So, you’re taking the plunge. Diving in and powering your trolling motor with the best trolling motor battery around, a lithium LiFePO4 battery. Good move! But, how do you choose the right lithium battery for your trolling motor? Of course, you’ll want to think about size, capacity, and quality.
It probably goes without saying, but the quality of your lithium battery will also affect how long and well your trolling motor operates. So of course, you want to get it right. That’s why we always suggest purchasing a lithium battery with top quality battery cells and a built-in battery management system. But more on that later! Keep reading to learn more about these features, as well as other valuable information for choosing the right trolling motor battery.
Battery Size Matters
The size of your trolling motor and the size of the boat it’s paired with matters. When shopping for lithium batteries for trolling motors, you’ll need to consider amperage and voltage. The larger the trolling motor, the higher capacity you’ll need in its battery. For optimal performance, look at your manual or speak to the manufacturer for guidance. Ideally they’ll be able to give you an idea of which size battery is most appropriate. But as always, feel free to speak to one of our battery experts at LithiumHub for additional advice.
LithiumHub has several options to choose when it comes to meeting your trolling motor battery needs. All options feature a deep cycle marine battery. This means they trickle small streams of power over a longer period of time.
Now depending upon your trolling motor, as well as the other items you may want to power in addition (like audio systems, lights, GPS, etc) you may need more than one trolling motor battery. Most bass fishermen look to our 12V 50Ah or 12V 100Ah battery to begin with. But if you’re powering more than just your trolling motor you’ll likely need a combination of batteries. And you may want more run time too. Now if you’re pairing your trolling motor with a kayak, a smaller sized battery (like our 12V 30Ah or 12V 50Ah batteries) will probably do the trick.
Like our other Ionic deep cycle batteries, our trolling motor batteries last around 3,000-5,000 partial cycles. They’re also equipped with Bluetooth technology so you’ll always know the status of your battery. Pretty handy, if we do say so ourselves. Eliminate the possibility of getting stranded out on the water, by checking out your battery’s stats before jetting out. With the Ionic App, you’ll have access to voltage, current, and charge by looking at your smartphone. Stay on the water for longer and land that big one you’ve been after with Ionic lithium!
How Long Do You Want Your Pole To Stay In The Water?
Consider how long you’d like to run your equipment. Do you rely on your trolling motor heavily or just use it here and there? Do you zip around the lake at max speed or take it slow? When choosing a lithium battery for a trolling motor, you’ll want to think about these factors.
So there are a lot of variables when it comes to understanding amperage hour rating and motor amperage draw. Like we mentioned, running your trolling motor at medium speed versus full throttle is going to affect how many hours your battery can power it. Most trolling motor manufacturers list a trolling motor’s max amp draw at top speed. This is helpful, but it doesn’t give you the full picture. So you may need to do a little bit of estimating, since you likely don’t draw more than 50% thrust, the majority of the time.
So if your trolling motor has a max amp draw of 30 and you have a 12V 120Ah battery, you’ll get approximately 4 hours of run time. Here’s an easy equation you look to:
Amp Hours of your battery
————————————— = hours of run time
Amp draw of your trolling motor
But again, you’re probably not using your trolling motor at max draw, so your run time may very well be greater. Other important factors to consider are the weather. If your trolling motor is having to work against the wind and waves, it’s going to use more energy. In this situation, you’ll get less run-time.
Our Deep Cycle Lithium Batteries are designed to run in series or parallel. So you can configure them in any array to meet your needs. We also have 24 volt and 36 volt batteries, which are great for larger trolling motors.
Other Perks Of Going With Lithium
Unlike traditional batteries, lithium batteries can drain to zero and charge back up. Their design allows for safe draining and charging. Thanks to a sophisticated Battery Management System (BMS) you don’t have to worry about overcharging or undercharging. No ruining of sensitive components that will affect battery performance.
Your new lithium trolling battery can keep you fishing for over a decade with the same battery! That’s a huge handful of worry-free years. Of course, this takes into consideration proper storage and care. But the good news about our trolling motor batteries is that they’re pretty much maintenance free…
No watering your batteries, unlike lead-acid. Enjoy longer fishing trips without battery accidents. These babies are lightweight and liquid-free. Sure, choosing a lithium battery for trolling motors costs a bit more up front. But in the long run, you’re saving yourself time and money in battery replacements. Not to mention downtime due to a drained battery. You get what you pay for. And 10+ maintenance-free and replacement-free years are worth their weight in gold! Or fish.
Choosing A Lithium Battery For Trolling Motors: Size, Duration, & Speed
Your first step should be consulting your manufacturer’s specifications for battery size. Our Deep-Cycle Lithium Batteries can be configured to handle pretty much any power needs.. Our lithium batteries will give you many many successful days out on the water.
To learn more about how to choose a lithium battery for trolling motors, contact our support team. We’re always here and ready to lend a hand! Our lithium deep-cycle batteries will change the way you fish for years to come.
