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crowser
21-10-2007, 01:15 PM
Just decided to start a bit of reef fishing, I have heard of some stories about boats gettin tipped and stuff because the anchor was snagged, just wondering what type of anchor should be used when fishing rock or coral reef.

cheers

fishingnottaken
21-10-2007, 01:38 PM
the only name i know them by is a reef anchor, they're a pronged anchor almost like a big blunt treble, but more points, as for the whole boats being tipped etc, all you can do is try and keep your wits about you and make sure you have enough rope out so the boat can move with a large wave if it comes through.

polky
21-10-2007, 03:44 PM
Most boats that capsize have tied the anchour wrong, DO NOT tie rope on side or back of boat. Go through the roller on the bow spirt and tie on cross bollard on bowspirt, also let a good length of rope out if Iam in 3trs of water I willave 60mtrs of rope out. Polky

polky
21-10-2007, 03:45 PM
Sorry 30mtrs of water 60mtrs of rope. Polky.

Dean1
21-10-2007, 05:35 PM
Ive used reef picks on reefs for years and never really happy with there performance. They let go and get sick of rebending the prongs. My new boat has a SARCA anchor and im amazed at how good they hook up and how easy they are to retrieve. They arent cheap but well worth the money in my opinion. Let out a fair wack of rope( dont have the rope heading near straight down or it will pull off the bottom with a decent swell. Just motor a bit further over your spot to allow for the rope and never pull from the rear of the boat. Youll need a float to retrieve as well, dont skulldrag it up youll get sick of that pretty quick. Heres a pic of a SARCA

revs57
21-10-2007, 06:02 PM
Yeah Go the SARCA, Crowser, I've used one exclusively for the past couple of years, pulls up reliably, always been able to get it back even on the couple of occasions its been in pretty tight.

On those occassions, I let out nearly all the rope and position the boat for maximum tension on the rope, a couple of circles at full stretch to the port, then a circle to the starboard at full stretch usually pops whatever it is that has it in and up she comes.

As has been said, I never tie the rope off the rear cleat, can pull the side of the boat under if really stuck. Always pull through the bow sprit.

Cheers

Rhys

Dean1
21-10-2007, 06:12 PM
Rhys i cant believe how easy these anchors pull up! I dont even feel it pop off the bottom, the float just comes straight up ;D But i dont want to speak too soon, ill follow ur advice just given, sorta confused with the circles bit but :-/

fish-n-dive
21-10-2007, 06:48 PM
From the 'dive' end of 'fish-n-dive' I can tell you all that there are heaps of people that use sand anchors on reefs..............and loose them. It is very common for me to find and subsequently bring up an anchor or two from many reefs that I've dived on. The moral is sand anchors don't work well on reefs (or really rocky bottoms).

I have never used a SARCA anchor so cant comment there but a correctly laid reef anchor has always worked for me just fine................8-)

death_ship
21-10-2007, 07:42 PM
mooloolaba picks work really well for reef only.

finding_time
21-10-2007, 08:25 PM
I have used a triped plough ( chain attached to a loop at the plough end and tied to the arm end with 3 wraps of 300lb mono) for the last 4 years! I use it of the sunny coast and at the reef. I've still got the the original anchor i always get it back! This set up allows me to anchor VERY accurately, no waiting while the reef anchor drags onto a snag leaving me along way from my mark and the show! IMHO a reef anchor is a liability when trying to anchor accurately on the fish!

I haven't tried a sarca, i'm not that rich!!!;D But it's the same principal!;)

Ian

revs57
21-10-2007, 08:32 PM
Yes Dean, they certainly come up quite easily, I guess as the shackle slides back to the head in a drive over it just pops the tip out.

With the circles recovery strategy on the few occasions its grabbed hard and wouldn't pull up from a direct drive over at the anchored length, I let out another 30-50 metres. This does 2 things. 1 - it changes the angle of the pull 2- it kind of turns the rope into a snatch strap (not that you drive off at a million kts - to the contrary) It enables more stretch in the rope to build more energy in the rope to help with the "pop".

so now I drive the boat at an easy pace and well off the plane...somewhere around 6-8kt, to the outer most extremity of the radius of the anchor rope to the. I keep the Bow just pointed away from the centre, so there is pressure and not just run around the radius and then head in a clockwise direction, and keeping the pressure on, keep the power on with the pressure on as you do a couple of circles, then, turn the boat around and do the same thing in an anti-clockwise with the pressure still on, I've always got it back. You can feel it pop and the float does the rest to bring it back to the surface

Hope that helps

Cheers

Rhys

Dean1
21-10-2007, 09:02 PM
I have used a triped plough ( chain attached to a loop at the plough end and tied to the arm end with 3 wraps of 300lb mono) for the last 4 years! I use it of the sunny coast and at the reef. I've still got the the original anchor i always get it back! This set up allows me to anchor VERY accurately, no waiting while the reef anchor drags onto a snag leaving me along way from my mark and the show! IMHO a reef anchor is a liability when trying to anchor accurately on the fish!

I haven't tried a sarca, i'm not that rich!!!;D But it's the same principal!;)

Ian Ive got a plough in the shed Ian for if i ever lose this sarca ;D

whiteman
22-10-2007, 02:39 PM
Reef anchor .... $10. Carry a spare. Retrieve with an "anka yanka" setup. Cheap as and works every time for me.

hunge
23-10-2007, 08:04 PM
i just use a sand anchor setup with a trip on it have never got it stuck and it always hooks up fine

vertico
24-10-2007, 03:56 PM
lost a sarca anchor @ muphys reef if anyone finds it let me know :P
i was very well hooked up and tried retrieving with a float like usual and it snapped the rope somewhere....

ozbee
25-10-2007, 01:55 PM
is it reef or is it shoals many seem to think its the same horses for courses, they all work good in the right enviroment