Safety Tips For Anchoring a Kayak
First off, I just want to emphasize that safety should always be your top priority when anchoring a kayak. I know a lot of you probably watch my videos and think that since I can easily anchor my kayak, that it is safe for you to anchor too and that may not be the case. There are some things you need to keep in mind when you watch my videos. First, I fish on the Tennessee River. Most of my time is spent fishing on Watts Bar although I do fish on Fort Loudon quite a bit too. There isn't a very strong current flow in the areas I fish on either of these bodies of water. Most days the current is around 0.5mph. It almost never exceeds 1mph in the places I fish. The other big factor to remember when you see me anchor is the fact I fish out of a very stable kayak. The extra stability allows me to not only anchor more safely but also gives me a little extra leverage when I get an anchor hung and need to be able to really pull on it to get it free. Please keep in mind that the conditions you will be fishing in may be a lot different than mine and exercise extreme caution any time you anchor your kayak.
Here are a few basic safety tips:
1. Always wear your PFD.
2. Never anchor in fast flowing current.
3. Don't attempt anchoring a kayak that isn't at least stable enough for you to stand in.
4. Always use a quick release system so you can detach from you anchor quickly if a threat arises.
5. Never try to anchor your kayak perpendicular to the current flow.
6. Only anchor if you are fishing with a partner so that if something goes wrong, you will have someone there to help you.
7. Always tell a friend or loved one where you will be fishing and what time you will be back home so if something goes wrong, they will at least know where you will be.
I hope you will read these safety tips and be very careful when anchoring your kayak. If you don't feel comfortable anchoring, don't do it. Things can go bad very quickly and there isn't a fish out there worth risking your life over.
