I prefer to keep weight off the bow, and also to keep the decks as reasonably clean as possible. Less stuff for sheets to catch on.

I keep a Fortress (lightweight version of a Danforth) in the cockpit locker, with 30' of chain in a canvas bag. It's quick and easy to pull it out for deployment, or to hand over to a passing motorboat to use as a kedge if you run aground (yep, used it once that way), or most commonly to row out as a 2nd anchor. Having the chain in a canvas bag makes rowing out an anchor a whole lot simpler and you really need at least some chain with these anchors.

In 1977 I ran aground in St. George's harbor, Grenada and started to row out our bow anchor in a flimsy inflatable. The catenary of 90 feet of chain kept pulling me back towards the boat. A Spanish warship was moored nearby and the crew noticed what was going on. They lined the rails and started chanting the Spanish equivalent of 'stroke, stroke' echoing around the harbor. Wish I had a video of that, everyone in earshot including myself was busting a gut with laughter.