How To Pick The Right Stick Anchor For Shallow Water Fishing
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Boating Tips, Fishing Tips, Kayak Fishing, Weekly Newsletter: 4-26-20
You’re drifting across the flats looking for a school of redfish…
Then all of a sudden, they pop up right in front of you!
You quickly cast out to them, hook up immediately, and it’s game on!
But then you notice you’re about to drift right into the school and spook them all off.
What do you do?
If you had a stick anchor, there’d be no problem.
Stick anchors let you quickly and quietly anchor up without banging around a loud, heavy anchor.
In this video, I’m going to share with you:
- how to properly use a stick anchor
- how much stick anchors cost
- how to choose the right stick anchor for the type of area you fish in
- and much more
Check out the video below to learn all about stick anchors!
All About Stick Anchors [VIDEO]
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There are many brands of stick anchors out there, I’ve tested out a lot of them, and the good news is that they all work.
But there are some things to consider before getting one…
Who are stick anchors for?
I recommend stick anchors for any angler who fishes in shallow water.
Whether you’re fishing from a boat, kayak, or paddleboard, you’ll be happy to have one on board.
They’re very strong, too.
I’ve used them in bay boats up to 24 feet and they still held the boat in place.
What do you use a stick anchor for?
Stick anchors help you stop your vessel quickly and quietly.
They work well in sandy, muddy, or grassy bottom.
They’re also great for anchoring for longer periods of time.
For example, if I’m camping and I need to anchor my boat overnight, I’ll use a stick anchor.
The benefit of a stick anchor over a Power-Pole, in this case, is that the Power-Pole is fixed on the boat, so if the tide goes up or down, so will the Power-Pole.
Stick anchors, on the other hand, will stick in the bottom and hold your boat no matter what the water level is.
How do you choose a stick anchor?
The biggest thing to determine which stick anchor you get is to think about what type of bottom you fish.
If you frequently fish over hard sand, then you’ll want a thin anchor because that’ll be easier to stick in the bottom.
If you fish over muddy bottom, the diameter doesn’t matter as much because it’ll be easy to stick in the soft mud.
As far as length goes, it really depends on how long of a stick anchor you can fit on your vessel.
I have a 7′ stick anchor that fits on my boat, and an 8′ anchor that I bring on my paddleboard with me.
Finally, as far as price goes, they usually run between $60-90.
Conclusion
I always have a stick anchor on the boat with me and I definitely recommend them if you fish in shallow water.
They’re great for quickly and quietly stopping yourself, plus they’re really easy to use.
Have any questions about stick anchors?
Let me know in the comments below.
And if you know someone who needs a stick anchor, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
I borrowed a buddy’s boat stick and first time I used it got fiberglass splinters in my hand. Do any manufactures use something to coat or something other than fiberglass to prevent this?
Wow! I have never heard of that happening before. All of the stick anchors I have used have had a smooth surface without any fiberglass shard issues.
Stick It Anchor Pins use a UV coating to prevent splintering due to UV degradation. Be sure to store your anchor pin out of direct sunlight while not using your boat or kayak.
I am buying a 26’ hurricane will an 8’ stick pin hold the boat or do I need a power pole
An 8″ stick anchor can hold a 26″ boat without issue as long as the bottom isn’t super hard… as long as you can get the stick about 12 inches in the ground, it’ll work great.
Take a look at Stayput Anchor pins. The mounts make all the difference.
I’ll be sure to check those out. So far, I haven’t been a fan of any stick anchor mounts because they can be noisy if anchored down in rough water… i prefer to just use a rope to be on the safe side of not having the pole shifting around in the metal anchor mount.
I definitely want to give this a try. I have a 22′ bay boat with no trolling motor. The big anchor is heavy and takes too long to deploy and retrieve. Thanks Luke!
Steve – how did this work out for you? I use a 20′ bay boat with no trolling motor and would love to use a stick instead of throwing the anchor. Bad enough I have a motor to scare off fish – if that doesn’t do it, the anchor surely does!
Check this out on how to make your own stick anchor for less than $20! I’m heading to Wally World now as they only have 2 left in stock! https://youtu.be/LxeWzyZjOrE
sweet, nice video
Thanks Robert! Love the build and the song. Will definitely give it a go.
I DIY a stick anchor using a 7 foot fiberglass tree stake with a pointed end and a bicycle handle grip for the handle. Cost less than $10.
Heavy rains in the Midwest made last weekends river fishing tough. Used my PowerPole Shallow Water Anchor (8.5′ long) and it held my 21 Triton bassboat in 3+ mph current. Would love to have PowerPoles or Talons but they would interfere with rear fisherman and family water skiing.
Tony, have you come across the Yakgadget Quickstop anchor system yet? It came across my radar yesterday and it looks like a well thought out hand-powered Micro Pole like setup for kayaks. To my eyes, they DIY electric box and pulley creation some people have done and used starboard.
Hey Chadwick!
I haven’t seen those yet but i’ll definitely check it out! I’ve been looking for some type of manual device to quickly deploy the anchor pole.
I,ve had my Stick-it pin for 4 yrs now and keep it secured in two running light clamps mounted on the top of the gunwale on the trolling motor side. This year I’ve noticed that the fiberglass is starting get splinters on it, probably from getting hit with lures/weights while stored on the gunwale. A light sanding and maybe a coating of some kind of protectant will stop the flaking. Also a great addition to the power pole that I purchased 2 yrs ago. It enables me to fix the bow position in light winds and current.
Thanks for making time to leave the nice comment John!
Timely and useful video. I was just looking into this as I want something to use since I use Freedom Boat Club and there’s no trolling motor and using a big anchor is a pain.
Question for anyone – is there any real benefit of using TWO sticks when fishing? I’d be using a 21′ or 17′ Cobia center console boat.
I don’t think it’s worth the extra money and travel inconvenience to take a 2nd one out on the boat.