Are you one of those people who likes to go fishing or boating but hates having to worry about your trolling motor battery dying? Well, you’re in Luck! In this blog post, we’re going to teach you how to keep your trolling motor battery charged for longer.
So, whether you’re out on the water for a day or two, or planning an extended fishing trip, follow these tips, and you’ll be good to go. Happy fishing.
How Much Energy Or Amp-Hours Your Boat Consumes While Anchoring?
Before anything else, you need to figure out how much power or energy you use in your boat on the day. The biggest factor here is refrigeration. If you have a 9 meters long refrigerator, it will consume around 40 or 50 amp-hours.
Similarly, you don’t need many lights if you are out on the water during hot months. Furthermore, using a freezer or ice maker in your boat will need another 50 – 100 amp-hours of power.
Lastly, if you prefer to use an oven or microwave, you will need another 20 to 30 amp-hours.
How to keep trolling motor battery charged For Longer?
To keep your trolling motor’s battery last longer and work more efficiently, you need to follow these simple but crucial troubleshooting and maintenance tips in your mind.
Trolling motor battery maintenance
The first thing is to fully recharge your trolling motor’s battery after using it. Remember that batteries with less than 12.4 volts are more prone to the build-up of lead sulfate inside their cells, which can affect the battery’s performance and lifespan.
- Furthermore, always use a trickle charger, especially during the offseason, to keep the energy flowing throughout the battery. Not many know that when the battery is uncharged for a long time, it decreases its overall performance and limits its lifespan.
- The next thing to pay attention to is to drain your battery and charge it completely; according to battery manufacturers and experts, partial discharge or recharge results in stratification which can cause an imbalance in the battery cells. In this condition, the acid sinks to the battery’s bottom, eventually restricting its performance and life.
- Some experts also state allowing your battery to cool off after every recharge. The recharging cycle causes heat inside the battery’s cells, and immediately putting a used, and the hot battery can cause disaster or complete failure.
- If you want to keep your trolling battery charged for longer, ensure to equalize the charge to keep its cells balanced. Most marine battery chargers come with equalizing cycle, which puts an extended and low-current charge for a long time.
- If you have lead-acid wet cell batteries, ensure to check water levels preferably every month. If the water levels are down, fill it up using distilled water.
- Moreover, don’t forget to clean the battery terminals before storing them. And always store the battery in a dry environment. The key is to prevent your battery from getting too hot or too cold. Remember, extreme temperatures can be harmful to a trolling motor battery.
In line with the above-mentioned point, always check your battery before using it. Look for the Bulging, cracks, frayed cables, and rust, as these elements can severely impact the battery’s working. If these damages are severe, you will have to replace the battery.
Finally, always use a high-quality battery charger. As per industry experts, cheap chargers are not reliable, and you cannot rely on them.
So, how long will a marine battery run a trolling motor?
Typically, a marine battery works efficiently for up to 5 hours. However, this may vary from case to case and depends on the battery’s age and condition. Besides, this also depends on other factors like weather conditions. In less favorable conditions, your battery will last only a couple of hours.
How Long Can You Run A Trolling Motor On A 12-Volt Battery?
This is a common question that many anglers ask, especially when buying a new trolling motor battery or switching to a trolling motor for their vessel. However, the answer to this frequently asked question depends on vital factors, such as the trolling motor’s size, battery type, and how much you use your trolling motor.
The trolling motor’s size is essential as a larger trolling motor needs more power to operate. Due to its large size, it will drain the boat’s battery more quickly. The battery type is another important factor. Usually, lead-acid batteries have short working life compared to lithium-ion marine batteries. Finally, your boat’s speed might also affect how long your battery will work.
Generally speaking, a 12-volt battery for a trolling motor will last for 4 to 5 hours, but if you use it at a moderate speed. However, if you use your motor at full speed, the battery will work only for 2 hours.
Apart from it, you need to know about the amp hours of your battery to calculate how long your trolling motor battery will last as well as your energy consumption. The amp hour rating shows how many amps your battery can provide in one hour.
For example, a 100 amp hour battery provides 100 amps for up to one hour. Similarly, a battery providing 10 amps will last for 10 hours.
How Long Will A Trolling Motor Work On A Full Battery?
