Drift boat anchor questions ???

[JeannaJigs]

I was doing recon on a coastal creek and found a nice slot, make a few casts and am working my way upstream when I see a couple shady looking guys materialize. Then I noticed they had a camp adept up further upstream that I couldn't see initially because of brush. Decide to haul it back to my jeep and find four guys up there looking inside the windows, one visibly had a handgun. These were shady as hell looking guys, I didn't even know how to approach the situation when my dog that hardly even barks went into attack mode snarling, barking and snapping at these guys. They took off and I got the hell out of there. The dog got a two foot long bone when we got back to town.

It was the sketchiest most unnerving thing to ever happen to me while I was fishing alone and I won't make the mistake of getting into that kind of situation again. A couple native steelhead aren't worth it.

After discussing it, i believe they were probably pot farmers although it's the off season.

End hijack

 

[eugene1]

Dang, glad you had woman's best friend with you and that it turned out ok.

 

[JeannaJigs]

For sure. I was sketched out.

 

[luddite]

The boat is coming along nicely, used the decent weather yesterday to get the inside painted, reinstalled the seats before work this morning. What kind of anchor setup do you use if running a motor? A picture would be great. I own a 15hp Mercury that I want to add for fall salmon and crabbing. My existing setup consists of a 5/8" hole about centered in the transom with a 4" long aluminum bracket with a sheave in it. Dont like the idea of installing a large derek to get past the motor and I dont think the motor will get past the bracket. At this point I dont forsee using the motor on the river.

Thanks...

 

[Fish-On Fred]

I use a 44lb. chain anchor. The chain was cut in strips about a foot long and I made a elongated circle that was narrowed and a bolt was welded on and a sleeve it could fit through. I then added chain after chain until it looked like a gob of chain hangin' there. It works great on the Mckenzie and Willamette and will drag along and mold to whatever bottom I come across. If it doesn't hold you, you do not want to be there anyway. Now when I go Crabbin', I bring along a bell anchor and ball anchor. The bell is used if I go ashore. The ball anchor is tied to a Anchor Buddy, which I can dump off before I hit the beach. I then can line out my boat and use the bell anchor to secure it to the beach. This system works great as I enjoy sitting down in a portable chair looking out at my crab pots. Some of the newer boats have the anchor release to the side of the transom so you can run you motor and have your anchor setup all on the same transom. With my anchor release and chain, I remove it so I can mount my motor. I also have anchor that I use @ O'Dell Lake. I have a 300' rope and I use a float with a pulley assembly so that the anchor will pick up off the bottom of the lake when I motor away from it. No more sore backs from pulling up anchor there.

 

[luddite]

Here are some picts of the progress...









Ready for the water this weekend...

 

[Santiam338]

WOW!! That looks great..I bet you can't wait to launch that baby..

 

[rippin fish lips]

Nice looking drifter you go there! You are about to have a lot of fun, just make that fun safe!

 

[GDBrown]

Beautiful job on the boat, I'm very impressed. As for the anchor system, the best I've seen with that narrow of a transom is one that angles out from the corner and then runs up the side of the rail with pulleys. It gets it out of the way from the motor and does not seem to angle the boat too much when anchored in moving water. Sorry, but I have no photos since I saw it at a boat ramp as I was taking out and notice it on the water anchored earlier in the day.

 

[JeannaJigs]

Looks great.

I have a dierks side angled bracket on the back of mine, guy I bought the boat from bulked up the transom to support a motor and then swapped for the angled side bracket. I don't like it because I don't have a motor and it doesn't need to be there. When I pop the anchor and pull in up (still rolling ghetto, I have to pull it up behind me) it wants to spin the boat. This as you can imagine can create a hazard sometimes. it wouldn't be bad with a side release pulley system situated near the oar lock.

 

[luddite]

I don't like the corner idea either. I think I'll draw up a bracket which will move the engine aft about 6" that I can mount on the transom when I want to motor and have it fabbed up for me when ready. BTW found a guy on CL selling anchors for $1.00/lb in Eugene.

 

[GDBrown]

Looks great.

I have a dierks side angled bracket on the back of mine, ............. it wouldn't be bad with a side release pulley system situated near the oar lock.

So add a few pulleys and a quick clamp and pull facing forward! You can do it, just take a few bucks and some screws.

 

[JeannaJigs]

I wasn't sure if it would work with the thinger I have or if I was going to have to get a new bracket on the back because it has the rope jam thing on it and I wasn't sure if the line would stick in it while trying to use the pulleys? I wish I had a picture but I don't.