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Best Anchor Winches for Pontoon Boat

Anchoring has never been more fun and easier with pontoon anchor winch. Whether you are a beginner or already an expert at boating, you will surely benefit from the best anchor winches for pontoon boat. Basically, these will help you secure your pontoon boat well while you are drifting against the waves. There are different types of anchors (fortress fluke anchor, grapnel anchor, a box of anchor, or mushroom anchor) that is available right now. However, you need to choose the right one that will work perfectly for you.

Best Anchor Winches for Pontoon Boat

In This Article

Best Anchor Winches for Pontoon Boat

You will find out different types of pontoon anchor winches in the market. But you need to choose the best one for you. Here, I am providing five models of pontoon winches. You can find both manual and electric anchor winch and can know about the highest weight capacity and line length, which a reel can hold on.

Pontoon winches discussed below can be used for deck boats as well. Along with the winch, you also need to buy anchor rope, lines, and hardware.

While buying the winches, you also need to take pontoon anchor weight into your consideration. The anchor weight can vary from model to model. However, you need to know which anchor type is the best for your boat. Mushroom anchor is one of the most common types used for the boat.

If you want to prevent spooling, you should buy a winch that comes with the internal clutches. Most of the winches available now are the electric pontoon ones. But if you have a personal preference, you can also get the manual one.

Trac Outdoors Fisherman 25-G3 Electric Anchor Winch – Anchors Up to 25 lb. – Includes 100-feet of Pre-Wound Anchor Rope with Use (69002)
  • Assembly hardware and instructions
  • 100′ of 0.20″ pre-wound braided anchor rope
  • Separate roller davit
  • Automatic resetting circuit breaker
  • Sealed membrane UP/DOWN switch

Trac’s electric anchor windlass for fishermen comes with the anti-reverse internal clutch. It helps in preventing spooling. It is available both for saltwater and freshwater. Corrosion protection and stainless-steel material have made it sturdy and robust.

Features –

  • It is an electric anchor winch.
  • One can get a maximum anchor capacity of 20-25 lb.
  • For the freshwater, it comes with a warranty. If you use it for the saltwater, the warranty might be voided.
  • 17-foot safety chain and 100-foot braid rope are included with this.

Sale
Trac Outdoors Deckboat 40 AutoDeploy-G3 Electric Anchor Winch – Anchors Up to 40 lb. – Includes 100-feet of Pre-Wound Anchor Rope with Use (69005), Gray
  • Easy to Operate: Allows you to automatically raise and lower your anchor with easy-to-use buttons; Provides simple, smooth operation with excellent holding power
  • High-Efficiency Motor: The high-efficiency, 12-volt DC, all-steel gear motor uses less battery power than other brands
  • Maximum Anchor Capacity: 40 lb.
  • Includes: 100-feet of 3/16-inch pre-wound braided anchor rope, separate or integrated anchor roller, circuit breaker, sealed membrane UP/DOWN switch, wireless remote, marine-grade battery wire, assembly hardware and instructions
  • Note: Anchor not included

If you want to enjoy a more controlled drift, you should go for deckboat 35 electric anchor winch. It comes with three wireless remote features. These up, down, and auto-deploy pushbuttons provide ample line to fasten pontoon’s anchor. When the anchor rope becomes tighter, the winch releases enough slack.

Sixteen feet of marine grade wire offers excellent life to your battery. However, it is not suitable for running on a large boat. If you get any, you should go for the extended connection.

Features –

  • This is an electric wireless remote-controlled winch.
  • The maximum anchor capacity it can support is 30 to 35 lb.
  • It comes with two years warranty.
  • It also has a davit.

Sale
Minn Kota 1810141 Pontoon Deckhand Electric Anchor Winch, 40 lb Anchor Capacity
  • Get precision boat placement and the ability to stay on the fish as long as you want
  • 20 to 40 lb anchor capacity (anchor not included)
  • Pre-spooled with 100 feet of 800 lb test nylon rope
  • Included universal davit can be mounted at base of DeckHand or in remote position on boat deck; Stows anchor horizontally to eliminate anchor swing
  • Includes quick release bracket (MKA-16-03), corded remote (DH-40), quick connect plug (MKR-12)

This is an electric pontoon winch operated with the remote switch button. With this, you can quickly raise or lower your anchor. When the pontoon anchor starts dragging, this winch acts promptly. So, there is a chance of getting a slight amount of drifting. For the position of davit mount, the anchor can’t damage your pontoon.

Features –

  • It comes with a 12-volt battery, and the winch type is electrical.
  • The maximum anchor weight capacity is 20-40 lb.
  • It has a horizontal davit.
  • It comes with two years warranty.

