Anchoring A River Boat?

[Dumb to fishing]

I see alot of river boats with anchors hanging off the fronts of them. How do these things work? I understand that it is for drifting to help keep the boat straight and slow it down, but isn't it dangerous and what kind do you use?

[RiverRunner]

Do not anchor in swift water in any circumstances, especially on the White River. Most of the drownings that occur on the White are because of people throwing out an anchor during heavy generation periods. Usually, the anchor becomes jammed in something on the bottom and the boat is pulled under. The anchors that come with rental boats are for low water use (or for securing the boat to shore) only. If you need to slow your drift, you can drag a piece of 1/2" chain in front of the boat, but be sure that you are sitting down and have something to cut the rope with in case it catches.

In the last two weeks, six boats have been sunk in the Little Red River near here, all of them were caused by anchoring in swift water. Personally, I never anchor, even in dead low water.

[taxidermist]

Yep , you will see drift chains. I think they should be outlawed on the White, they are on Norfork. Just to dangerous and they destroy habitat. I too have seen a boat go down in seconds in high water when the chain hangs up. You dont need that, the person in front by the rope would have to panic proof and rehearse the move to cut the rope several times and have a knife handy.

Under high water the current can push even a strong swimmer to the bottom. It happened to me last summer and the shock of the cold water is another story.

Just say no to drift chains, you may live longer. I seldom anchor evenunder low water I like the boat to move, seem to catch more and larger fish.

John

[mosouthpaw]

The only way id anchor in a river is with a drift boat. They are designed to do so, and the system they use to anchor easily allows for emergency release.

Drift chains are as dangerous as anchors, and like tax said they arent good for the river.

[Dumb to fishing]

Guys that what i thought too! Two weeks ago we were out and it seemed like 8 out of every 10 boats them hanging off the front of it and we got to talking about it and it seems kinda a norm. I don't understand why people do it with it being so dangerous.

[Al Agnew]

Nope, I wouldn't do it on the White, either. On a normal Ozark river that isn't dam-controlled, you can get by with it if you are cautious. I use an anchor occasionally in the winter, but in the winter I'm fishing in slow water anyway. Anchoring in fast water, dragging a chain in fast water, or using either on a river that might come up 5 feet at any short period of time is a recipe for disaster.

[bclift65706]

I use concrete anchors I make they dont hang up to bad and if you cut the rope no big loss. in swift water and tie up high to a tree or something never had any problems like that. but I did learn the hard way about drifting with an anchor luckeley it happend in about 4 ft water on the osage fork and not in a big river . was a good learning experience but not a fun one.