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I have just about talked myself into switching over to Lithium.
I troll 99% of the time with only a trolling motor and have just grown tired of buying a new marine battery practically every year.
I`d love to hear from others using lithium, be it good or bad.
What brand are you using? What size 50 Ah , 100AH?
Are you using a particular charger?
All replies appreciated
I’m running Skinny Water Marine batteries and chargers. I’ve been extremely happy dealing with them. I have 12v100a crank and 12v100a electronics. I run a 36v100a trolling motor battery and charger. Today we trolled in low to medium winds for 10 hours. My Bluetooth battery readout showed 9% battery life left.
When I swapped from 3 golf cart trolling batteries, saved 230 pounds of weight. Similar changes on crank and electronics weights.
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I have 2 125ah Ionics for my terrova. I've pulled cranks for 7 hours and still have 60% left. Noco is the charger I use.
I use 3 50ah ionics for my 36v ultrex.
Was initially worried about running out of juice because I troll a lot and fish from dusk til dawn.
Never have been able to run them down past 20%.
Very happy with them and the convenience of being able to check each batteries charge using my iphone is super nice
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I have two 100 amp per hour chin's batteries bought on Amazon. (<$700)
I use Norco genius charger.
These batteries are only powering the electronics and my terrova
Starting battery separate, and only connected to outboard motor.
No problems, and can go several days fishing without a charge...
I do not need Bluetooth monitoring or low temperature cut off in the BMS due to living in the south and the boat being stored inside....
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Been using Ionics for over 3 yrs now and I mainly crank or long line jigs all the time. They have a awesome Bluetooth app for your phone to monitor battery levels, amp usage, charging and discharging rates as well as monitoring each cell of each battery. Great warantee also. In the lithium world,,,you get what you pay for so go for the best bang for your buck. I use all 100 amp and most times can go couple days without charging. It’s just nice to have that extra battery power and never worry about batteries and maintenance. One other thing about lithiums..they never loose any amps when you leave them sitting for a few months if your not fishing like wet cells do.
2022-2-HOME - Drewcraft LLC
depends size of boat and weight and cargo
If you get ready to buy danny rogers at performance fishing electronics (i think hes a board sponsor now too)sells amped outdoors,monster marine and ionic lithium batteries.I just bought ionic trolling bateries but i have had thete 125ah cranking battery for awhile and it has been great.i also just switched to the ionic 4 bank charger,i was charging my 125ah with a single bank noco genpro before the ionic 4 bank charger.Attachment 432409Attachment 432410
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Yep. I forgot to mention my empty hull weighs 4000 pounds.Quote:
Originally Posted by jiggingman2020
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What is the expected life of a lithium battery as compared to a wet cell? Thinking about them too. Presently have group 27 starting battery with 2 27 group trolling motor batteries. TA196 glass boat with 24v Ulterra and 2 Lowrance HDS, a 8 & 9. Will add a livescope and 1222 unit over the winter.
My boat is a LOWE 1442 jon. For a trolling only battery would 2 50AH be best or 1 100AH?
Alot are 10-12ys,my pics above are ionics in a ta196.Quote:
Originally Posted by Quailtail
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What trolling motorQuote:
Originally Posted by Mrmerck
My trolling motor is a Minn Kota Endura C2 55lb.thrust
I would do a 100 or 125.......smaller footprint and about the same weight.
I've been looking at them, for the simple reason of their weight, as I have to carry my 3 batteries from my upstairs apt down to the truck or boat and then bring them back in when I get home. (two 65# batteries & a 45# battery)
Just wondering what equivalent Lithium battery I would need to replace a Series 29 Deep Cycle Everstart and a 68ah AGM. I can deal with the 45# Series 27 starter battery (for now). One Lithium would be running the 42# thrust MotorGuide & the other would be running the Garmin 93sv unit & the GLS10 Livescope black box.
I’ve got my electronics on a 56ah lithium. I will swap my cranking and trolling motor batteries over to lithium when my present batteries are used up.
do y’all charge your lithium batteries every time you come in from fishing or whenever the monitors say the batteries need charging? I was told to run my batteries lithium batteries all the way down before recharging. What’s y’all opinion?
