# Best kayak anchors



## Blankworld (Nov 23, 2013)

To all yakkers

No doubt there is many forums out there
Which style, line weight class etc anchor do you all use?
Find best pros and cons would be great

Cheers

Jayden


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Cooper anchors.

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s2851079.htm






Even the 230 gram one will hold in fairly strong winds. Top gear.


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## ajbigfish (Sep 16, 2013)

+1 for the cooper anchor or a rock


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

2kgs dumbell


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## Penno (Dec 2, 2005)

G


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## nickdec (Aug 13, 2010)

Coopers don't work on a rubble bottom, 4 prong fold out is my vote


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## cheaterparts (Jul 3, 2010)

nickdec said:


> Coopers don't work on a rubble bottom, 4 prong fold out is my vote


or in tide flows - and worse in deep water tide flows even with chain

I still think its hard to go past a folding grapnel anchor I use 2 different weights I take a 1.5 Kg if fishing lighter tide flows with a piece of chain above the anchor along the rope
and in heavier tide flows I take a 2.5 kg with a piece of heavier chain thats about 1.5 meters above the anchor this will hold in over 20 meters with a 6 kph tide flow with 50 meters of rope

now if we look at the cooper spec sheet in 20 meters of water and using all chain ,cooper recomend 60 meters of all chain
with a long chain and rope in 20 meters they recomend 80 meters of rope and chain
with a short piece of chain 140 meters of rope

you cant sell me on a cooper anchor

my light weight anchor


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## labrat (Jul 25, 2008)

Very happy with my 230g Cooper. I tend to fish in shallower waters and only in good conditions but I have anchored in tides that surprised me with the amount of effort required to pull the yak back over the anchor at pack up time. At an estimated 4 -6 metre depth I use 10 - 15M of cord - no chain.

As others mention above there are conditions where they are not suitable but for some of us this is not an issue and other factors are more important. In my case light weight everything is important and storage space is limited. The best one is the one that suits you, your local conditions and the rest of your equipment.


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## cheaterparts (Jul 3, 2010)

labrat said:


> I have anchored in tides that surprised me with the amount of effort required to pull the yak back over the anchor at pack up time.


Something that worth a try for anyone that is fishing tide flows or needing to life the anchor in higher winds

have something foward of the center point of the yak the your anchor rope can slide over ( I use the right hand side rod holder being that my anchor trolley is on that side )

so as soon as you pull the anchor to the center with the trolley put the rope over this foward pin , rodholder or what ever
the yak will point into the tide flow or wave action if there is wind
you can then pull the rope with it sliding around this forward pivot point

there is much less drag as the yak is not side on to the flow -- you are sitting uprigh and in the center of the yak , so have better balance
and you will have better control over the yak

once the anchor is pulled out of the bottom you can go back to pulling it up from the side

give it a try I now pull the rope this way out of habit no matter if there is a lot of flow or not


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## labrat (Jul 25, 2008)

I have no suitable features on my deck to do that with but it's a good tip for those that do.


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## TheFishinMusician (Feb 5, 2007)

Good tip cheater. 
Could the same be achieved with a full length anchor trolley?
Labrat, if you have a handle or similar on the bow you could fix a line from that with a carribiner or similar on the end & clip through when you need to.


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## spork (Jan 21, 2012)

cheaterparts said:


> now if we look at the cooper spec sheet in 20 meters of water and using all chain ,cooper recomend 60 meters of all chain
> with a long chain and rope in 20 meters they recomend 80 meters of rope and chain
> with a short piece of chain 140 meters of rope
> 
> ...


I think those ratios are pretty standard for all anchors.
I don't like mt 230g cooper - great on sand, OK on mud, useless on weed or rubble. Might be better with some chain, but would prefer 1kg cooper sans chain. The little one is just too light and sits on top of the weed! The 1kg holds well and sets first time, and has enough weigth to work on all bottoms I've tried it on. Oh yeah - with no chain I usually only need 2-3:1 scope on sand, a bit more on other bottoms.


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## Trumpet1 (Apr 26, 2013)

I've got the smallest size Cooper anchor. It seemed to work ok the only time I have used it but that was not in a high flow area and was a sandy bottom. I'd defer to more experienced yakkers re ity suitability for other surfaces.


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## Squidley (May 8, 2010)

The coopers specs for rope and chain are really really safe for a kayak with the 1 kg model, I get away with 2.5:1/3:1 using no chain and I've been stuck in a very strong tide with one before. The 1kg model takes a fair bit more space than a grapnel though.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

I recently tried the 230 gram Cooper on the AI in 30 cm high breaking surf and 20 knots of wind (mouth of Wathumba Creek - Fraser Island). While this _is_ a sand bottom, the AI is around 50 kgs, has high windage on the hull and 4.5 metre high furled sailed, and was getting blown sideways and smashed straight by the surf. It was an extreme test, far beyond what the little one is designed for, yet for thirty minutes it's holding ability proved to be exceptional.

Only  twice in that thirty minutes did it drag the anchor, for about one metre each time, but immediately re-set itself. I have the 1 kg one too, and have complete confidence in both of the products.

BTW, despite some saying they don't hold on rocky/rubble bottoms, I have twice tried them in this situation with about 2 knots, and they held fine.


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