King Mackerel Stole My Anchor

[Antidote]

I was out off Hilton Head today at the Betsy Ross. I had a King on and had been fighting it for about 10 minutes. It took another run this time towards the bow. It swam around my anchor as I was fighting it, I felt it break off. When I brought the line in the 90# wire leader had snapped and was frayed. I noticed it had what looked like nylon strings hanging off of it. Then I noticed we were drifting. The wire leader had cut my 1/2" 8 plait rode. Anchor, 40' of chain and about 100' rope gone.

 

[sydngoose]

ohhhh noooo, never heard of that before. That was one EXPENSIVE Kingfish. If you make it down to Jacksonville, Fl, I have a replacement anchor for you that you can have. I can't help you with the chain o rope. The fish that got away...... or is this a fish story?......

 

[Banjo]

I was out off Hilton Head today at the Betsy Ross. I had a King on and had been fighting it for about 10 minutes. It took another run this time towards the bow. It swam around my anchor as I was fighting it, I felt it break off. When I brought the line in the 90# wire leader had snapped and was frayed. I noticed it had what looked like nylon strings hanging off of it. Then I noticed we were drifting. The wire leader had cut my 1/2" 8 plait rode. Anchor, 40' of chain and about 100' rope gone.

I feel your pain as I too have left an anchor, chain and 100' rope out at the Betsy Ross. However mine was not lost in such a dramatic fashion as my anchor became locked onto the wreck and I had to cut my rode. I now use a wreck type anchor with bendable aluminum grappling prongs. It has already saved me another loss out there as had to forcibly bend my way out of there after another lock-on. Maybe I can get my Raymarine autopilot to hold me over the wreck? A MinKota would probably be the best solution but I am not sure I am ready for that yet.

 

[Antidote]

ohhhh noooo, never heard of that before. That was one EXPENSIVE Kingfish. If you make it down to Jacksonville, Fl, I have a replacement anchor for you that you can have. I can't help you with the chain o rope. The fish that got away...... or is this a fish story?......

No, not a a fish story. Thank you for your generous offer. I had gone to a Lewmar claw anchor (the one that got away,lol); but, I still have to original that came with my boat.

 

[Antidote]

I feel your pain as I too have left an anchor, chain and 100' rope out at the Betsy Ross. However mine was not lost in such a dramatic fashion as my anchor became locked onto the wreck and I had to cut my rode. I now use a wreck type anchor with bendable aluminum grappling prongs. It has already saved me another loss out there as had to forcibly bend my way out of there after another lock-on. Maybe I can get my Raymarine autopilot to hold me over the wreck? A MinKota would probably be the best solution but I am not sure I am ready for that yet.

I rig my anchors to break away if they become fouled. I run the chain to the head of the anchor and use two big zip ties to the hold it in the hole on the end of the shank. If it fouls I motor slowly over the anchor to break the zip ties and pull it opposite of the way it set. It works very well and has saved anchors on a few occasions.

 

[Mpellet]

I was out off Hilton Head today at the Betsy Ross. I had a King on and had been fighting it for about 10 minutes. It took another run this time towards the bow. It swam around my anchor as I was fighting it, I felt it break off. When I brought the line in the 90# wire leader had snapped and was frayed. I noticed it had what looked like nylon strings hanging off of it. Then I noticed we were drifting. The wire leader had cut my 1/2" 8 plait rode. Anchor, 40' of chain and about 100' rope gone.

I think it way more likely that your anchor was laying over the bottom structure and the rode was rubbing on that structure and coincidentally cut through when you were fighting the fish. I dove offshore shipwrecks for decades and can’t tell you how many times, while descending along the anchor rode discovered that the line was rubbing against the wreck and had to be cleared or it would be eventually cut through...

 

[wejohns]

I thought I used a lot of anchor chain by using 25'. As a diver I have found many anchors cut off way shorter than the depth I was diving. I have often wondered if someone had free dove down as deep as they could and cut off. Had never thought of the fact a wire leader could be the culprit. That could explain the anchors I find that are not foul in structure or a reef.

 

[Andy]

I thought I used a lot of anchor chain by using 25'. As a diver I have found many anchors cut off way shorter than the depth I was diving. I have often wondered if someone had free dove down as deep as they could and cut off. Had never thought of the fact a wire leader could be the culprit. That could explain the anchors I find that are not foul in structure or a reef.

I used to dive the sunken Liberty Ship, the "Theodore Parker" off Atlantic Beach, NC. It's a popular (easy to get to) fishing and dive location. That ship is riddled with fouled anchors, anchor line and chain; including some of mine! Occasionally I'd dive down to set the anchor, and more often, to 'un-set' it... You could almost make a living retrieving the snagged gear and lures! ☺

 

[Antidote]

I think it way more likely that your anchor was laying over the bottom structure and the rode was rubbing on that structure and coincidentally cut through when you were fighting the fish. I dove offshore shipwrecks for decades and can’t tell you how many times, while descending along the anchor rode discovered that the line was rubbing against the wreck and had to be cleared or it would be eventually cut through...

I was anchored in 60' of water on the ledge 400 yards upstream from the wreck in 90'. I got a great view on the sonar as we drifted over the wreck after the cut off. Also the 7 strand leader had nylon threads hanging off of it when I retrieved it. A Charter Captain friend of mine thinks the King may hay turned into a Reef Shark at my rode and it bit off the rode.

 

[RumRunner]

I was out off Hilton Head today at the Betsy Ross. I had a King on and had been fighting it for about 10 minutes. It took another run this time towards the bow. It swam around my anchor as I was fighting it, I felt it break off. When I brought the line in the 90# wire leader had snapped and was frayed. I noticed it had what looked like nylon strings hanging off of it. Then I noticed we were drifting. The wire leader had cut my 1/2" 8 plait rode. Anchor, 40' of chain and about 100' rope gone.
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[RumRunner]

I was out off Hilton Head today at the Betsy Ross. I had a King on and had been fighting it for about 10 minutes. It took another run this time towards the bow. It swam around my anchor as I was fighting it, I felt it break off. When I brought the line in the 90# wire leader had snapped and was frayed. I noticed it had what looked like nylon strings hanging off of it. Then I noticed we were drifting. The wire leader had cut my 1/2" 8 plait rode. Anchor, 40' of chain and about 100' rope gone.

I have lost a few anchors on the Betsy. I carry 30 ft of chain, and i believe that the chain wraps around the wrecks. I do carry now a bendable Reef anchor that if can switch out easily on with a serious carabiner at the end of my chain. Also switched to Fortress Anchor, and it performs very well. Are you sure it was a King?

 

[Antidote]

I have lost a few anchors on the Betsy. I carry 30 ft of chain, and i believe that the chain wraps around the wrecks. I do carry now a bendable Reef anchor that if can switch out easily on with a serious carabiner at the end of my chain. Also switched to Fortress Anchor, and it performs very well. Are you sure it was a King?

When it came by the boat on the first run it looked like a King. It also ran and circled like one. A charter Captain buddy of mine thinks a Sandbar Shark found it it near the rode and had lunch and my cut rode was it's fault.