How Do I Select a Boat Anchor for Walleye Fishing?

walleye image by Elena Vdovina from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>

Walleye like cold, deep and dark waters. These fish get their name from the cataract-like film covering their eyes, hence "walleye." Due to their proclivity to deep, cold dark water, it's often necessary to use a boat to get to the prime walleye fishing areas on your lake.

Once at your fishing area, you need a way to stay static, necessitating the need for an anchor. Picking out the proper anchor for your boat and for walleye fishing depends on recommendations from your boat manufacturer, what the bottom of the lake is like where you fish, and how much space you have on your boat.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Boat manufacturer specifications and recommendations

Step 1

Look at the boat's specifications, whether in the owner's guide or along the side of the boat near the steering wheel or transom. Find out the maximum weights and passengers rated for your boat. Some boat makers include anchor recommendations notated in weight. Make sure to select an anchor with a weight that meets the maker's specifications.

Step 2

Determine what the topography, vegetation and soils are like at the bottom of the lake where you fish. Figure out if the bottom is hard pack, muddy or if there are submerged logs and dead trees with branches.

Step 3

Choose a Danforth-style anchor (two sharp pivoting flukes off a long shank) if the primary water bottom material is mud or soft sediment. Danforth Anchors dig into muddy conditions and are easily retractable. Sandy bottoms are also conducive to the Danforth Anchor.

Step 4

Select a plough anchor for lake bottoms that are rocky, gravel based or have thick vegetation. The plough anchor is shaped like a ploughshare, grappling into these conditions with a relatively easy retractability.

Step 5

Select a claw-style anchor should your lake's bottom have a combination of gravel, mud or vegetation. Opinions vary as to whether a plough-style or claw-style anchor is better for grass and vegetation, but the claw-style anchor offers a form of "hybrid," toeing the line between the Danforth and plough anchors.

Article Written By Eric Cedric

A former Alaskan of 20 years, Eric Cedric now resides in California. He's published in "Outside" and "Backpacker" and has written a book on life in small-town Alaska, "North by Southeast." Cedric was a professional mountain guide and backcountry expedition leader for 18 years. He worked in Russia, Iceland, Greece, Turkey and Belize. Cedric attended Syracuse University and is a private pilot.

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