Power anchor winch questions

[Corky]

Hi guys...For those of you who are using a power anchor winch or have had one in the past,I have a few questions...

Are they worth the money and effort to install one ???

How many amps are these things drawing each cycle and would a small lawnmower battery {420CCA} take the load ???

I'm looking at the Trac brand units probably the small one like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/391088870827...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Would something like this do the job or do I need a bigger one ???

As you can guess I've never needed one of these before but it sure seems appealing to have the ability to sit in the operator's seat and drop/raise the anchor instead of {in my case} having the engine running and pulling the anchor while the boat is fighting the river's downstream current...

But on the other hand I'm not lazy and would'nt have a problem doing what I've been doing for years if one of these units are'nt justified for cost,weight, and price...
Thanks for any opinions !!!

[Papee]

That looks a lot like the bass pro shops I have on my boat. Mine has a wired remote switch though. I've been looking for one for my uncle but can never find one with the remote switch. I have my switch on the dash. For my use I don't think I'd really use one that had the switch in the unit. You'd have to get out of your seat to hit the switch so you may as well pull an anchor.

I do most of my fishing from the drivers seat. I just got use to it since I fish there when someone's along. I can raise and lower the winch without moving which is great for my unstable legs. As far as the small battery running it, I don't think it would have a problem. They don't draw as much as a ATV winch and I used one of those on my tractor to raise and lower the blade.

Im sure you could wire a remote switch in using a ATV switch so you'd have both switches though. I float fish mostly but it sure comes in handy when you're fighting a good sized bass on light tackle. I just drop the anchor if I need to while fighting the fish. They also come with terrible rope on them. I replaced the role before I used it.

[aerokirk]

I'm using the Trac winch designed for pontoon boats and it works well. I also have a remote switch wired into the side of my instrument panel which is great as Papee said and the winch also has a built in switch on it which is great when you're outside the boat at the shoreline. It doesn't take much current to run but it is slow so you've got to be patient when dropping anchor in deep water.

[Corky]

Thanks for the replies guys...I've read the biggest gripe is how slow the anchor line moves...Some have suggested to get the Trac "angler" model that spools itself to the bottom so you're not babysitting it with your hand on the switch the whole way down...I'm not sure what to make of that.. To me it could be just another feature to go wrong......And speaking of that...I keep thinking about not having the ability to throw the anchor out if needed in an emergency situation and there's no power{?}while floating down the river...Overthinking it I guess...

[Papee]

You really don't need to be concerned about the speed. We're only putting out 15' of line around here. I'll make a short video in the driveway to show the speed. The trailer is about a foot and a half high so it's a real world test for us.



I went out Saturday morning. It was just too darned hit to be out there and I forgot my water. The motor ran warmer than normal and you could tell the difference in thrust with this hot air. The water was around 70* on top where my fish finder reads.