I have a Perception Swifty that I am trying to convert to a fishing boat.  I am wanting to know where to mount a pulley for an anchor.  Do you attach it to bow or stern?  Is there a wrong place to mount?  

I will be using it on slow current rivers and small lakes.  On lakes do you use a drift sock where to deep to anchor?

Any advice would be helpful.

Mort

Here you go

http://www.captdick.net/ANCHOR-TROLLEYS_ANCHORS.htm

http://kayakfishingmachine.com/rigging-basic-kayak-anchor-trolley/

I use a homebuilt electric powered kayak for fishing lakes and rivers. The anchor is at the stern as I usually fish downstream. It is secured in a jam cleat next to my seat. This makes anchoring a simple one handed event, altho it takes two hands to pull the 10 lb anchor up. I use a pretty heavy anchor for fishing on rivers.

One problem I ran into was having the anchor become snagged on the bottom. In fast water all you can do is cut it loose. More importantly you don't want to secure the bitter end of the anchor line to the boat. If the anchor hangs in fast water the stern can be pulled under before you can get to the knife.

Some boats will 'wander' on the anchor line in moving water. If the center of pressure (on the hull) is far enough forward (or toward the upstream end) they will oscillate back and forth to the point of overturning. A drift sock out the downstream end of the boat will eliminate this. but is one more thing to deal with. My boat has a 1 1/2 inch keel that eliminates the problem.

A stern anchor on a powered boat runs the risk of getting the anchor line hung up in the prop. I have a simple line guide on bottom of the anchor pully assy that confines the line to the pulley, and reduces chances of fouling the prop. After several years of use I haven't had a problem with this.

Some kayaks have a lateral line on the boat to which they just clip the anchor and the anchor is usually very light. It seems to work in still water but I don't think it would be suitable for moving water. It looks like one would have to pull the clip toward the cockpit to retrieve the anchor and a boat anchored from the middle is a good way to go for a swim. So I think your on the right track looking to anchor from a pulley on one end of the boat.

Thanks for the links.  Now I just have to decide which one of those options to use.  Did not realize how popular kayak fishing was or how much you could do with them.

Mort

I run mine bow to stern that way i can position anyway i want and also use a quick release knot on the line attached to the cariberner so i can release quickly if needed and keep a small float on the line to go back and get it.