trolling motor battery

[Deepwateroff]

I can't seem to go more than about 4 hours on my deep cell battery with my trolling motor on my inflatable pontoon boat. Is this normal?
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[albinotrout]

A couple questions. How big of battery and what size motor are you using? I have used a minn Kota 34 in the past and usually get around 6-7 hours out of my deep cycle. Also have you been to the float tubing board? The members there may be able to help too. Here's a link.

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?forum=81"]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?forum=81[/url]
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[Deepwateroff]

Minn Kota Endurance 28 on a Costco Wilderness 14 inflatable pontoon boat. I used a Duralast Marine 85 amp 685 crank 140 reserve, also tried some straight deep cell rebuilds from interstate, all with the same result I'm willing to spend the money on a better battery if the result is better
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[Deepwateroff]

Thanks for the link. Was not aware of that one. Will have lot of questions for them
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[albinotrout]

I use a straight deep cycle from Costco. Do you have a tester? I always check the battery before I charge it, after I charge it, before I put it on the toon and after I am done with the trip when I take it off. I have the one that came with the motor by minn Kota.
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]There is no easy answer. But there is a simple explanation. The life of the battery will be a direct result of how much charge you start with, how much drain (amps per hour) your motor needs...at the speed you run it...and how much drag your craft has in the water.

Most motors will have a table that tells you what amps the motor draws at full power. But the speed and distance of any motor...at full power...will depend on the weight of the craft and how much drag there is on the water. Having your legs in the water, or nets, sonar, etc, will cut down the effective speed and range on a day of fishing.

Best bet is to get the biggest and baddest deep cycle battery you can afford...without sinking or unbalancing your toon. Always better to have power left at the end of the day than to row or kick back in the wind after your battery dies.

Next is battery maintenance. Top your battery off before a trip and then put it on the charger again when you return. Don't let it sit for several idle months without topping off once in a while. And don't let it set without charging after you have drained it.

You will get more hours from a battery if you run it at lower speeds. But you get more efficient output from the battery by running it on high speed. Running it on lower speed uses almost as much juice but the excess becomes heat in the motor rather than power. So if you have to go from point A to point B, let 'er rip. You will get there faster and not really use up that much more juice.

Every toon/motor/battery setup is different. And the weight of the operator and gear...as well as the weight and "footprint" of the craft on the water...are all factors in overall battery life and efficiency. Toss in some wind and waves and every trip can have a different outcome on battery life.

Dirty Harry says "A man should know his limitations." That's true for your power system too. Keep everything charged and maintained and then keep track of actual useage...and what power remains (if any) at the end of the day. Then use that as a guideline.

Just a suggestion. I use a series 27 deep cycle AGM battery for powering my 40# thrust electric motor on my float tube. Because I sit lower in the water than with a tube, there is a lot more drag than if I were in a toon. So I get less time on a battery over the same distances than in a toon. I have spots I fish that take more than a 3 or four hour period to fish effectively, so I often take a backup battery. And if I am close enough to my vehicle I can cruise in and switch out batteries at midpoint and not have to sweat it.

Another option is to carry a small 33 amp/hour wheelchair battery along with you as a "lifeboat" battery to help get you back in if you use up your main battery before reaching your vehicle. They only weigh about 24# and don't take up much extra room.
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[up2nogood]

[quote Deepwateroff]I can't seem to go more than about 4 hours on my deep cell battery with my trolling motor on my inflatable pontoon boat. Is this normal?[/quote]


Lots of factors involved. I have a Cabelas AGM Group 24, and IMO the best battery for My pontoon use that I have had so far. Yes a little more money for them then Costco, Good Sam, and Walmat deep cycle batteries, have had Costco .

I run a 40 thrust Motorguide Variable speed motor on a 9' pontoon boat. I have yet to run it down all the way, about six hours is my max on use. I just troll with it , hardly ever run it faster then trolling .

Biggest deal for me is the handling of a portable battery for pontoon use, it's having a sealed battery, no maintenance. I personally don't want a battery that I am moving around for use that has the potential of spilling acid.