Among a lot of electric anchor winch in the market, this one is the manual reel. Using it might bring different problems. It can be stopped anywhere anytime. Again, you will also find a problem while landing the reel. However, the handle stays on the place if you don’t hold it with a wet hand.

For the beginner pontoon boat owner, this is the best anchor winch. This winch doesn’t come with any additional gears lie rope line or hardware. For the handy person, this is the best option.

Features –

  • The winch type is the manual spooling reel.
  • The maximum weight capacity of the anchor is 12 lb.
  • It has no davit.
  • It can go over 100 ft. But the anchor rope is not included with it.
  • It doesn’t offer any warranty.

Minn Kota 1810140 DH 40 DeckHand Electric Anchor Winch, 40 lb anchor capacity
  • Electric anchor winch makes fishing boat navigation and placement convenient and effortless
  • Davit can be mounted horizontally to stop anchor swing
  • Handles anchors up to 40 pounds; pre-spooled with 100 feet of 800-pound Test nylon rope
  • Comes with mounting hardware and installation instructions; compatible with other Minn Kota accessories
  • Two-year warranty included

It is an electric anchor that comes with remote control. This is a simple winch, which is also easier to operate with the remote controller. It is also cheaper than the other models available in the market.

Features –

  • It is an electric winch controlled by remote.
  • The maximum weight it can take for an anchor is 20 to 40 pounds.
  • It has a davit.
  • It comes with a warranty.
  • Its line capacity is 100 feet long

Buying Guide

Here are additional and important information that will help you decide which one to choose. When buying a pontoon electric anchor winch, take note of these:

  • Exceed the weight capacity – your winch should have a higher weight capacity so that it would be able to fulfill its purpose of lifting your anchor. It is better to choose that which you can use for different purposes, whether you are at the beach or in the river. This will also help you save money because you would not have to get an upgrade in the future should you need something that can carry a heavier load. Make sure that you check the specifications of your winch. If it is has a capacity between 12 and 35 pounds, then it’s good to go.
  • Read online reviews – before purchasing, it is always advisable to read customer reviews so that you would know what to expect from those who have already tried the product. Make sure to also read comments from reliable sites that do not filter or do not have bias such as the reviews on amazon. Check for the pros and cons of the product from firsthand customers.
  • Don’t buy cheap – customers have this certain instinct of buying the cheapest one to save money. This is non-negotiable if you are tight on your budget. However, if you have enough money to spare, go for quality rather than the price. Products that are cheaper, such as the trac 25 winch, might break easily, causing you to spend more. Check out my reviews on windlasses that are based on quality and you will find something that is both cheap and durable. 
  • Reliability & durability – pontoon anchor winches function to lift and pull heavy anchors that is why all products featured on this article were chosen based on their capability to fulfill this specific purpose. It is necessary to choose a brand that uses high quality materials to make sure that the finished product will be reliable. Not only that, a good material should also protect the product from wear and tear. Since your winch would be exposed to rough waters, it should be durable enough to withstand corrosion and other forms of damages.
  • Other essentials that you need – aside from the winch itself, you would also need other accessories such as ledges and mounts to be able to use it effectively. Not all products would include all these accessories so you might need to buy them separately. Check out these essentials on the lower part of this feature.
  • Installation and ease of use – once everything is ready, the last thing that you must consider is the installation method. It’s very easy to install winches by yourself if you choose the right one that does not have unnecessary complex features. You just must make sure that you get an instructional video from the manufacturer that will teach you how to do it. Read more on how to install winches and other helpful suggestions below.

Video Credit: fishingworld

Why buy a pontoon boat anchor winch?

Aside from convenience, customers can also benefit from the safety that a pontoon boat anchor winch can provide. Here are other reasons why you should buy one:

  • Anchors are very heavy – even the strongest person would find it hard to lift an anchor by himself. Like playing football where you can get your knees or back injured, yanking an anchor poses a high risk for injury. To avoid getting injured, winches were made to assist and support the owner in raising and lowering an anchor.
  • Winches are safer – it should always be the boat captain’s priority to ensure the safety of his passengers since accidents are inevitable. There have been a lot of reports regarding deaths and injuries that are related to boating. These mortalities involved anchor drags, broken parts, and hinged shanks among others. It can be easily avoided when an electric anchor winch installed on your boat because it will ensure that your anchor will have a safe distance in the water.
  • They are perfect for solo pontooners – for those who love going solo fishing and boating, the best company is your anchor winch. With this, you do not have to do things manually on your own. You can even have a remote control that would allow you to safely maneuver your boat pontoon anchor. As featured above, there are a lot of brands which come with a remote control that has a few buttons that you can easily learn and master.
  • You will have a cleaner boat – as someone who used to ride my own pontoon, I have always hated the tedious task of removing all sorts of dirt on the anchor before storing it back to its place. Now that I already have an anchor winch, I do not have to do this again since my anchor is kept off the boat. You can put your anchor anywhere you want to without be having to worry about drips and stains on your carpet and on the floor.

