# Help finding/anchoring over nearshore reefs



## washercan4 (Jan 23, 2017)

First let me say that I am pretty new to saltwater fishing (about 2 years). I have a 19ft. bay boat that I will take out to KTK sometimes and also fish inshore with.  I have a Garmin 94sv and a newly acquired minn kota i pilot. My problem is that when I go out to KTK I struggle to anchor over the structure out there. With a regular anchor it was pretty difficult to pull it off. Now with the ipilot I thought it would be simple, but I struggled to make that work as well.  By the time I saw the structure and hit the spot lock (trying to go as slow as I could) the structure would be gone from my sonar. I've tried throwing bouys out to mark the spot. i'm going to upgrade to the g2 vision card for my garmin because i don't think the current waypoint are correct for the reefs out there. I downloaded the waypoints from the ga dnr website but they didn't line up well last time. I'm strugging to figure out the setting for the side imaging and down imaging as well. I just figured out you had to be moving to make it work lol! Does anybody have any tips and tricks that they would be willing to share. This Newb needs some help


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## Bama B (Jan 23, 2017)

look on you tube. 3 ways to trip your boat anchor. This is how we do it. The only difference is were he uses line to connect at the stem we uses tie wraps. They break easier so you can free anchor also you can add or remove tie wraps depending on current. Its works great even on wrecks.


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## Bama B (Jan 23, 2017)

Also the easiest way is to find structure you wanting to anchor over as soon as it appears on sonar take boat out of gear and allow boat to drift away from structure. allow drift to determine current and wind direction. once you have determined this just drive back over structure up current and wind then deploy anchor get set and then feed anchor line out until your on structure. I keep about four hundred feet of line to account for depth and and give myself a good lead out. This allows me to set vessel up current or right on top of structure.


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## washercan4 (Jan 23, 2017)

Thanks for the tip Bama. That was a great video. i've never heard of that anchor trip before. Do you grapple to the wrecks or drift back over.


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## Bama B (Jan 23, 2017)

I had a danforth on my boat. There is a lot sand bottoms around here. I dont use the grapple style because I try not to ever anchor on the structures always up current. I dont bottom fish as much anymore just live bait drift and slow troll. But as you see in my avatar Hurricane Mathew caused a lot of damage to my contender.


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## washercan4 (Jan 23, 2017)

Thanks man. That awful what happened to your boat. I hope you get back out soon.


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## Sharkfighter (Jan 25, 2017)

With Practice it gets easier.   but can still take several tries to get right then you have to contend with the change in current once you do anchor

The Reef Booklet numbers get you close still need to watch depth finder/sonar for the exact spot.  Go to the DNR number and then make small circles with the boat going your slowest idle speed watching bottom on depthfinder until you find structure then hit the MOB on GPS and save waypoint.  

Try to anchor over the biggest structure you can.  I do not Fish KTK but imagine it would be the Barge Modena

Have the reef marker set for the depth and someone holding it ready to throw overboard before you see the reef on the sonar/depth finder, then as soon as you see it drop the marker with a heavy enough weight to go straight down.

Try to get the boat to stop and determine drift , and like Bama B said go up current and drop a Danforth about 100 ft upcurrent from the reef and drift over it.  (35-45 ft water)

Be prepared to do it several times.  You can use a grapple anchor (I use both types depending on what I can get hold) and then of course you are not letting out as much anchor line.  Try and be as close to stopped and drifting towards reef when u drop anchor as you can be.

Be prepared to do this several time and don't get frustrated like I do.


I never used the  minn kota i pilot so I cant help with that.


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## Mweathers (Jan 25, 2017)

"i'm going to upgrade to the g2 vision card for my garmin because i don't think the current waypoint are correct for the reefs out there. I downloaded the waypoints from the ga dnr website but they didn't line up well last time...."

You must determine the Datum of the way points you enter and ensure that your GPS is set to that same datum when you load the waypoints.  If you do not, they will be off of the mark when you try to locate them.


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## fuelman1 (Jan 25, 2017)

I've anchored on the barge Modena at KTK a number of times. Caught fish when I could stay on top of it. This past summer we got on some real good Spadefish out there. Like Sharkfighter said, it will probably take you a few times to get set. It can be tough when the wind and current are fighting each other.


