Power-Pole System for Your Fishing Kayak
5-minute read + 9-minute video
A Power-Pole anchoring system for your fishing kayak? Why not? Bending Branches ProStaffer Drew Gregory shows us how he rigged Power-Poles on one of his kayaks for shallow-water fishing.
You can see the pair of Power-Poles at the stern of this kayak (photo courtesy of Drew Gregory)
Power-Pole systems are most often seen on the motorboats of shallow-water anglers. As Drew points out, though, one of the reasons he loves fishing from a kayak is it can take him to places no motorboat can reach.
He decided to get a pair of Power-Poles to fit on one of his fishing kayaks to take advantage of their ease of use and solid anchoring performance.
Watch his video below as he walks us through his Power-Pole Series II system:
Advantages of a Power-Pole System on Your Fishing Kayak
As Drew says in his video, just because gear is designed for one type of fishing boat doesn’t mean it can’t be accommodated to a different type of boat. Case in point, because Power-Poles are designed for bass boats doesn’t mean kayak anglers shouldn’t use them too.
The Power-Pole anchoring system is designed to be:
- Fast—you can be anchored in a few seconds with the push of a button, as soon as you know you’ve hit a great spot.
- Quiet—No splash, no moving in your kayak. Just the quiet hydraulic system that lowers the spike.
- Secure—You can be stopped and secured in whatever shallow water environment you fish, including open water, in aquatic vegetation and current.
These systems are designed to be virtually indestructible. Whether it’s bad weather, a rough lake or river bottom or you forget it’s down and start to motor or paddle away—the parts are flexible and made as tough as the environment you’re in.
These systems are designed to be easy and efficient to use with adjustable push-button controls you can install next to your seat or keep in a lanyard around your neck. The company also offers a free app for iOS and Android phones for customized performance, to keep track of your battery status and more.
The Series II poles come in 4-foot, 6-foot and 8-foot lengths. The 4-foot poles work very well for kayaks since they sit so low on the water already. When the poles are up, they’re no higher than Drew’s head, so he can easily fit under and through obstacles he faces when out on the water.
Be sure to watch the above video to see a few of the tricks Drew and his team used when they installed the two Power-Pole Series II anchors on his kayak. They were able to rig them to take advantage of the spaces available without the hydraulic cables, pumps and motors interfering with his other gear.
If you’re interested in a set-up like this for your kayak, you’ll get some great ideas that could work for you, too.
Power-Poles in action, designed for shallow water fishing (photo courtesy of Drew Gregory)
Disadvantages of a Power-Pole System
As Drew says in his video, “I’m blessed to do this for a living.” So an expensive addition to his kayak rigging like a double Power-Pole system is within reach for him. It certainly isn’t going to be a good fit for every kayak angler because they are expensive. That’s the first disadvantage.
Power-Pole’s hydraulic anchor systems start at $599 and go up to $4,599. The Series II system Drew shows in this video retails for $1,699 each—he has two mounted on his Shoalie. (These are 2025 prices) So they’re a significant investment.
A second disadvantage can be its weight. While an additional 13-27 pounds isn’t much for a bass boat (plus the motor and pump), it does add some weight to your fishing kayak. You’ll need to consider this for your kayak’s weight capacity. And just be aware of the extra pounds you’ll be paddling around, if that’s a concern.
Drew uses a Torqeedo motor so the extra weight isn’t an issue for him. He moved his seat forward, though, to help even out the additional weight at the stern.
A pair of Power-Pole Series II mounted on the back of Drew’s kayak along with his Torqeedo motor (photo courtesy of Drew Gregory)
Don’t Leave Home Without…
In his video, Drew emphasizes that he always keeps a bag under his seat with anything he might need to fine-tune or repair his Torqeedo or Power-Poles while he’s fishing.
“It’s very important,” he says. “You want every bolt and nut in the proper size. I even have a little cordless drill in there with all my tools for my Torqeedo and Power-Poles, just in case I ever need it on the water. It’s all right there.”
Find out more about Power-Poles on the website.
Follow Drew Gregory on his YouTube channel to see more kayak fishing videos.
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