Inexpensive DIY Pole Anchor

[.Mike]

I just put together the cheapest possible high-quality shallow water pole anchor that I could, and thought I would share in case anyone else is looking to make their own.







I couldn't find any fiberglass poles locally, so I ordered from amleo.com. I used item FS3408 for $10.49 plus $5.99 shipping. I actually bought three, which worked out to $30.46 for 3, delivered. They were backordered for months, but I finally got them!

I couldn't find any cheap t-handles, even looking online. Shipping usually killed it. I ended up buying a 3ft paddle from Walmart for under $5, and cannibalized the handle: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Propel-By-Shoreline-Marine-3-Aluminum-Paddle/50279691

I used a $4.99 tube of Marine Epoxy from Home Depot, and a 1.5" #10 stainless steel screw ($1.18 for 3 @ HD). I already had both of those, or I would have chosen a better screw.

Pole $10.49
Shipping $5.99
Paddle $4.97
Epoxy $4.99
Screw $1.18
-----
Total: $27.62

Building it is easy. Remove the handle from the paddle by drilling out the single rivet that holds it to the shaft. Drill so the rivet hole goes all the way through the handle, so it can hold the screw. Drill a hole in the fiberglass pole to accommodate the screw (outdoors with respirator and safety glasses).

Mix up some epoxy (wear gloves). Coat the screw hole, and put the screw through the handle and pole to affix the handle. Suspend the whole thing upside-down, and fill the gap between the pole and the handle with epoxy. Let it cure.

Take a sander, a file, or whatever you have, and sharpen the other end to a point. I coated mine with epoxy.

That's all there is to it. $28 and an hour of time. Testing tomorrow, weather permitting.

 

[richg99]

Very nice. Thanks for the full explanation. I looked up the item and see it was an 8-foot pole. Let us know how it works. richg99

 

[.Mike]

Sorry, yes-- 8ft. I wanted the 10ft one, but wasn't about to spend $100+ on shipping. A company called Max-Gain Systems sells a coupler, but their prices are way out of line with what I think they are worth. No way will I pay $37 to connect two poles together.

I didn't get to try my anchor today. Tides were great. A cold front rolled through overnight, and today's high temp is under 80 for the first time in months. We were up before dawn, ready to go.

Unfortunately, the wind was blowing at 15, gusting to 35. We canceled the trip. Boo!

Instead, we headed to a creek and fished the outgoing tide from the bank. Caught 1 little fish we used for cut bait, and 1 flounder, just 11.5". At least life is returning to our creek. Tons of really nice crabs in the area, tons of little shrimp, and lots of big birds fishing the edges of the marshes.

 

[.Mike]

After two weekends of wind, I finally got to test it out. It worked very well.

My wife and I hit the water at sunrise. We headed up a little creek, and fished with artificials on the falling tide on the way back. We then fished the rising tide up a different creek. When the water activity dropped, we headed home.

We stopped by docks, marsh inlets, and visible oyster beds, and used the anchor. Compared to my improvised cinder-block-and-rope anchor, this thing is a breeze. Turn into the wind, stick the pole in the mud, toss over the line, and hook up. It held the boat well against the wind, current, and tide. It also comes out pretty clean, so there is no excessive mud in the boat.

I put some flotation on it. I assume it doesn't float, and I don't want to lose it.



We ended up with two keepers for the day-- a 16" red, and a trout that made the limit by an inch. Cooler weather and water just cannot get here soon enough!

 

[richg99]

Well done. Pole/stick/ anchors are a marvel. I have one on a boat up here in TN.

I took a guy fishing a few weeks ago and he had NO idea what one was, or what you can use it for. Of course, most of our lakes are 60 feet deep with rock bottoms.
Ha Ha

 

[onthewater102]

I like the idea of that pool noodle on there to keep it floating - going to have to see about adding one to mine.

 

[.Mike]

My fiberglass pole is 3/4" in diameter. Most of the pool noodles I found had 1" diameter holes.

I ended up finding pool noodles with 3/4" diameter holes at the Dollar Tree, if you have one of those in your area.