Again, this question is not that straightforward, and the answer relies on various factors such as the trolling motor’s size, battery type, the weather conditions, and your own personal trolling practices.
Being said that, here are some handy tips to keep your trolling motor battery charged for longer and to get the most from your trolling motor battery.
Tips to make your Battery Last longer:
- First of all, always use the right battery for your trolling motor as it is immensely important. Suppose you have a small trolling motor; you can use a smaller battery. But if you have a large trolling motor, you will need a large battery mainly to get sufficient power.
- Secondly, ensure you have the right battery type to make your trolling battery last longer. Anglers commonly prefer to use Lead-acid batteries for trolling motors but remember, these are not perfect. On the other hand, you can also use Lithium-ion batteries, which are much lighter and more powerful.
- Third, adequately maintain your trolling motor battery. Ensure it is clean and dry, and never allow it to discharge completely as it will limit the battery’s working life.
- Moreover, always try to use a battery charger made specifically for trolling motors. These chargers will extend the battery’s life as well as its working.
- Lastly, be conservative while trolling. Obviously, if you like to run at full speed, your battery will drain fast. However, your battery will work longer if you troll at a slower speed.
So, returning to the original topic, how long will a trolling motor run on a fully charged battery? It depends on various factors. But if you follow our above-mentioned tips, your trolling motor battery will work for longer.
How Long Will A 100Ah Battery Operate A Trolling Motor?
If you’re planning to spend a day on the water, it’s important to have a reliable trolling motor. And if you want a trolling motor that can go the distance, you need a deep-cycle battery. A 12 volt 100Ah lead-acid deep-cycle battery will power a trolling motor for about 4 to 5 hours. That’s plenty of time to reel in a few big ones.
So whether you’re an accomplished angler or just getting started, ensure you have the right equipment to make the most of your time on the water.
How Many Hours Will A Marine Battery Last?
If you want to buy a new marine battery, keep these factors in mind as these factors affect the overall lifespan of the marine battery.
The battery’s type: Generally, you will find two types of marine batteries. Lead-acid batteries and lithium-ion batteries. Usually, lead-acid batteries have a shorter working life compared to lithium-ion batteries.
The battery’s quality: Remember, not all batteries are the same. As per our experience, some batteries feature high-quality materials and have a smooth performance with a long working life.
How you use the battery: If you use your marine battery regularly in deep cycles, it will not last longer than the batteries used occasionally.
Weather conditions: Marine batteries used in hot conditions last longer than those used in colder climates. According to almost all companies, the battery chemicals are much more active in hot temperatures.
Generally speaking, a high-quality marine battery will work efficiently for up to 3 to 5 years. However, not all batteries are equal, so that you might face some differences. You can expect it to serve for many years with proper care and maintenance.
How to tell if trolling motor battery is bad?
To check trolling motor battery, follow these steps.
- First, look at the battery’s voltage. If it is less than 12 volts, your trolling battery is bad.
- Secondly, check the battery’s terminals. If you see any rust or corrosion on them, your battery is in bad condition.
- Finally, pay attention to the battery cables. The battery is not good if you see that they are worn or broken.
How often should I charge my trolling motor battery?
Nobody likes a dead battery. Not only is it a hassle, but it can also be dangerous. After all, who knows what could happen if your boat suddenly lost power in the middle of the night? That’s why it’s important to keep your batteries in good condition.
One way to do this is to ensure they are never allowed to sit with less than 12.4 volts. Otherwise, lead sulfate will begin to form inside the cells, severely impacting the battery’s performance and lifespan. To avoid this, you can use a trickle charger during the offseason or re-charge your batteries once a month. Either way, you’ll be glad you took the time to keep your batteries healthy.
Can you charge trolling motor batteries while running?
Chances are, if you’re an avid fisherman, you’ve had to deal with a dead boat battery at some point. It’s always a pain having to lug the boat back to shore, and then find a way to charge the battery. But did you know that you can actually use the outboard motor to charge the battery while the boat is in the lake or running?
Just make sure that you’re connecting the positive and negative leads correctly, and you’ll be good to go.
Once you’re done with your fishing trip, you can then connect the battery to a solar charger or another battery charger. Just make sure that your battery gets its optimum charge so that you’re not stranded out in the middle of nowhere next time.