My battery is in its fourth season, used it friday, and it was as strong as its always been. Only ran it for 5 hours, and still going strong. Cabelas has their AGM's on sale now.
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[Deepwateroff]

Sounds like an upgrade is called for, and worth it. The motor is turned so that forward pulls me backwards. I use my fins to help with thrust and steerage. I like to troll from Rockport ramp towards the Dam. Stopping along the way to fish the rocks. Then up and down the dam once and can't get back before running the battery dead.
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[MasterDaad]

The mostly likely issue is the battery as described.

However.

A friend of mine was having a similar issue and it turned out to be a bad controller board on his Minn Kota motor. Apparently an internal short caused it to be constantly drawing power even when it was off.
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[Deepwateroff]

All things being equal what number is the most important. All the numbers go up as the size goes up, but what number is the one that gives the trolling motor its power? Amp, cold cranking, or reserve?
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[wyoguy]

I run a 55lb. thrust Minn Koda with a 27 series Wal-mart deep cycle batt. on my 17 ft. boat. I get 4 hours trolling without totally draining the battery. Your battery must not be charging all the way, or as someone else suggested there may be another drain on it somewhere. Loose connections can cause both problems.
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[albinotrout]

Do you have a FF on it? If so check to nake sure that the back light is stuck on.
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[Deepwateroff]

I have a separate battery for my finder, use the same kind as my ice finder. I did like that my finder would give me voltage when hooked to the main battery, but the finder would help kill the main battery The finder would die too, then I would be double mad. Im going to change my alligator clips for ones that tight with wing nuts and get a new battery. I'm going to see if a size 27 will fit my set up. From what I'm hearing I should get more time from it.
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[albinotrout]

Yes you should. I run my motor and humminbird 565 off the same battery and on occasion (depending upon the body of water) I also hook a horn into it.
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[up2nogood]

[quote Deepwateroff]Sounds like an upgrade is called for, and worth it. The motor is turned so that forward pulls me backwards. I use my fins to help with thrust and steerage. I like to troll from Rockport ramp towards the Dam. Stopping along the way to fish the rocks. Then up and down the dam once and can't get back before running the battery dead.[/quote]


One drawback is that the AGM battery is supposed to require a charger with the AGM mode, needing a better charger then what I had I bought one with the AGM mode.

The one thing I have done with this AGM battery is that I have never let it sit after using it, its always went on the charger as soon as I get home. I don't think you can go wrong with the AGM. If you think you need a bit more power go with the Group 27 its a bit more heavy, and takes up a little more room on the back.
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[up2nogood]

[quote Deepwateroff]I have a separate battery for my finder, use the same kind as my ice finder. I did like that my finder would give me voltage when hooked to the main battery, but the finder would help kill the main battery The finder would die too, then I would be double mad. Im going to change my alligator clips for ones that tight with wing nuts and get a new battery. I'm going to see if a size 27 will fit my set up. From what I'm hearing I should get more time from it.[/quote]


I chose to run my fish finder on a separate ATV battery, fairly small. I have plenty of room on my pontoon boat, my old pontoon boat I made a custom aluminum platform,that is actually a little bigger then the ones on the Scadden pontoons. My new boat is a Scadden with a large aluminum platform, so room is not an issue. I really don't know how long my battery would last with both hooked up to it .

Thats the first thing I did was go to wing nuts, and open connectors , so all I do is loosen the nut, and slip the connector underneath .
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[Deepwateroff]

I made a battery box by cutting up a plastic milk create and mounted it low behind the seat it seems to help with the balance I sit level in the water, and it is just off the water so there is no drag
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[up2nogood]

[quote Deepwateroff]I made a battery box by cutting up a plastic milk create and mounted it low behind the seat it seems to help with the balance I sit level in the water, and it is just off the water so there is no drag[/quote]

Some of the boats there is not a lot of room back there, but sounds like you got it figured out . I always like to take a small cooler, a place to lay my net, etc . big reason I made the platform for my older boat.
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