Video Credit – Mark Savidge

How to install an anchor winch?

Installing an anchor winch is quite easy. You can have a look here to know the proper procedure and safety information of installing an anchor winch.

To install an anchor winch, you will be required an electric drill, a drill bit, a screwdriver, a crimping tool, and an adjustable wrench.

You will also need to have some materials like a winch and anchor roller, bolts, washers, nuts, shackle, anchors, battery wire, and circuit breakers. Most of the tools and materials mentioned here will be included with the anchor.

How to install anchor winch on the boat deck?

You can install the anchor winch both on the front part or back part of your boat. Select the place at first where you want to fix it. Then you must find out a perfect spot on the deck for anchor roller and winch. While installing it, you should make sure to place the anchor roller in the corner of the floor. There should not be any barrier below the location of anchor roller and winch. You also need to keep enough space for rope spool. Then you must mark a spot on the place where the winch would be mounted.

You will find out different bolt holes there. But not to get confused. You should choose the four slots to place the winch frame. Drilling on the shaft, you will need to bolt the deck. To get sturdiness, you should use plywood under the bridge.

How to do the wiring?

You should choose the wire size carefully, depending on the model and size of your anchor winch. The switch and wire should be appropriately connected to each other.

For anchor operation, you need to attach the shackle to the anchor and tie the rope.

How to operate the anchor winch?

The different switch is used to direct your anchor in different positions. If you want to lower the anchor, you should press the switch in the down position. To stop, you will need to press the up button. For raising the anchor, you will also need to press the up position and hold it for a few moments.

How to anchor your pontoon boat?

After installing the anchor system correctly, you mist want to use it. Well, here is a brief discussion about how to anchor your pontoon boat.

At first, you need to select a place where you would anchor your pontoon boat. Then you must measure how deep the water is. It is important to determine the depth in order to know the amount of rode you will require to release.

It is better to release 5 to 7 times line comparing to the water depth. However, you should also take the distance from the water in your consideration.

Then you need to prepare your boat by directing it to the current. This time, you must keep your boat in an idle position completely.

Then you must release the anchor to the water slowly. Slow release helps not tangling the line. For the manual winch, you must throw it from the boat. But if you have an electric winch, you can control it with the remote controller.

When you drop the line, your boat will start drifting to the backward position. The movement of your boat will be depended on the current this time.

After you have got your desired place, you should wrap the rode around a block. This time your anchor will start digging down to the water. You can secure it, putting your engine in the idle reverse position.

Best Place for Installing an Anchor

So, if you are looking for the best trolling motor mount for your canoe or inflatable boat or kayak, you can get all the information from this article. While buying a mount, you will need to make sure the mount you purchase should be compatible with your boat and support you for a long time.

A good mount allows you to enjoy fishing on the water seamlessly. Those who are passionate about fishing on the water and have a personal kayak or inflatable boat or canoe can invest in the mount and install a powerful motor that will allow them to cover extra distance and making their fishing experience the best one.

best anchor winches for pontoon boat

Anchor winch and anchor windlass basic differences

Since an anchor winch and windlass have the same purpose, some people get confused as to the difference between the two. To clarify, a boat winch is mainly used to handle mooring ropes and haul or lift heavy loads. It may either be powered by hydraulics or electricity. On the other hand, an anchor windlass is used to control the anchor chain on a ship by allowing the anchor to be lowered or raised by the chain cable. It is also powered by hydraulics or a motor.

Safety

When working with tools, it is always important to ensure one’s own safety. Since you are working with heavy objects, it is a must that you know how to control your anchor well to avoid accidents. Study the parts carefully and you will see that anchors have hinged shanks and sharp edges that can cause injury when not handled properly.

As such, pontoon anchor winches were made available to ensure our safety. How? Since it will be the one to lift and carry the anchor, the risk of dropping it on our foot will be avoided. It would also keep the anchor outside the boat, giving us enough deck space and getting us away from its shanks and sharp edges.

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Picture of Aaron S. Taylor
Aaron S. Taylor

As of: 17th April, 2020

Aaron owns a pontoon boat for the last seven years. He and his wife, Debbie, had owned it since 2013 when they bought it from their good friend Robert Woodson. He made lots of modifications to his boat. He is a self claim expert in the pontoon boat area.

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