Anchoring Basics

There are some fundamental rules to follow when anchoring. First of all, always point the FRONT of your boat into the wind or current when anchoring. This may seem like common sense, but I have seen more than one person taking waves over the stern of their boat because they anchored out the back of the boat. Secondly, be sure you have a big enough anchor to hold your boat, and plenty of rope for the depth you will be fishing. In general, it is good to have about 3x as much rope out as the depth you are in. This means if you are anchoring in 50 feet of water, you should have at least 150 feet of rope. This is because most styles of anchors will not work unless they can lay relatively flat on the bottom. A 3-4 foot length of chain attached to the anchor, will assist greatly in making sure that it digs in and gets a secure hold.
If you are anchoring in current, you can usually get away with using just one anchor out the front. Sometimes I still like to drop a back anchor straight down or put a drift sock out the back. This will help eliminate some of the sway caused by the current. If you are anchoring in a body of water with little or no current, I recommend using two anchors. I generally will find the spot I want to fish and mark it, with either a marker buoy or a GPS waypoint. I will then head upwind of the spot 50-75 yards, before dropping my front anchor. It is important to be as quiet as possible with your anchor as it takes very little to spook a big catfish. I then idle back downwind, PAST the area I want to fish. I then quietly drop the back anchor in, letting out a bit of rope before tying it off. Then I kill the motor, and I use the front anchor rope to pull the boat forward until both anchors ropes get tight. Hopefully I am within casting distance of my marker buoy, but if not I can always adjust the lengths on the ropes to get myself in prime position.
VIDEO TO COME!