Skinny Water Marine told me while it won’t hurt to do it occasionally, they don’t advise running them completely dead as a rule. I have run my 36v100a TM battery down to see what my Bluetooth readout said. When mine hits 0%, I have about 10 minutes of battery left. That’s important to know since my Ultrex won’t steer without power.Quote:
Originally Posted by RJR
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I fish out of a 1648 g3 jon boat and boat weight is about 1000 lbs as I have installed a 1/8 aluminum floor and built a deck on front, added seats and hardware, rod holders front and back and rod rack on one side. MK power pro 12 v. 55 thrust TM. 25 hp electric start Yamaha on a Bob’s Machine Shop trim and tilt plate. I run the 25 hp and all electronics on a Ionic 100 amp and for electronics,,HB G2N SI on the back,,on front..all HB—g3n 10 DI for mega 360, G4N 12 DI for Mega Live, and 7 g3n for charts and 2 D. Plus also 2-5 port Ethernet Switches with all electronics networked. Ionic has 30 amp, 100 amp and 125 amp for starting batteries and this 100 amp battery on a 6-7 hr fishing day never goes below 50-55 percent still battery power left. I don’t run the big motor enough to recharge. If fishing less than 4 hrs I have only used maybe 35 percent of the battery. 12 volt trolling motor running constantly when trolling cranks or jigs for 4 hrs will use maybe 25-30 percent of the 2 100 amp..7 hrs maybe 45-50 percent. You can charge lithiums up every time you use them as most lithium manufacturers say they are good for 3000 to 5000 cycles of charging and 1 charging cycle is measured as 1 full 100% charge so if charging a battery that has only used 30% of its power,,it takes 3 plus charge times to equal a 100% fully charge cycle. A lot of bass fishermen in BBC forum fishing tourneys are using 50 amp batteries for a full day of fishing depending on 24 volt or 36 volt trolling motors and say that works great for them as they run and gun and stop and fish a lot of spots during a tourney day. Trollers are using a battery larger than 50 amp depending on type of water, current of water, wind,,,and how long you fish. Maybe you want to invest in 60 amp or 80 amp as some makers of lithium has different sizes available than Ionic. Ionic has 30-50-100-125 and a couple smaller sizes than 30 amp. Most lithium manufacturers do not recommend running lithiums below 10%. It doesn’t hurt a thing to charge and top off lithiums if you want to keep them at 100%. Weight wise..50 amps weigh 16.5 lbs. 100 amp weighs 28 lbs.. ionic also has a 300 amp battery now as well as many other sizes to choose from. Ionic Lithium Batteries - Drewcraft LLC
Ionic came out with a blue toothed app for monitoring their lithiums. Other manufacturers now have it as well. Here is some pics of the info that the phone app shows the user. Its worth its weight in gold to me to monitor my battery usage when using while fishing as well as charging.
Attachment 432557 Attachment 432558 Attachment 432559
That last posting is of a 20 amp lithium I also have.
For a starting battery..I would call a manufacturer with your motor make and size for a size and quote. I know a 100 amp starts alot of bigger motors than my 25..but you could add all your electronics on it. For a trolling motor,,there again,,depends on how much your going to use it. Personally,,,I would want a large amp battery and the plus is you wouldn’t have to charge it as much. I think my batteries are liable to be around along time no more than I charge them but I also keep my boat inside in winter in a 45 - 50 degree heated garage.Quote:
Originally Posted by CrappiePappy;[URL="tel:4279844"
My reason for switching to lithiums was in using 31 amp wet cell batteries is once you use 50% of a wet cell no matter what size amp it is..the output of the battery drops as you use it. For trolling…I had to keep turning the speed of the trolling motor up to compensate for its loss in power. Lithiums give constant amp output without a drop in amps till there is about 20% left in them.. Weight is another reason. No maintenance as now I never have to check or add water during hot summers. Longitivity as now…I don’t have to replace my wet cells every couple of years. Life expectancy is based on how many charging cycles you put on a lithium as most are 3000-5000 cycles of charging and a lot of manufacturers have 10 yr warranty.Quote:
Originally Posted by Quailtail;[URL="tel:4279517"
Size needed totally depends on your motor, boat, and conditions you use it in. If you never run down a group 29 lead acid then 50AH lithium will work, if you need group 31 and still run them down then you need 100AH.
I have 50AH Ionics with a 70# MK with power prop, and a 17' deep V (light weight).
I can troll at 1.5mph (on #2 on the motor with no wind) for 6 hours and still have 90% battery left. With lead acid I would need to be on at least 3-4 to troll at 1.5mph, thats the power difference with lithiums.
My average day of fishing docks or shore lines for crappies (not trolling), I fish for probably 7 or 8 hours and my batteries are at 93-95% charge. It's been this way for the last 7 or 8 times out.
The lowest I've ever gotten them was 9 hours of fighting heavy heavy current while walleye fishing at 35deg air temp, and they were at 76%
This spring on a trip, we fished mon, tues, weds, thurs fishing on/off most of the day with a mix of trolling, spot locking, and bank beating and when I finally went to charge them they were at 81%.
Sounds like a cool rig. I also have a 1648 with a 25 Yamaha but mine has few upgrades or modifications done to it. Have any pics of your rig? I'd love to see your layout.Quote:
Originally Posted by cevans
Mine is a flatbottom Alumacraft and its the NCS model with no center seat and has a factory 4' deck in front and back, which are foamed underneath. Came with no floor but I've added a temporary rubber one. Aside from basic fishing gear I just have a lawnmower battery as my cranking battery in the back along with 3G tank and my motor is on a panther 55 trim unit. Up front I have a basic 46 lb thrust TM and a standard group 29 deep cycle battery. If aluminum would come down some I plan to add a permanent floor and extend the front deck about 40" to get enough room to move around up there and maybe sit double for spider rigging and then of course have some legit storage.
Thanks for starting the conversation. I too am about to switch to lithium. I have an vexus 1880 with 2 helix 9s and a 12”garmin with livescope. I think I’m going with a iconic 12v 125ah for starting/electronics and two 12v 50ah for trolling motor. Any thoughts? Thanks
My electronics are on their on power supply. 56 amp hour lithium.
For a lot of answers to lithiums…you can go here..and read. And even search the forum without signing up as a member if you don’t want to sign up. Tons of threads,,questions,,and answers on lithium.
Electrical/Wiring/Trolling Motors
This thread on bbc forum,,,Who Wants Lithium? Has been on going over 3 yrs now with over 350,000 views. It will answer any question if you take time to read it. Who wants lithium?
lots of other threads there as well as other manufacturers answering questions as well as occassionally posting when they have sales.