Best Anchor Pin For Your Kayak (Plus Anchor Pin Storage Tip) (2024)

Kayak anchor pin time!

Anchor pins (also called stake-out poles) are by far the most effective tools to anchor yourself in shallow water when inshore fishing… especially when used within an anchor trolley system.

As with most fishing equipment, there are numerous types out there and they range in length, diameter, and the material they are made out of.

I want to go ahead and explain the advantages and disadvantages of these different anchor pins, and help you narrow down which one would work best for you.

Anchor Pin Ideal Length

The length of the anchor pin really depends on how deep you typically fish.

Most of the best anchor pins range on average from 4 to 8 feet long.

Note: You must also factor in an extra foot or so that the anchor pin will have to go into the bottom in order to stay put.

I typically fish in water from 6-inches to 5-feet deep, so I went with a longer anchor pin in the 7 to 8-foot range.

This will accommodate anchoring up in most areas that I fish.

In addition to serving as an anchor, these longer anchor pins can also double as a push pole to help maneuver your kayak in shallow water.

Anchor Pin Diameter

How thick the anchor pin is usually associated with the length.

These longer anchor pins will be a bit thicker than the shorter ones depending on the brand.

A ¾ inch pin is a standard thickness of most pins in the 7 to 8-foot range.

Shorter pins will be in the ½ inch range.

If anchoring in a harder bottom, these thinner anchor pins can be a little easier to get into the ground, but the ¾ inch pins are still fairly thin.

Anchor Pin Construction

Believe it or not, the material that an anchor pin is made out of will greatly affect its performance.

By performance, I mean the ability to anchor yourself and to stay anchored.

The best anchor pins will be made of fiberglass composite.

This makes them very strong and gives them a bit of weight which helps keep the pin in the ground.

The “Stick-It Anchor Pin” is a great example of this and is what I have always used (this is my favorite that I have tested out).

Here is a link to check them out – https://www.stickitanchorpins.com/

With these anchor pins being dense and heavier, they will sink to the bottom if dropped overboard and not secured properly.

An easy fix for this is to simply slide a piece of pool noodle to the top and secure it with zip ties.

What you want to avoid are anchor pins made of lightweight material such as PVC, wood, plastic, or carbon fiber.

As these materials are nice and lightweight, (which can be convenient when bringing on a kayak) this hinders their ability to stay in the bottom as they will want to float up.

The suction on the anchor pin when stuck into the ground helps it stay put, but as your kayak tugs on the pin it will start to come loose and widen the hole that it has made in the ground, resulting in the anchor pin wanting to float up as it comes free.

Having that extra weight that a fiberglass composite pin has will help it stay put.

Now that you have this 8-foot long stick on your kayak, you may think to yourself “Where in the world am I going to store this thing?”

I’ve got you covered!

The best way that I have found to store an anchor pin is similar to how you would store your paddle when not in use – on the side of your kayak.

There are clips that are made to store light poles for boats that work perfectly to store a ¾ inch anchor pin.

You will just need to mount these in a location that will not affect your paddling stroke when your anchor pin is placed in them.

Click here to view/purchase a set of these storage clips on Amazon

If your kayak is equipped with a bungee to hold your paddle when not in use, you could also use this to store your anchor pin.

The Big Anchor Pin No-No

I see a lot of people stick their anchor pin through a scupper hole on their kayak to anchor themselves.

As this helps to quickly stop yourself, you are also putting a lot of pressure on the scupper hole as your kayak moves around.

These are one of the weakest spots on your kayak and the most vulnerable areas for leaks that are hard to detect.

Do yourself a favor and tie a rope to your anchor pin and connect the rope to your kayak.

Connecting your anchor pin to an anchor trolley is an even better method which you can see demonstrated by clicking here.

In the following video, I will be giving you some very helpful tips on using an anchor pin, and also showing you how to store one on your kayak

Anchor Pin Tips [VIDEO]

Conclusion

Having an anchor pin while kayak fishing is a must.

It turns a breezy day of fishing into a killer day by keeping you in place and giving you more opportunity to stay near your honey holes.

My favorite anchor pin so far is made by Stick-It.

Finally, make sure you have your anchor pin secured on your kayak.

Nothing worse than having your pin fall in the water or bang around your kayak.

What’s your favorite anchor pin?

Let me know in the comments.

Related Post: How To Most Effectively Use A Kayak Anchor Trolley System

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