Tom Rowland | How To Anchor Over A Wreck (GPS Settings & Trolling Motor Tech) | Ep. 142

Tom Rowland, longtime host of Saltwater Experience and charter captain, tackles one of offshore fishing's most challenging skills: anchoring over a wreck. Whether you're five miles offshore or exploring deeper waters, wind and tide working against each other can make positioning your boat over structure feel impossible. In this How To Tuesday episode, Tom breaks down the exact GPS settings that make wreck anchoring easier, reveals why most anglers fail to establish a proper drift before dropping anchor, and explains the game-changing trolling motor technology that eliminates the guesswork entirely. If you've ever struggled to keep your boat over fish while other captains nail it on the first try, this 12-minute tutorial will change how you approach offshore structure fishing.

The GPS Setting That Changes Everything

Before you even think about dropping anchor, there's one GPS setting that separates successful wreck fishermen from those who struggle. Tom learned this from Steve Roger, and it's a detail most anglers overlook completely. When you're approaching your numbers and trying to position over structure, if your GPS is set to course up or heading up, the screen rotates as you move, making it nearly impossible to establish spatial awareness. The screen spins, your waypoints shift position, and you lose the mental map you need to anchor precisely. Tom explains exactly which setting eliminates this confusion and why it's the foundation of everything else that follows. The difference between nailing your anchor drop and missing by 50 yards often comes down to this single adjustment. Tom reveals the exact GPS setting at the episode opening.

Why the 10-Minute Wait Makes All the Difference

Here's where most anglers get it wrong: they mark the wreck, see the fish, and immediately start figuring out where to drop anchor. But Tom's approach is different. After running over the structure and confirming it's worth fishing, he stops the boat, puts the engines in neutral, and does something that seems counterintuitive—he waits. For 10, sometimes 15 minutes, he lets the wind and tide drift the boat naturally while he preps his anchor rode and chain. This isn't wasted time. Your GPS is recording a track, showing you exactly how the conditions are pushing your boat. That track becomes your blueprint. You can see where you started, where you drifted, and precisely where you need to position upwind to drift back over the fish. Tom even explains how to use waypoints to mark the perfect anchor drop point so you're not eyeballing it. The full drift technique and waypoint strategy starts at 4:22.

The Three-to-One Rule and Wreck Fishing Ethics

Once you've established your drift and know where to position, Tom breaks down the anchor scope math that ensures your anchor actually holds. In 100 feet of water, you need 300 feet of line out—three times the depth. This isn't optional if you want your anchor to grab properly. But there's another layer to wreck fishing that goes beyond technique: the unwritten rules when multiple boats are working the same structure. Tom explains the transom rule, why positioning matters when other anglers are already anchored, and how to avoid creating chaos on popular spots. He also addresses the reality that different regions have different ethics, and some wrecks in a couple hundred feet of water can comfortably handle two, three, or even more boats. The key is understanding what's acceptable and practicing your technique before you show up on a crowded weekend. The scope calculation and ethics discussion starts at 7:15.

The Technology That Eliminates Anchor Anxiety

For bay boat owners fishing within 5-10 miles offshore, Tom reveals a game-changing alternative to traditional anchoring that makes the entire process nearly foolproof. Modern trolling motors with anchor mode technology can hold your boat in position with GPS precision, compensating automatically for wind and tide no matter which direction they're pushing. Tom uses the MotorGuide xi5 integrated with his Lowrance GPS system, and the capability is remarkable: once he marks fish, he drops the trolling motor, activates anchor mode, and stays exactly on the spot. Even better, he can jog the boat five feet in any direction using the remote control, fine-tuning his position over the structure without pulling anchor and starting over. The limitation has always been bow height—most trolling motors couldn't reach deep enough on larger boats—but Tom mentions that at ICAST this year, manufacturers introduced extra-long shaft trolling motors specifically designed for offshore applications. The trolling motor technology and ICAST innovations start at 8:35.

Final Thoughts from Tom

I love these How To Tuesday episodes because they address real problems that listeners are facing on the water right now. Eric's email about struggling to stay over wrecks when wind and tide are fighting each other is something every offshore angler deals with, and it's one of those skills that separates a frustrating day from a successful one. The GPS setting alone will change how you approach structure fishing.

What really excites me is the trolling motor technology we're seeing now. When we started using the MotorGuide xi5 with Lowrance integration, it completely changed how we could fish certain spots. Being able to hold position with GPS precision and make those five-foot adjustments without re-anchoring is a massive advantage. And with the new long-shaft models coming out, more boats are going to have this capability.

If you've been avoiding offshore structure because anchoring feels too complicated, or if you've been in that situation where you're drifting off the fish while other boats stay locked on, this episode gives you the complete system. It's worth your time, and it's short enough that you can listen on the drive to the ramp. Keep sending those How To Tuesday suggestions to podcast@saltwaterexperience.com—I really do read every one.