the boat, with the Scotsman about 50ft in front of you. When you are ready to leave you motor ahead past the Scotsman and the caribiner will slide to your stern. As you motor ahead past the Scotsman you will pull the 400ft of rode through 4'' ring tied to the Scotsman (the buoy acts as resistance, bringing up the anchor). Once the chain passes through the ring to the anchor the buoy will usually buck up and down, then you stop and spool the line into your bucket, starting with the caribiner (usually clipped to the handle of the bucket so you can find it easy next time), then the 50ft rode with bullet floats, then the ring, 400ft rode, chain, and anchor and Scotsman.

If you need to bugger off for some reason simply unhook the caribiner. The system effectively becomes just a mooring buoy.

There are diagrams out there, and they'd save 1000 words...

Did you read this thread? http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum/showthread.php?15982-Zip-Ties-to-Anchor-when-Hali-Fishing
 
Since everybody is asking questions I have one as well. My rode is made of three sections for anchoring in different depths.alot of time the knots get hung up on my ring, what size of ring is everybody using?is there a knot that passes through the ring easier?thanks
 
I second Fishtank's question. I've thought about connecting lengths of rope but assumed they'd need a nice eye spliced into them and a locking caribiner to connect them, but I'm too lazy to learn how to splice rope.

Sometimes I like to blame getting skunked on the anchoring system. I find when anchored shallow that the wind will sometimes cause a lot of swing side to side and I assume this makes it more difficult for the hali to find their way up the scent trail to the boat...

Edit: Thanks Bent Tip.
 
Ok thanks u think a knot would pass through a ring easier than a quick link maybe cause your using a six inch ring
 
i have a 600' rope. when i set i tie a figure eight loop at the appropriate length. this loop is connected to the beaner at the scotchmen, and the rest stays in my rope box. 50' line to the scotchmen is the line under load.. it does mean two ropes running out, but no splices. the big figure eight loop has never been too tight to loosen. not perfect , but it works
 
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