sea anchors

[fisho]

Just bought myself a para anchor - heard they're the go on the drift - anyone use these regularly?

[damons33]

yeah they are good at slowing you down in a moderate wind drift,but if you can hold bottom for a reasonable time without it i wouldn't bother to deploy the drogue as it gets in the way and is a pain to pull in,as most of the drifts i do are only over a small bottom feature it is a hassle time wise in and out all the time,but it can make the difference between getting to the bottom or not,also a great safety devise in the event of engine failure in rough seas,keeping your nose into the swell(have a look at the book"roughwater power boating").surely money well spent!

[Heath]

We have one & used it on the weekend for the first time in ages. slowed us down pretty good, and enough to get our baits to the bottom.

[littlejim]

got mine some time ago. Great for extending the flathead sessions when the wind comes up. I use a fairly long rope from a stern bollard, so there aren't any problems with it getting in the way of the line.

made by alby mccracken in Sale vic. he lost a finger while testing the protoypes. Asked him to make sure there were no fingers in my one, but didn't get a discount.

reckon every bottom basher should own one.

[clutter]

Fisho,
Use them all the time at Deep Tempest, only way to keep the line anywhere near the bottom at times. One tip though, have a float attached to the chute, this will help with retrieveal after someone has forgotten to tie off the line or you forget to bring it in and go powering off wondering why the boat is so sluggish only to then hear a bang and suddenly pick up a heap of speed.
Sound familiar anyone. Cheers, Clutter

[Ron_Collins]

Hi All

I've owned a para anchor for years now and swear by them when there is wind and/or current.

Tied to the stern, which is what we do when fishing as opposed to the bow in a safety situation in rough seas, they can cause a bit of slop to come in over the stern in really rugged conditions.

They are a piece of cake to retrieve - provided you have a "trip" line tied to the para anchor. That way you release all of the water before you start pulling it in.

They can be a pain in the butt for the third or fourth person when three or four are fishing over the stern and the boat won't hang the right way, but on balance they sure keep you over the fish zone for much longer.

I believe the recommended retail is about $144.00. Ron Collins, Ed.