by Simon Wright

Created on: June 22, 2009   Last Updated: June 30, 2009

The benefits of anchoring while fishing:

There are both advantages and disadvantages attached to anchoring whilst fishing and the decision on whether to anchor or alternatively to drift fish will depend upon a number of factors. Included amongst these factors will be the angler's knowledge of the locality, what species of fish are being sought, the prevailing weather conditions and personal preference.

Let's look then at some of the main reasons for anchoring:

1. Stay where the fish are:

The single most important factor in fishing is being where the fish are. Local knowledge, often gained over many decades, or sonar can help the boat skipper to locate areas which are teeming with fish. Anchoring tends to be most effective where you know that there is a particular patch of seabed that contains an ever present colony of fish. Some examples include where there is a wreck, a reef, a large rock or a patch of sand that mark that spot as being substantially more productive than the surrounding areas. Anchoring means that you can stay on that spot rather than constantly drifting off it.

2 Type of fish (bottom feeders versus pelagic shoal fish):

There are fish species that can be relied upon to stick in certain types of habitat. For example, if you're going for flatfish species then you will know that they are caught on sandy bottoms. Alternatively, conger eels like rocky habitats where they can find cover and lie in wait to ambush smaller fish. In both these examples, if you have found a suitable spot, there may be great value in putting down the anchor and spending a few hours fishing that mark.

However, there are other fish species that are more nomadic. These pelagic fish species, such as mackerel, herring and tuna, tend to hang out in shoals and go where their prey fish happens to be. If you hit a shoal of mackerel, you may reel in dozens in a few minutes. However, being tempted to then put down your anchor may just mean that you spend the rest of your afternoon fishing a spot that is now empty of fish, as the mackerel have moved on.

3. Prevailing weather conditions:

Anglers always need to be aware of the weather conditions. In particular, they need to be wary about the direction and strength of the wind and the size of the waves. One common challenge emerges where there is a coastal mark that produces great fishing but where the wind is blowing you in towards the rocks. Under normal drift fishing, the angler finds that he or she needs to restart the engine

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