Marsh Stake for Staking out Boat during Tide Change

[Noah Shaver]

Good morning gentlemen,

As a few of you know I'm sort of in the middle of a TDB restoration that has snowballed into quite the undertaking. Other priorities have gotten in the way and the boat won't be ready for this season.

My idea for this season is to bring my jon boat up to hunt the salt marsh. The areas I travel to in NJ have some pretty short spartina/salt hay and the jon boat with any sort of blind has much too tall of a profile to hide for puddle ducks. My plan is to throw my Ascend H10 kayak with a cabelas blind on it in the boat.

I will motor the jon boat relatively close to the hunting area, toss the kayak over the side with decoys, and paddle into the hunting spot so that I can hunt out of the kayak. The kayak with the cabelas blind on it is basically a paddle-able floating layout blind, it will hide great in the salt marsh.

The issue with this system is that I'll be by myself, and I plan to sit through some tide changes on my hunts. I will leave the larger jon boat in bigger ditches that still have water at low tide so that I can escape if needed. I need a way to stake the boat out and be sure that as the water rises or falls the boat has the freedom to stay in the water and not be high and dry when I paddle back to it.

What are some reliable staking/tie out methods in the salt marsh that you have used?

 

[Carl]

When I hunted like this in Mobile, where the tides are only ~1-2', I just planted the bow anchor very well, put out enough rode to make sure it stayed stuck, and let her float.

 

[jode hillman]

Good morning gentlemen,

As a few of you know I'm sort of in the middle of a TDB restoration that has snowballed into quite the undertaking. Other priorities have gotten in the way and the boat won't be ready for this season.

My idea for this season is to bring my jon boat up to hunt the salt marsh. The areas I travel to in NJ have some pretty short spartina/salt hay and the jon boat with any sort of blind has much too tall of a profile to hide for puddle ducks. My plan is to throw my Ascend H10 kayak with a cabelas blind on it in the boat.

I will motor the jon boat relatively close to the hunting area, toss the kayak over the side with decoys, and paddle into the hunting spot so that I can hunt out of the kayak. The kayak with the cabelas blind on it is basically a paddle-able floating layout blind, it will hide great in the salt marsh.

The issue with this system is that I'll be by myself, and I plan to sit through some tide changes on my hunts. I will leave the larger jon boat in bigger ditches that still have water at low tide so that I can escape if needed. I need a way to stake the boat out and be sure that as the water rises or falls the boat has the freedom to stay in the water and not be high and dry when I paddle back to it.

What are some reliable staking/tie out methods in the salt marsh that you have used?

I just use an 8 foot push pole and I give about 8 to 10 foot of slack on the rope bridle. As the tide recedes the boat usually follows the tide line as long as there is ample water underneath.

If the wind is against you then I would throw out an anchor opposite your tie off pole to combat the push out the wind

 

[Dave Diefenderfer]

When we hunt open water in VA on the tides, we use a pair of 15ft fiberglass poles, anchor poles. These serve mutiple purposes for us;
1. the mud is 4 to 8ft thick, and no anchors have held fast in any wind
2. the use of a pole fore and aft keeps us positioned and not swinging on a anchor as the tide and wind shift
3. allows easy adustment as the tide changes (prusik knot on the pole, slides up and down and binds as needed)
4. makes retrieval of birds and return to position very easy

 

[RM Anderson]

1. the mud is 4 to 8ft thick, and no anchors have held fast in any wind

I don't mean to sound ignorant, but when the tide goes out, is this an area of quicksand?
RM

 

[Noah Shaver]

I don't mean to sound ignorant, but when the tide goes out, is this an area of quicksand?
RM

This is the reason I am hunting in such a convoluted manner.

If you step out of the boat you are toast. I've been stuck so bad before I literally thought I was going to have to call for emergency help.

You don't realize how much buoyancy you get from the water to keep you from sinking in the mud. You can set the decoys at a higher tide and the bottom feels soft but not bad. Shoot a duck a few hours later on a lower tide, walk out to retrieve it, and sink up to your belly button in the same muck you just walked in earlier.

I've found it best to utilize methods of hunting that allow you to stay afloat at all times. That's why I'll be toting a kayak with me inside of my jon boat. It's a bizarre combination of conditions that make hunting really tough. Last time I was up there we spent more time floundering around that we did shooting.

 

[Bob Reitmeyer]

What Jode said! Also, just to be safe maybe add a redundant anchor line to shore. My Dad and I used to motor out to spots and set up a blind so we did this a lot. Depending on how close the jon boat is you can always check on it. Maybe also throw a camo net over it too.