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## washercan4 (Jan 27, 2017)

Thanks for all the reply's everyone it is a big help. Sharkfighter I had been using a homemade marker bouy that had a 60' rope (water is about 45' deep) and just throwing that out. After thinking about your comment (setting the marker to the right depth) I did a little math and realized that my anchor was close to 40' off after it drifted in the current! I knew it would be a little off but I had no idea. Mweathers how do you determine the datum of the coordinates? I had to google what a datum was lol.


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## Mweathers (Jan 27, 2017)

Most of the public reefs around here are WGS84, usually somewhere on the source document it will tell you what datum.  Then just make sure you gps is set to that datum when you input the waypoints.

USCG will tell you that proper scope for an anchor line is 6 to 1, in 45' of water about 240' of line.  Usually you can get away with less, but I find you need at least 4 to 1 with no current.  60 feet of line in 45' of water is not going to hold, unless you are using a wreck anchor.


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## washercan4 (Jan 27, 2017)

I finally figured out how to check the datum on my gps and it was set to WGS84. I wasn't clear on the line length. That was the line I was using for my marker Bouy. I was trying to use my ipilot trolling motor to stay over the structure. I have tried anchoring and drifting back with limited success but still need to practice more. Hopefully i'll be able to go out in a few weeks and put all this info to use. I can see how it could take years to figure all this out  ( it doesn't help I live a couple hours away). It sounds so easy; get in boat, go to wreck, drop down and catch fish. Ha nothing could be farther from the truth. Thanks for all the great help.


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## mdgreco191 (Jan 31, 2017)

washercan4 said:


> I finally figured out how to check the datum on my gps and it was set to WGS84. I wasn't clear on the line length. That was the line I was using for my marker Bouy. I was trying to use my ipilot trolling motor to stay over the structure. I have tried anchoring and drifting back with limited success but still need to practice more. Hopefully i'll be able to go out in a few weeks and put all this info to use. I can see how it could take years to figure all this out  ( it doesn't help I live a couple hours away). *It sounds so easy; get in boat, go to wreck, drop down and catch fish. Ha nothing could be farther from the truth. Thanks for all the great help.[/*QUOTE]
> 
> Ain't that the truth!  I figure everything will take 3X as long as I estimate it to!


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## j_seph (Jan 31, 2017)

I am not sure how long the delay is from when you see it on the graph, hit the mark button and it records the location. But even at an idle of 1 mph when you see it, mark it on graph if it took 3 seconds for it to record the waypoint you are already 4.4 feet past where you were when you seen it on graph. When I want a precise location I will stop my boat, back up and when I am still I will mark it. My Carolina Skiff will not idle below 3 mph so in this case I could be 13 foot past it when it records the location.
Also as someone said make sure you have enough anchor rope to stretch out in order to get a solid hang on the bottom. http://www.boatingmag.com/how-to/tips-properly-setting-anchor


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## capt stan (Feb 1, 2017)

Best advice I can give for a new fisherman trying to stay on structure is this...  Take the DNR # and find the structure on your depth finder...mark it when you SEE the structure.  now....

keep boat  bumped in gear  just enough to make headway..
go across structure again.. watch your depth finder.... Mark structure as soon as you see it...then again as soon as you get off of it. continue in the same direction while doing this.

repeat this process many times in every conceivable direction you can.

N to S
E to W
NW to SE
NE To SW
You get the picture...

this can take as much as an hour//depending on how detailed you want the structure picture on your GPS.

Also..mark any HIGH structure or relief you may see when doing this.."inside" the boundaries if you will.

Now after completing this...you will see on your GPS a cluster of marks.... now you have the actual perimeters of the structure!!! Not the (general area DNR #)  zoom your GPS in..... figure out your drift... drop anchor and you can position your boat much easier over the cluster of structure depending on wind and tide. AT THIS POINT YOU CAN ALLOW MORE ROPE OUT...OR TAKE ROPE IN BY THE FOOT AND GET ZEROED RIGHT IN ON THE STRUCTURE...even the "high points" mentioned earlier..

If you put the time into it..You will see this will pay off and you can then stay on structure very easily.. Good luck with the fishing.


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## washercan4 (Feb 2, 2017)

Thanks for all the help and encouragement everyone! The next time I go out I'll give all this advise a try and post back how it goes


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