Hung up on yourself (Hali fishing)

[GDW]

So anchoring can be dangerous. I feel I'm experienced and I'm confident with it but every year I seem to learn of a new hazard. This year I learned its not that hard to catch your own anchor line when the tide changes.

Most often on a change my boat will swing around in an arc - perfect! Sometimes though it seems the current slacks right off and twice this year we've drifted back and got hung up on our own damn anchor. Does this happen to anyone else? What are the warning signs and how to you prevent it? Easy answer is if your drifting back and not swinging in a nice arc fire up the motor and move yourself away from the anchor assuming you know where abouts it is. Both times though i didn't really notice it was happening until it was too late.

1st time buddy reeled in the anchor rope and we got the gear free. That was a struggle.
2nd time no chance I was reeling it in so I pulled the anchor and got lucky the anchor puller knocked my gear free and I lost nothing except valuable fishing time.

Hoping I never experience this again it is a giant pain in the rear.

 

[scott craven]

Always keep an eye on your scotchman, it should stay tight lined to the boat.
If you lose sight of it, you're drifting onto your anchor.
I throw it in reverse periodically until the current picks up enough to hold you again.

 

[profisher]

I have done what you suggest...fire up the kicker at a slow reverse troll in the direction the boat wants to naturally swing to. I also watch my plotter which if zoomed right i should show the line where your anchor is. If my arrow is going right back up that line on the change I fire up the kicker. Most times the current and wind move you away and its not an issue.

 

[merrittboy1]

This year was my first attempt at anchoring. Loved it, but did hook my anchor line a few times. Have figured it out and find that I need to reverse to fix problem once in awhile. What other issues should a guy watch for? What do you find is a "too fast" current to anchor? Anchored one day, water was pretty good but could not keep line straight down. Looking forward to doing more next season. Bring up some interesting fish besides halibut.

 

[scott craven]

I would always check a drift speed first now before anchoring and would not attempt
in anything over 1.5 knots

 

[GDW]

It's ok if your lines are not straight down I prefer some current but you do need to be able to keep bottom contact.

Here is one MAJOR mistake I made last year that could have ended terribly. My bow to stern line I used to tie at the stern with a quick release knot and clip it to the bow hook. My anchor would clip onto that line and slide to the Bow when i set and back to the stern when i pulled. worked great a bunch of times but then this one time as the wind picked up my anchor line got clipped right into the bow to stern line from the waves. Now my anchor was locked to the bow. I've got no way to safely get up there to unhook it especially in water that was starting to get choppy.

I got REALLY lucky I was able to pull the anchor with the rope clipped to the bow. The rope and my prop did not meet which could have spelled disaster. Truth be told I didn't even know about the problem until after the pull I usually check that the rope slides back this time I didn't. Even if I had known nothing I could have really done about it. Lesson learned my bow to stern line is tied to the bow so the anchor rope can't attach to it AND always watch to make sure your anchor rope slides to the stern like its supposed to.

 

[ziggy]

Most challenging thing I've found is when the current pushes you one way and the wind the other, both of which are variable.

 

[casper5280]

It's ok if your lines are not straight down I prefer some current but you do need to be able to keep bottom contact.

Here is one MAJOR mistake I made last year that could have ended terribly. My bow to stern line I used to tie at the stern with a quick release knot and clip it to the bow hook. My anchor would clip onto that line and slide to the Bow when i set and back to the stern when i pulled. worked great a bunch of times but then this one time as the wind picked up my anchor line got clipped right into the bow to stern line from the waves. Now my anchor was locked to the bow. I've got no way to safely get up there to unhook it especially in water that was starting to get choppy.

I got REALLY lucky I was able to pull the anchor with the rope clipped to the bow. The rope and my prop did not meet which could have spelled disaster. Truth be told I didn't even know about the problem until after the pull I usually check that the rope slides back this time I didn't. Even if I had known nothing I could have really done about it. Lesson learned my bow to stern line is tied to the bow so the anchor rope can't attach to it AND always watch to make sure your anchor rope slides to the stern like its supposed to.

Change your carabiner to a locking one so that never happens. The ones that have the barrel screw tight, type.

 

[bigbruce]

This is a very interesting thread. I haven't anchored for Halibut, yet - but am wondering whether anyone knows of any "tutorials" that would show how it's done, what gear is required etc. It seems pretty clear that the process isn't as simple as dropping an anchor and starting to fish.

 

[casper5280]

Most challenging thing I've found is when the current pushes you one way and the wind the other, both of which are variable.

This is the problem I have with being high with the flybridge. Just have to keep a eye on things.

 

[profisher]

Bigbruce...there is a good chance of a day long fishing seminar this spring and this subject will be on the lineup again. I will start looking into getting this organized once I'm done with fishing this fall.

 

[bigbruce]

Bigbruce...there is a good chance of a day long fishing seminar this spring and this subject will be on the lineup again. I will start looking into getting this organized once I'm done with fishing this fall.

That would be great. I spent 30 years behind a desk and most of the past 5 years building and landscaping our retirement home. When we moved to the Island 6 years ago, I bought a boat but have had precious little time to use it. Now that I have the time, I'm a bit short on the techniques that would turn a day of "fishing" into a day of "catching".

 

[rovingfisherman]

Well I didn't get hung up on myself but yesterday I had the pleasure of watching two guys in a DE in Haro Strait pull up and anchor about 25yrds off my port side up current of me. After about 30 minutes they were both hooked up, not to fish as it turned out. They snapped everything off then pulled anchor and motored far far away. When I went to pull my anchor and of course the current is running now, I only got about 150' from my buoy and it starts dragging, I knew I had gear in my rode so I did a quick 180 motored fast to my buoy to beat the current while there was still some slack in the rode, found the first set of gear, weight, spreader bar and leader. Dropped the rode. back in the water, turned and pulled the anchor, two more sets of gear in my chain, weights, bars and leaders. Could have been a bad situation for us, safety wise and the potential loss of my anchor system. Should have got a picture of the boat. If you recognize this gear...you're a pr*ck. Next time keep your distance, it's cheaper and safer for everyone.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[casper5280]

What's that $50-$70 worth of gear. Thanks for shopping on my anchor line. Some people just don't get it. Glad everything worked out for you

 

[SpringVelocity]

Change your carabiner to a locking one so that never happens. The ones that have the barrel screw tight, type.

Agree get locking caribiner

 

[fshnfnatic]

Nice score,but your right.Could've been bad if it blew up quick and you had to get out of there ASAP.Even if someone
recognizes the gear,I bet they don't have the nerve to claim it.Frickin' JERKS!