Is the anchor obsolete? Okay, that’s a trick question. From the standpoint of boating in general, the anchor will probably never be obsolete because it is a safety item no boat should be without. And if your cruising includes overnight stays or if stops in secluded coves for sun and a swim are on your agenda, the anchor is your best friend. But if you are a fisherman who enjoys catching any bottom species, you’ll find a lot to like in new technology that, in some ways, makes the anchor a thing of the past. Here’s an example from personal experience.
I love chasing blackfish. I used to fish for these tricky bait stealers from an older center console, and to position the boat over small rockpiles or a specific corner of a wreck required not just one anchor but two complete sets of ground tackle. The process of deploying each one in just the right place was time-consuming and occasionally backbreaking work.
I recently purchased a new boat, a 27-foot Pathfinder Open powered by a Yamaha F300 with electric steering and the digital Helm Master EX system, which includes joystick and integrated autopilot. I ordered it with a Rhodan 120-pound thrust electric trolling motor that has its own internal GPS. That feature allows me to lock onto a position and hold the boat there under almost any wind and current conditions. I had the option of purchasing one or two Power-Pole shallow water anchors, but for fishing in the Mid-Atlantic region I didn’t see the need.
Now, when I get to a spot where I want to drop baited hooks to hungry tog I don’t have to break out anchors, chain and hundreds of feet of rode. I simply push a button on the helm to engage the joystick. I then push the FishPoint button on the joystick and the engine aims the boat into the prevailing current or wind and holds on the waypoint autonomously. If I want to move 20 feet to port, I just tip the joystick to that side; the boat sidles over and reengages the position-holding function. The same procedure is used to move to starboard, forward, or backward. Just a few clicks on the joystick and, like magic, the boat moves by itself; I don’t have to play the anchor game. This is just one of dozens of fishing-friendly features that make a digital helm system indispensable for serious fishermen. These systems are available with Yamaha and Mercury outboards.
The trolling motor offers another way to get on a piece of structure that’s holding blackfish. Originally designed for freshwater bass fishermen a few decades ago, trolling motors have been marinized for saltwater and are available in ever more powerful models. Here’s how it works. When I get to a spot, I jump up to the bow and deploy the Rhodan. It takes about 60 seconds. The motor is controlled by a remote that hangs around my neck on a lanyard.Once the boat is on the spot I simply press the “A” for “Anchor Mode” on the remote and the motor does the rest. It automatically adjusts direction and speed to keep the boat glued to that waypoint regardless of the wind and current changes. It’s foolproof. To move the boat forward, backward or to either side, just press the corresponding buttons on the remote. The trolling motor is very stealthy and makes a great option when fishing shallower spots. I’ve caught tog directly under the motor head in as little as 25 feet of water; it doesn’t seem to bother them at all.
Do you want to spend your fishing time deploying and retrieving anchors every time you decide to try a different spot? Or, would you opt for pushing a few buttons? After living both sides of that equation, I can tell you there’s no going back for me. While electronic helms are an option to consider with a new boat purchase or a repower of an existing boat, trolling motors are something you can add to almost any existing boat. I am seeing them on surprisingly large boats all the time. This past January I spent a day fishing for blackfish off Atlantic City, New Jersey, with Capt. Frank Crescitelli of Fin Chaser charters aboard his 35-foot Contender. He had a Minn Kota trolling motor mounted on the bow. While the weather was sporty and the seas choppy it held that boat on even the smallest pieces of structure like a champ. We caught a pile of nice fish up to the 13-pound male that capped the day, and we did it without ever going near the anchor compartment.
I mentioned Power-Pole shallow-water anchoring systems. They present another option for anglers, but I’ve found that all brands are limited in depth application. The Power-Pole Blade has a maximum range of 10 feet, while the Minn Kota Talon works down to 8 feet. They are popular with those who fish in shallow water on bay boats or in freshwater aboard bass boats. They incorporate a fiberglass spike that is driven into the bottom quickly and quietly to hold the boat in position while anglers cast. They’re controlled with a lanyard remote and control panels that can be placed around the boat. I have fished boats equipped with this technology and they work remarkably well, especially when installed as a pair—one either side of the outboard, on the boat’s transom. If fishing lakes and saltwater flats is your thing, you want to consider Power-Poles for your boat.
So, is the anchor obsolete for fishing? It is for me and from the looks of other boats out there on the water I am not alone.
This article was originally published in the August 2023 issue.
