This might be hard to explain/visualise but I'll give it a shot -
I use a 12# anchor tied to 35' of .5" kern mantle rope - one end fixed to the anchor, the other to the bow handle. Attached around the anchor line with a Klemheist knot using 3/8" rope is a 42" rubber tarp bungee strap (no hooks, just the 3/8" rope through the rubber hole), and another 3/8" loop through the other side of the rubber bungee.
To use it, I put the non-knot side of the bungee around the cleat of my choice, drop the anchor, and holding the Klemheist knot I pull the un-necessary anchor line back into the boat (3gal bucket like above) until I've got the anchor line where I want it. Once the boat starts to pull, the Klemheist knot locks up and the rubber bungee acts like a spring to keep the boat steady with the waves/obnoxious large boats that like to cruise past a 12'er parked for fishing.
If the rubber bungee fails for some reason, the anchor line is still fixed to the bow and I'm only out 2.50 until I get back to the farm store.
C