Article by Capt. Mark Sampson
Though fishing from an anchored boat might not be someone’s favorite technique, there will be times when going “on the hook” will prove out to be the most effective way to go. But no matter where someone is fishing or what they are trying to catch, anglers will find that fishing while at anchor shares both advantages and challenges not known to those who spend their day either trolling or drift fishing. There will be times when no matter if you’re trying to chunk up a tuna, catch a sea bass, a shark or a flounder the anchor will be the best piece of equipment on the boat.
Personally, the constant routine of make a drift - run back - make a drift - run back, kind of drives me nuts, so I prefer to fish from an anchored boat whenever possible. I like the idea of finding a fishy spot and working for the fish that, I hope, are right there, rather than drifting along and trying to pick away at different fish in a general area. I also enjoy fishing too much to be stuck at the helm all day if I don’t have to be, and anchoring allows me to shut the engine off, get out of the cabin and on deck with my clients where I can lend my mate a hand with cutting bait, landing fish and whatever else I can do to help the fish catching efforts. So whether we’re chasing sharks, sea bass, flounder or anything else with fins, whenever I can hole-up in one spot and still catch fish I’m all over it!
Of course, in order to effectively catch fish while anchored, anglers must be able to do so over a piece of marine real-estate where either the fish “already are”, such as a wreck or reef, or in a place where the fish will “eventually be” during their normal daily travels or where chumming or chunking might draw them in. For fish such as sea bass, tautog or any of the other structure-oriented fish, this would mean anchoring-up directly over a wreck so that lines can be dropped straight down among the structure where the fish are holding. Dropping the anchor in the right spot is crucial, so that when the vessel settles back on the line it’s sitting perfectly where it needs to be, otherwise the anchor line will require adjusting to nudge the boat over to one side or the other or it might become necessary to lift and reset the anchor altogether. By properly taking into account the direction of the boat’s drift as a result of both the wind and the current, anglers can save themselves a lot of hassle and wasted fishing time by getting it right on the first drop of the anchor.
Those fishing for tuna, sharks or other fish that are not so much associated with structure have it a little easier in that they rarely have to be as precise to where they drop the anchor. In such cases it will likely be enough to set the boat up somewhere along the edge of a shoal, in a slew or just in a general area where fish will hopefully be passing through. Anglers will, however, need to pay attention to the direction the current is flowing so that their chum, chunks and/or baits will drift into the zone where the fish should be and hopefully draw them to the boat. Anglers should keep in mind that the current does not always travel in the same direction as the wind, and when the two forces are apposing each other it can make fishing from an anchored boat so challenging that drifting might become a better option.
Fishing from an anchored boat also has the inherent problem of the anchor line itself. For relatively small fish that don’t put up too much of a scrap it might never be an issue, but when it comes to big fish that will actually pull drag and make laps around the boat, having a long rope stretched out from the front cleat to somewhere on the bottom adds to the challenge of successfully working a catch from start to finish.
While playing a feisty fish the angler might well have to walk up on the bow to bring the rod over or under the anchor line to prevent it from becoming fouled. If an exceptionally large fish is hooked, the boat might have to be quickly started up to chase after it in order not to get spooled. To do this, anglers have the option of hoisting the anchor (which might take some time) or tying a float to the anchor line and then casting it off from the boat and going directly after the fish. Depending upon the depth of the water and urgency to get moving, experienced anglers will know when it will be time to do one or the other. When setting-up, if they anticipate that there might become a need to part from the anchor quickly, anglers should prepare by attaching the float to the line and get the extra line bundled up and on the bow so that when the time comes it’s a simple matter of untying from the cleat and away they go.
Of course, no anchoring is going to happen unless anglers have the right grounding tackle (anchor, chain, line) for the job. Those who choose to go cheap and buy wimpy little anchors and little or no chain will find that when the wind is blowing or the tide is running hard their efforts are going to be challenging at best and possibly futile altogether. Particularly when trying to precision-anchor on a wreck or reef, an anchor that doesn’t hit the bottom and grab quickly without dragging, and then hold without slipping, can lead not just to the imposition of not being able to fish effectively, but also to the nightmare of dragging the anchor into the wreck and permanently snagging it in the structure.
Anchoring verses drifting, the reason to do one or the other, will usually be dictated by external factors such as sea conditions, boat traffic, water depth, and of course what the fish are best responding to. Sometimes drifting is the only option, but there will also be times when parking one’s butt and working the same water all day will prove to be the best way to put fish on the line and a sharp angler will have the equipment and skills to fish “on the hook” whenever necessary.
Mark Sampson is an outdoor writer and Captain of the charter boat, “Fish Finder”, docked at the Ocean City Fishing Center.
