In rivers, creeks and small lakes where small boats are used for fishing, an anchor may seem like just more junk in the boat to trip over, but if you were going out on a swift river, a large lake or in the salt water bays or gulf, an anchor is the most important piece of equipment you could have.

Before small motors were used, the main method of moving your fishing boat around was a paddle or oars. When you got to where you wanted to fish you just dropped your anchor overboard to keep the wind or current from moving your boat around. In those days everybody who had a small fishing boat with oars also had an anchor. If your motor broke down, you lost your paddle or the wind got strong, you could drop your anchor out and wait for someone to find you. Without an anchor you could drift for miles and most likely you would be drifting in the wrong direction.

Actually, there are several different types of anchors according to your social status and financial standings. People with very little money to spare just used a big rock with a rope tied around it. This worked ok, but sometimes the knot would slip off the rock and the poor fellow would be set adrift. Then there was the middle class anchor for the fisherman with a little extra pocket change. He will buy his anchor. He uses a cement block because it already has a hole in it to tie the rope through. He almost never loses his anchor.

Finally, there was the wealthy fisherman who had a store-bought anchor made of steel. This steel anchor was very heavy and when it was put out it would quickly sink to the bottom and bury in the mud. This boat never drifted away, but the wealthy fisherman didn’t catch many fish because he was always having back problems from pulling up the heavy steel anchor.

Actually, there are several more types of anchors for special uses on small boats. A Danford anchor has movable flukes on each side with a shaft between them. When the anchor is dragged along a sandy or muddy bottom the flukes dig in the bottom and bury the anchor. The more rope you play out, the deeper it will bury itself.

Mushroom anchors work much in the same way, but they have no moving parts. Actually, you are supposed to play out six to eight times as much anchor rope as the depth of water you are in. anchors that rely on sheer weight to hold your boat should only be used on a flat lake bottom and they too need plenty of rope.

A grappling anchor has several hooks on the top that will snag on rocks and limbs when dragged along the bottom. Every anchor has a special use.

Never use a steel cable as an anchor rope. Always use a rope that can be cut in case of an emergency. Never anchor the back end of a boat up stream and only use one anchor on the bow of the boat in swift water and none in the rear.

Use the proper type of anchor for the bottom you are anchoring in. always have plenty of rope out on the anchor when fishing below a dam. The water comes up fast.