Battery question

I have a Napa marine battery that I use as my only source to power me and my Minn Kota 55 lb thrust via a 14' Jon boat.

Her`s what is going on ...The battery was a nice gift given to me in 2021 for Father`s Day. I`ve really liked it because it`s lighter than my previous one. This spring I notice an afternoon of fishing 3-4 hrs runs it down to like 70 on my charger. After about 3 hours on the charger it maxxes out at 80 every time. I take it off charge and several days later I`ll put it back on charge and it will hit 100 in 30 minutes.


Today, we fished 5 hours and went all over a local reservoir, battling wind as we trolled the entire time. Probably should mention I usually troll 100% of the time . Well, after today`s long day of trolling the trolling motor barely made it back to the ramp. It read 20 when I put it on the charger.

I know you aren`t supposed to run it down that low ever...

Is it likely the battery will return to a full charge?

Knowing that I primarily troll and the trolling motor is all I have to power the boat, would a more expensive AGM or Lithium battery serve me better? I had hoped the Napa Marine battery would have served me longer but I probably put 20-30 fishing trips on it.

Thanks!

What amp are you charging it at?

Have you checked the cells to see if it needs maintenance?

Have you checked the connections to make sure they are healthy?

Are you using a TM with 5 speeds forward or is one with percentage of thrust?

Put it on the lowest amp setting on your charger....relax for a day... pop the cover and add distilled water to the bottom of the plastic tube....fish...if it don't satisfy you add some aspirin....repeat....if it don't satisfy buy a new battery or two preferably the biggest group you can find/afford....fish for two years...repeat...

Tight lines
Chad

Sent from my SM-G975U using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

:hesaid

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by catchNgrease

What amp are you charging it at?

Have you checked the cells to see if it needs maintenance? I have not checked the cells. Should they be full to the top?

Have you checked the connections to make sure they are healthy? The connections are healthy

Are you using a TM with 5 speeds forward or is one with percentage of thrust? Not sure what you are asking? I have the Minn Kota Endura C2 transom mount motor. I believe it has 5 speeds forward and maybe 3 reverse. It does have a low battery indicator for what that`s worth.
Put it on the lowest amp setting on your charger....relax for a day... pop the cover and add distilled water to the bottom of the plastic tube....fish...if it don't satisfy you add some aspirin....repeat....if it don't satisfy buy a new battery or two preferably the biggest group you can find/afford....fish for two years...repeat...

Tight lines
Chad

Sent from my SM-G975U using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

---

I might add that I have a small leak in the boat and I use a portable bilge pump that connects to my battery . I do not tend to use the bilge more than once per trip.

The bilge pump draws very little from the battery. Especially no more than you use it

Check the fluid levels at least once a month. If the fluid is below the tops of the plates, add enough distilled water to just cover them & then charge the battery to full charge. Then go back and finish filling the fluid levels to where they are just below the bottom of the fill tube. You really don't want the fluid to be "up in" the fill tube, as that can cause the fluid to bubble out during charging. As long as the plates are always covered by the fluid you're battery should be OK as far as that's concerned. Exposed plates will oxidize, rendering the battery less effective at charging, holding a charge, and lower the lifespan.

If your battery is 120ah or higher ... a 10a charger is the preferable choice.

I'd have the battery "Load Tested" to be sure it's still viable to continue using.

If weight is an issue & $$ is not so much an issue, you might consider a Lithium battery (& charger). If $$ is a bigger issue, then I'd stick with Lead/Acid battery and get the biggest series available in your area (29 or 31).

A 55# thrust TM can draw 52a/hr at max continuous use. (FYI)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

Check the fluid levels at least once a month. If the fluid is below the tops of the plates, add enough distilled water to just cover them & then charge the battery to full charge. Then go back and finish filling the fluid levels to where they are just below the bottom of the fill tube. You really don't want the fluid to be "up in" the fill tube, as that can cause the fluid to bubble out during charging. As long as the plates are always covered by the fluid you're battery should be OK as far as that's concerned. Exposed plates will oxidize, rendering the battery less effective at charging, holding a charge, and lower the lifespan.

If your battery is 120ah or higher ... a 10a charger is the preferable choice.

I'd have the battery "Load Tested" to be sure it's still viable to continue using.

If weight is an issue & $$ is not so much an issue, you might consider a Lithium battery (& charger). If $$ is a bigger issue, then I'd stick with Lead/Acid battery and get the biggest series available in your area (29 or 31).

A 55# thrust TM can draw 52a/hr at max continuous use. (FYI)

---

Thank you!

My Schumaker charger has 2 charge settings...3 amp and 15 amp.

I just popped the top on the battery and 2 cells needed some distilled water, one on the positive and one on the negative.

I see tons of lithium batteries on the market..What would be the best option for someone like me who trolls a lot and only powers by the trolling motor?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mrmerck

Thank you!

My Schumaker charger has 2 charge settings...3 amp and 15 amp.

I just popped the top on the battery and 2 cells needed some distilled water, one on the positive and one on the negative.
I see tons of lithium batteries on the market..What would be the best option for someone like me who trolls a lot and only powers by the trolling motor?

---

If the battery is 100ah or more, I'd go with the 15a setting. I'll assume it's not an automatic shutoff kinda charger, so I'd monitor it closely when it's charging.
As to the "best option" for a Lithium battery ... I wish I knew. :Doh: I'm kinda looking at them myself, because I have to carry my 3 batteries from a 2nd story apt out to the truck, then load them in the boat, and do the reverse process when I get back. Two of my batteries are ~65lbs each & the other is around 40lbs. I'll defer your question on Lithium batteries to someone that has them, and I'll be watching for their replies. :popcorn

Ionics....IONIC LITHIUM BATTERIES FOR BASS BOATS - Drewcraft LLC

I see several have suggested going to Lithium on this board.

I Googled this...How long does a 12V Lithium battery last? The life expectancy of a lithium-ion battery is directly proportional to the charge cycles, and for everyday use, this translates to about two to three years.
Which leads me to question if it is wise to sink anywhere from $400 to over $1,000 in a lithium battery that has a 2-3 year life span or keep buying Walmart specials for just over $100.

I`m interested to hear from those who own lithium batterys and particularly how they are holding up.

we buy reconditioned used batteries of all kinds in this area , some are the real expensive Optima versions , they run about 60 or 70 , regular marine type batteries run around 40 to 50 ......
we get 2 to 3 years out of those old used reconditioned batteries and they even come with a one year warranty ...

That sounds like a sound idea to me.

Having switched from a group 31, 120 AH battery AGM to a LiFePO4 100 AH made a big difference in performance and run times for me.

Before the switch the AGM battery would get weak as the voltage dropped and the trolling motor performance suffered.

This would be especially true when using Spotlock in high winds.

Now, the LiFePO4 does not seem to lose power at all and has never ran down like the AGM battery.
Trolling motor power stays at max all day now unlike the AGM which got weaker.