Sailing yachts have the anchor at the bow of the boat.
bow
stern
stern
A rode roller sailboat anchor pulley is a part that can be replaced on a boat. Some people can find the part on sites such as ebay.
Move the boat directly over the anchor
It is recommended by the USCG that all vessels should be anchored from the bow,{front} and never the rear. In Texas it is illegal to anchor your boat in lakes or creeks and rivers from the rear.
According to the Navigation Rules, a rapidly ringing bell every minute signals a boat at anchor in the fog.
The volume of the displaced water would be less - as you're reducing the mass of the boat. Another viewpoint: I think there's a bit more to this question, but the basic answer remains the same. I think it's all about "Archimedes' Principle". Let's consider the anchor as still part of the boat. Also let's think about it before it gets partly buried in the ground underwater. Archimedes' Principle tells us: The "upthrust" on the boat before the anchor is lowered is equal to the weight of the whole boat. That equals the weight of water displaced. The anchor itself doesn't float in water. It is denser than water. When the anchor is completely submerged it displaces an amount of water equal to the anchor's volume (not the anchor's weight). When the anchor was on the boat it displaced an amount of water equal to its weight. So, when the anchor is lowered, the boat (including anchor) displaces a slightly smaller volume of water.
an anchor that is on a chain and is winched up onto the boat
A boat is kept in place by an anchor.
The in board end of an anchor line attaches to the bow (ie front end) of the boat/ship. On a small boat such as a River Drift Boat, the anchor line may be attached to stern (ie back end). of the boat.
There are vessels designed to to specifically anchor from the stern of the vessel. However if you mean a "fishing boat" as a small recreational or "pleasure" craft like a bass boat, it is almost NEVER recommended to anchor from the transom of a boat. This is especially true if you have any type of current or sea state (even lake or wind waves) as your stern is the lowest part of the boat to the waterline and swamping can happen fast. I have personally seen it at the mouth of the Columbia River bar located in Pacific Northwest. Not to mention you run the risk of fouling your props with the anchor rode.