 

[Eric Patterson]

I ran across this idea a while back. I don't remember where but I thought it was interesting. I think it is more of a permanent tie-up solution in one spot, but a clever idea in the right situation.

 

[Dave Diefenderfer]

I don't mean to sound ignorant, but when the tide goes out, is this an area of quicksand?
RM

It certainly would be, but we are hunting open water, and there is 4 to 8 ft of water on top of the 4 to 8 feet of mud. We never get out of the boat.

 

[Jeff Reardon]

I mostly have shoreline trees to tie to, and tie a bowline to a tree and drop a stern anchor to prevent wind and tide moving the boat. When I am in marsh with no trees I either use both bow and stern anchors, or drive a stake in the mud for one end of the boat.

 

[Noah Shaver]

Reading these responses, I'm not really sure why I had it in my head I had to stake the boat to the bank. I'll be mobile with the kayak, so anchoring the boat out in the middle of a ditch is no problem. If I know tide is going to drop 4 or 5 feet, as long as I park the boat in 7+ feet of water and anchor I should have sufficient water to exit

 

[jode hillman]

This is the reason I am hunting in such a convoluted manner.

If you step out of the boat you are toast. I've been stuck so bad before I literally thought I was going to have to call for emergency help.

You don't realize how much buoyancy you get from the water to keep you from sinking in the mud. You can set the decoys at a higher tide and the bottom feels soft but not bad. Shoot a duck a few hours later on a lower tide, walk out to retrieve it, and sink up to your belly button in the same muck you just walked in earlier.

I've found it best to utilize methods of hunting that allow you to stay afloat at all times. That's why I'll be toting a kayak with me inside of my jon boat. It's a bizarre combination of conditions that make hunting really tough. Last time I was up there we spent more time floundering around that we did shooting.

Noah, get a jet sled. I hunt Delaware bay and the mud will eat you. With a sled to lean on and displace your weight, you can move around even in soupy mud if need be. Sometimes ya even gotta retrieve the retriever!

 

[Noah Shaver]

Jode, that mud sure does look familiar. It's really fun when it gets a nice layer of ice over it and you have those "breakthrough" moments

 

[Carl]

so anchoring the boat out in the middle of a ditch is no problem.

just dont obstruct navigation & leave your lights on!

 

[Anthony Babich]

Noah, I use a variety of "anchoring methods" in the salt marsh.. the most common / new generation way is "Spud Poles" made by SuperStick they make a variety of different lengths / dimensions. I also use a custom marsh steak that sticks in the mud uses a clip to fasten the rope & pushed down with feet...

Here is one of the SuperStick's I use one up in the bow & stern they are 12' in length and have a slight flex to compensate for wind / currents...




TDB Now Makes a "Spud Pole Bracket Mount"

 

[Paul Taylor]

Make a Cajun Anchor. Go to Lowes and get an 8' grounding rod ($20), heat and hammer one end flat, drill a hole for an anchor shackle ($6). Spear that sucker into the mud, make two for bow and stern.

For mud flats when the tide is out, does anyone use a pirogue up there? Great to push pole across mud flats!

 

[Wyatt Russo]

A piece of rebar with some paracord works fine to stake it to the marsh you don’t need anything fancy, just leave some slack in the line. If you’re anchoring the Jon boat in a deeper channel within the marsh just use your regular anchor.

 

[Steve Sanford]

Noah et al~

Lots already covered here. I always anchor - not stake - an untended vessel. If you are concerned that a rising tide might strand your "transport boat" up on the marsh, 2 anchors - bow and stern - do the trick.

Having said that - here is the "staub" or "bog spike" or "marsh stake" that many Long Island gunners use. I tried White Oak early on - but quickly went to metal. Frozen bogs cured me! (That's John Sheaff - former president of South Shore Waterfowlers Ass'n and good friend. He passed in 2019 or 2020, If I recall correctly.)




When gunning, I usually snug the boat side-to against the saltmarsh - and secure the staub amidships. I adjust it throughout the tidal cycles.



I had my neighbor bend several of these last year. For most LI waters I gun, about 18 or 20 inches is all I need.



Sorry to hear about that mire you have in Jersey. I have encountered such dangerous mud only in some beaver ponds hereabouts.

All the best,

SJS

 

[Richard Lathrop]

Steve,

The staub looks suspiciously like an anchor post.


The Staub