# Anchor Trolly: Please help me understand the release



## 7.62

OK, when I first saw an anchor trolley on the side of a kayak, I didn’t understand how it worked in conjunction with the anchor. Now I think I get it. You’ve got your trolley running from bow to stern and a ring or a carabiner on the trolley line that you run the anchor line through, which you then run to bow or stern based on conditions/directional preference. When you send out the anchor, you tie it off to a cleat once it hits bottom. If you need to quickly release the anchor for safety reasons or to fight a fish, etc, you unwrap from the cleat and let the line slip into the water and come back to pick it up later. Am I correct so far?

What I _don’t_ understand is how you recover the line. I see that people attach floats to the end of their lines, which make perfect sense. My question is (_especially_ for those of you who use a steel ring instead of a carabiner), how on earth does the float on the end of your anchor line fit through the ring? And, _even if_ you are using a carabiner, what is “quick” about untying from the cleat, and then having to pull the carabiner to you to release the line so that float can be free?

I must be missing something here…


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## JAM

*You Un-Clip the Caribiner and*

jetison the anchor, it does not go throught he ring you clip it to the rin so you can release it.. JAM


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## BIG FINN

The way I got mine setup starting from the anchor then line 30' approx. slide float on then tie to ring another short section from said ring through trolley setup up then to your cleat or whatever. Pull rope from cleat short section goes out the trolley,line gets hung on float with ring as a stopper floatin till you get back, Wish I could draw it but hope this helps.


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## robchoi

Tie a loop outside of the ring/carabiner then clip on a float. Like the last picture on this post... http://www.angling-addict.com/2011/04/anchor-setups.html

And use a cleat that will release quickly like clam cleats or cam cleats... http://www.angling-addict.com/2011/03/rigging-ocean-kayak-trident-13.html

All you should have to do is pull the line out from the cleat and let it slide out the carabiner or ring.


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## 7.62

JAM - your explanation doesn't make sense to me unless you are retying the anchor line to the end of the carabiner each time you set anchor. Otherwise, how would you set anchor depth? If you tie a carabiner to the end of a 30' anchor line and you drop the anchor in 10' of water and the carabiner is clipped to the trolley ring, that's 20' of slack.

BIG FINN - I am having trouble envisioning what you're saying 100%, but I think I get it. The gist of what you are saying is that the float goes is on the line before it meets the ring in the anchor trolley. So I should have no problem tying the line to the anchor, putting the slip float on the line, running the line thru the ring of the trolley with the float _in front of_ the ring, tying a big knot at the end of the line to prevent the float from slipping off, and then trying to a cleat at the desired depth. At least that makes sense in my mind, LOL.


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## 7.62

Rob - Thanks for the response. I have seen your pictures before. You have the float tied in a fixed position towards the end of the line in that picture. So, how do you set anchor depth? Take your picture for example, and put that anchor in 10' of water. Looks like you have well over 10' of line after your float, and since your float is fixed, it doesn't look like there's a way to take up that slack.


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## robchoi

That loop I tied is not fixed. I just untie it and retie where I want. In other words, I throw the anchor out and when I'm ready, I tie a loop in the line at the appropriate depth/length, clip the buoy (outside of the carabiner), then send it either to the bow or stern. I hope that makes sense. Let me know if you have any other questions.


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## 7.62

That makes sense. Thanks.


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## JAM

7.62 said:


> JAM - your explanation doesn't make sense to me unless you are retying the anchor line to the end of the carabiner each time you set anchor. Otherwise, how would you set anchor depth? If you tie a carabiner to the end of a 30' anchor line and you drop the anchor in 10' of water and the carabiner is clipped to the trolley ring, that's 20' of slack.
> 
> BIG FINN - I am having trouble envisioning what you're saying 100%, but I think I get it. The gist of what you are saying is that the float goes is on the line before it meets the ring in the anchor trolley. So I should have no problem tying the line to the anchor, putting the slip float on the line, running the line thru the ring of the trolley with the float _in front of_ the ring, tying a big knot at the end of the line to prevent the float from slipping off, and then trying to a cleat at the desired depth. At least that makes sense in my mind, LOL.


http://fishmilitia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1292

Page down a little bit then you can see the anchor trolly.. I use a Figure 8 or a Z Clip from mountaineering to adjust dept.. No Drill, no frills.. 

JAM


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## JAM

All of the Store bought anchor trolly's I have seen do not go all the way to the front or all the way to the rear.. The way mine are hooked up they do.. The store bought ones leave you at a semi side to.. Just an observation.. JAM


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## ibepressin

With the float attached to the end of the anchor line, you loop the line through the ring/carabiner with the anchor and float on the same side. take the looped part and tie it off to the cleat. Don't make me bust out my awesome ms paint skills to explain this!!


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## ibepressin

When you hook into a fish or get into trouble you unhook from the cleate and the float and anchor slip cleanly out of the trolley to be retrieved later. Yes I am that good at ms paint.


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## 7.62

Looks like everyone does it a little differently. Thanks for the info, everyone. And the amazing artwork!


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## pogeymoe

i never liked the traditional anchor systems you see used. all of that rope is something for a hook to get caught on. it sucks when it happens. i have an old peen 3/0 mounted behind the seat with 80 lb braid attatched to a jumbo sized king rig anchor. i simply let her out and then im anchorched. when done i back track to release. just my preference theres lots of good methods.


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## Agent VA

ibepressin: That's so simple but genius! Thanks.


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## kayak kevin

we show all this on the next dvd also. we all use the clip not the ring. i think the ring make it all confusing


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## ruthless

I have a clip and a ring, use the ring for the stake out pole, and the clip for the anchor line.


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