What style of an anchor do you use not to get snagged on rocks

Hello,  

What types of unique style of anchors are you using so you don’t get snagged on rocks?

I fish in some rocky areas and have lost a number of anchors.

thank you,

Harold

The Richter anchor is a pretty clever design, but for it to release when stuck, it must be in a relatively horizontal position and with the bar for the sliding-ring attachment NOT facing downward.  That bar can end up facing downward when the anchor tips over and grabs the bottom, and in that case the bar's shape will not encourage movement of the sliding ring to the base of the anchor.  You might be able to achieve that by getting your boat "behind" the anchor when pulling, but perhaps not, depending on snagging conditions.  Also, if the anchor gets snagged in a semi-upright position (which is quite likely on rough rock bottoms or amid logs or brush), nothing you can do will allow you to pull the anchor via its base as the design intends, because the ring will always slide back to the top of the bar when you pull the rope.  I'm sure the design works fine in most cases, but these two situations would be cases where it would not.

This is an old post but the O.P. did ask for "unique" examples so I decided to show mine.  My go-to anchor style for a very long time now is home-built from the cut-up wheel of an ancient farm wagon (two pieces of the wheel are welded together in a cross, and a vertical stem (from one of the wheel spokes) is added for a pulling point).  These wheels used to be commonly seen laying around old farms but nowadays they are rare.  My anchors are 15 pounds, but my dad used to use a slightly heavier one made from a larger size wheel.  Though I've been lucky enough to not lose one of these in rocks, I've had some close calls, so I recently modified them with the old zip-tie trick so that they should always be retrievable.  The rope runs PAST the normal attachment point and is held there with a zip-tie, while the main attachment is to the anchor's base.  A strong upward pull on the rope will break the zip-tie if the anchor stem is somewhat horizontal as is usually the case.  That transfers the functional point of attachment to the anchor's base, and once that happens, it will release from any normal snag.  If it gets snagged with the stem in a nearly vertical position so that the zip-tie won't break when the rope is yanked straight up, moving the boat a fair distance to the side will make it possible to break it, and the anchor will release from whatever it is stuck on.  

First Photo:  anchor in standard mode (the section of chain just eliminates the abrasion potential if running the rope all the way to the main attachment point)

Second Photo:  anchor in release position after zip-tie breaks (breaking the zip-tie takes about 70 to 90 pounds of off-kilter pull)

Third Photo:  shows how the chain is cushioned for actual use so that it doesn't clang against the anchor stem

Gentlemen, hexagonal shaped hand weights ( that go from 10-50 lbs. ) make ideal anchors in rocks. I lost plenty of all types of conventional style anchors when i became a Wi. River DAM fisherman. Rocky bottoms the norm at all of them. I saw a guy using a hand weight and he explained how they just don’t stay stuck. Its the truth! I have a 14 footer i use a 15lb steel one in front and back. Sticks me like glue and i never lose either. Heres one more tip, dont go to wall mart or  duhnams etc and shell out for a new one. Ask your musclebound or FAT friends to sell ya one/ two. Both the muscleheads and the fatties all have them, the heads have out grown the lite weights , and the fatties ( like me) just wanna be rid of them. Seriously, ask your portly buds for any exercise equipment, we’ve all got it and will sell it litely used and cheap??

I use two river anchors in my boat.  Very rarely do I have a problem holding my boat.  When it's too windy, I use both anchors off the front of the boat.  If not windy I use one in the front and one in the back.

Years ago when Tony Dean praised the Richter ancho I bought one for my dad for Father's Day.  It has been too heavy for him to use for quite a few years now.  I'm hoping he'll give it back to me some day.  Not that I'll need it for my boat, but it is a great anchor and holds my dad's boat really well.

20lb river anchors front and back.  The key is the 12-18in of chain from end of terminal anchor line to anchor.  Effective and economical as far as anchors go.  The only time I have lost one was when I managed to drop one right into a very sturdy industrial built fish crib.  Chain reduces chance of cut off in rocky area's.

Richter anchors have a bar on the side with sliding ring so you can pull the opposite way freeing from rocks or whatever. It holds whatever you have with appropriate rope length. Expensive, but with 2-3 lost river anchors justify the price.  Use a chain to anchor with zebra mussels etc. 

The Richter anchor I have seldom used.  It should be good on rocks but likely to get caught on brush or in trees.  it is meant to grab things.  A mushroom anchor is best for mud but does a poor job everywhere else.  It sinks into it and creates a vaccuum that holds the boat.  The little holes in it allow it to sink in the mud faster and help clean it out when done.  My fave is the River anchor.  It has 3 flukes on it and looks like a mushroom anchor with 3 sections cut out.  It wont roll like a mushroom anchor and will dig in.  It works well in weeds also.  It is fantastic in mud and most other places.  Rivers are almost always a conglomeration of all types of bottoms and the river anchor fills these needs.  In mud they also sink fast in the mud and clean up easy.  They are very effective and I use only a 12 pounder for my 19 foot aluminum Ranger ( I had a 16 pounder but lost it in heavy current).  A Danforth anchor works great in sand as they dig deep into the bottom.  They release fairly easily if you can get on top of them.  They work in a lot of places also.  They also work well in heavy weeds as they will grab everything in its path.  The weeds come off easy.  The trick is NOT how much it weighs.  The trick is how well it grabs the bottom.  As with anything designed to grab the bottom, you may lose it if it dont let go.  It is hard to grab rock and when you do you may not get it back.  Always keep a spare anchor with you.  You may lose one or need two to hold you.  I know most dont want to hear about the use of chains or dont believe in it but we all want to use the least amount of weight or rope possible, especially when we want to anchor over a spot.  I wont go into that unless asked.  Remember, an anchor is worthless if it dont hold you in place by grabbing bottom.  They are not designed to weigh you down.

Though I've hardly ever fished in rocks and have always used a mushroom anchor, looking over the design of the Richter anchor looks promising (vs. the others mentioned here).  Approx. $100.  Good luck!

NAVY STYLE ANCHOR.  all the way.  very hard to get stuck

I use a Water Spike.  Actually have not used it in years, but I keep it in the boat taken apart, so it lays nice and flat in a compartment.  Good to have in case needed.

Love my Richter anchor! Check them out.

my friend swears by his. make sure it has the u shaped tongue. this is key. the ring needs to slide back to the pivot point when you go back over the top. don't get the rubber coated anchor, they don't dig in as well. https://www.amazon.com/SEACHOICE-Utility-Anchor-7E-41610/dp/B000Y860AC/ref=psdc_3398541_t3_B01N52DN9B

spot lock works fantastic!!!