Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

This toon will only be on the lake, being a 25 footer and not really being easy to tie an anchor to the rear how is the best way to anchor this thing so it will stay put. most of the lake is a solid mud bottom and deep in some parts. 2 small anchors or mabey one big anchor?

Now that is the $64 question.

I was assured that my large digger anchor would have no problems holding my 24' boat...well, just about anywhere.

In fact, it just doesn't work that well. This season I'm going to add a chain (attached to the anchor, then attach the anchor line to the other end of the chain), and see if it helps - even though the digger people say "no chain required".

Somebody else here stated that they use a digger AND a box anchor (that's right, two anchors at the same time, both from the bow), and it works well. That's my next course of action, if the chain doesn't help with the digger.

BobG wrote:Somebody else here stated that they use a digger AND a box anchor (that's right, two anchors at the same time, both from the bow), and it works well. That's my next course of action, if the chain doesn't help with the digger.

Thats how I do it when in windy conditions. 1 from the bow and stern works well, for overnight mooring, too. I use 2 20 pound flukes with 8' of 5/16 rode, connected to a swivel, then my 1/2"-75' long anchor line. Work good in the Mississippi mud, and the Lake of the Ozarks rock bottom. Sometimes too good at the lake, Last year I had to cut one off in Millionaires cove! Trade off, the year before we snared the same setup in Stingray cove! The 'Way Better Half' pulled it up with one of my anchors.
Funny how things work out, sometimes!
Bryan

BobG wrote:Now that is the $64 question.


Somebody else here stated that they use a digger AND a box anchor (that's right, two anchors at the same time, both from the bow), and it works well. That's my next course of action, if the chain doesn't help with the digger.

That would be me Bob-Yes I use both.

The biggest thing that helps my anchor catch bottom is using enough rope.
I use 150 ft on my digger and 100ft on my box.
I have not put a chain on my digger.
If the wind is not too bad or if we are sleeping on the boat at night i put out the back and one out the front.
If I am fishing I use the "T" method to minimize the sway.
Hope I can explain it enough--
It depends on how deep, In 40' of water, if it is pretty rough, drop one anchor out, I'm going to say the right one, then back across the wind till you have about 150' of rope out and drop the left anchor, then pull yourself back to about the middle and tie one side off to your front cleat or railing, then pull the other rope tight, pull kind of easy because you are pulling against the other anchor but pull it tight, once you get it tight, the nose of the boat should turn and be facing directly into the wind and your ropes should be cross wind on both sides and tied to the front cleats on opposite sides of the boat, it takes a little practice to get directly across the wind, but it will not hardly sway, which is very helpful when you fish tight lines
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When you get the anchors set, you should be able to go to the front of your boat and stand between the cleats and put your arms out right over the cleats and you should be pointing towards the anchors, and the wind should be in your face.

The deeper and rougher it is the more rope you need to put out, I even use the same set up in shallow water instead of poles, because I don't want to carry poles in the boat, but you don't need much line out, in 5'0 of water I may have 15' on each side if it is pretty calm.

But if you are not fishing and don't mind the sway and use only one anchor, I would be sure you had enough rope to help it grab.
Hope this helps.

I can honestly say that I've never anchored once in my 27 years as a pontoon boat owner.

Everyone on our lake has a dock and/or boathouse. Where we float around and swim, it's 90'-100' deep where an anchor wouldn't work so well.

I don't know nothing about anchoring.

I attach my anchor to one of the the front hole/ring things on the front of the logs.... I use a 20lb mushroom... BUT, I'm always awake... I don't spend night in boat... yet.

On my little lake when the COE set it up they left a lot of standing timber in the hollows to attract and hold fish. Thats where I night fish most of the time and sleep on the hook, its simply easier to tie off between two of the old trees and then you know your going to stay put and its also in no wake zones.

As for anchors I use up to 4 old 15 lb sledge hammer heads in the mud bottom. Those seam to set into the mud and do fine here.

speedklz wrote:This toon will only be on the lake, being a 25 footer and not really being easy to tie an anchor to the rear how is the best way to anchor this thing so it will stay put. most of the lake is a solid mud bottom and deep in some parts. 2 small anchors or mabey one big anchor?

I wouldn't normally suggest this, but since you said the lake is a solid mud bottom, you might do well using a couple of mushroom anchors. The lake we use has mostly a muddy bottom and I use 2 15# mushroom anchors on it... since your boat is a 25 footer, might want to go with a heavier anchor... just know that when you go to pull them up, they'll be heavy because they're filled with mud.... but once you get them topside you can just dunk them a few times in and out of the lake to clean them out... just a suggestion..

ROLAND wrote: .....they'll be heavy because they're filled with mud.... but once you get them topside you can just dunk them a few times in and out of the lake to clean them out... just a suggestion..

Oh, yeah, nothing like getting a face full of mud splatters when dunking/splashing off the caked on mud.... especially if you get a mouthful! Yum, Yum!

To reduce the mud splatter, I swing the anchor back and forth, just under the surface, like a pendulum... works well without the splatter.

We anchor every time we go out. Either for the day, or sometimes all night. This is simple, especially with your mud bottom.

Buy a box anchor. That's it. Done! It is all you will need -- at least that has been my experience. It's not the weight, it's the design that makes it work. I've had many anchors over the years but NOTHING has come close to the performance of the box anchor for a pontoon.

Here's another tip, or at least my anchoring preference. Assuming you have the room to swing around "on the hook", then you only need one anchor. In fact, allowing the boat to swing around is the biggest thing you can do to never be fighting the wind. It is the best thing you can do to improve your odds of staying put. Let it swing around.... rather than fight the wind. When you have one anchor off the stern and another off the bow, then imagine a good, strong wind from the side. Your anchors are now doing a LOT more work than if the boat could swing around with the wind.

I have only had the box anchor two seasons. I have never, ever, had to reset it. I just drop it in and turn the boat off. Not necessarily in that order. Often I will just bring the boat to a stop and gently drop in the box anchor and let the breeze do the rest. No need to set it at all. It sets itself, every time, and has stayed put all day or all night every time. I have also noticed you do not need nearly as much scope as you do with other anchors. You also do not even need a chain with the box anchor. As a result, it's lighter, and then it offers the extra benefit of folding up when you are done with it for storage. If I lost mine, I would have another one within a week.

I do not work for them and have no connections or interest in the company that makes them (Slide Anchor, I think is their name), but buy a real box anchor. They simply built a better mousetrap in my opinion. I cannot tell you how much that anchor has added to my/our enjoyment of our boat. We pretty much cove out all day, so anchoring is important to us.