Don't know if there's any interest in this, but my local Gander Mountain had these anchors on clearance for $14.99:



Very lightweight, and an alternative to making your own basketball net anchor. Same idea though--fill up the bag with rocks (or sand), pull the drawstring tight, and presto! A great BWCA anchor.

That's $14.99 more than I paid for my sandbag:

schweady,

I like your idea. Please explain.

Where did you get the sandbag for the anchor? How are you going to attach it to a rope?

quote moose664788: "schweady,

I like your idea. Please explain.

Where did you get the sandbag for the anchor? How are you going to attach it to a rope?"

With such a dry spring this year, not very many communities around here were in need, but for the past 15 years it seemed an almost annual rite to help with filling sandbags for building dikes to hold back the Red River. Last spring, it was closer to Perham -- the threat of rising floodwater on lakes with no natural outlet: Little MacDonald, Paul, Devils...

They are a strong plastic weave and the cord that's looped through is just as tough. Just drop in a suitable rock, wrap the cord around and tie (some designs have a drawstring-type cord attached but I haven't seen any of those lately) then tie or carabiner your 25-30 ft anchor rope into that. I use a carabiner at the top end of the rope for emergency quick release.

The ones in my supply measure 14x26 and weigh about an ounce. The nice thing about these is their toughness but also with the ability to quickly drain. Their breathability/strength combination makes them well-suited for all sorts of multi-tasking, too, like packing in my Sawyer 4-liter filter system parts.

Tried one similar, first retrieve on a rock reef and had a 6 inch slice up the side. I will stick with the Basketball net.

quote walllee: "Tried one similar, first retrieve on a rock reef and had a 6 inch slice up the side. I will stick with the Basketball net."

Use an 8 inch rock. :)

I have no doubt that could happen, but in my experience these guys are tougher than that. Still on my first one as an anchor and it's gone through quite a few trips with just some expected abrasion. But it's not like I'm using it a high percentage of our fishing time, of course. And we seem to have a half dozen or so along, as the price and weight are easy to manage and come in handy for cooling beverages, too. :)

the basketball net anchor is by far the best idea I've every gleaned from this site. I think it cost me all of $5.00 for the net and nylon wire ties to close one end. I can go through three of them and still come out ahead, though I have yet to use the one I made three or four years ago.

I have to agree, the basketball net thing blew my tiny little mind. I use a carabiner threaded on the open end loops for quick rock stuffing and releasing.

The basketball net is the only way to go IMO. Works like a charm.

quote thlipsis29: "the basketball net anchor is by far the best idea I've every gleaned from this site. I think it cost me all of $5.00 for the net and nylon wire ties to close one end. I can go through three of them and still come out ahead, though I have yet to use the one I made three or four years ago. "

Same thing here. Nothing better.

I use both a baskeball net bag and a plastic mesh bag I bought for $15 about 10 years ago (designed to be an anchor bag). I wouldn't say it is 3 times better but I do like the mesh bag more - I would say it was worth the extra $10. I can use smaller rocks, it is easier to load and unload, and it is tougher. Looks like treehorse's item adds the ability to use sand and it already comes with a float and a clip - looks pretty economical.

My son and I just use a big rock with some parachute cord tied to it. We have done this every trip for years. Holds great even in high winds; and here's a little tip. Don't pack in the big rock. They are laying all over the place in the BWCA.

quote jeffnchet: "... and here's a little tip. Don't pack in the big rock. They are laying all over the place in the BWCA."

Good advice. Leaves more room in the pack for firewood. ;-)

Get a 3 lb. anchor. I've played with all sorts of things, and they either rip, fall off, or retrieve like a dead body. 3 lbs. is not too much for the ability to fish in one spot.

quote Jackfish: "

quote jeffnchet: "... and here's a little tip. Don't pack in the big rock. They are laying all over the place in the BWCA."

Good advice. Leaves more room in the pack for firewood. ;-)"

Or a few gallons of bottled water!

If you were my partner I'd make sure you had that extra 3lbs on your back. Please to do not waist your time, energy and cash purchasing that anchor. THEY DO NOT WORK. Buy a basketball net.

OK, I'll defend my rock idea. We like to travel a lot and try to pack as light as possible. So, carrying around something to use for an anchor when God left them laying all over the place, doesn't make sense to us. You do have to be a bit creative with the rock selection and tie on technique, but it's never been a deal breaker for us. On a very windy day (and you know what i'm talking about) a rock about a foot long, 1" thick, and 4" across will hold fine. As someone noted earlier in this thread; it is like dragging up a body when you want to move, but for us that's a small price to pay for keeping the pack load simple.
We also use parachute chord for a stringer and anything else we can think of. Parachute chord; duct tape without the stickey!