Which deep cycle battery

[keninaz]

I have had a number of RVs so I know what a deep cycle battery is and how to care for it.
However, I am into a new area now. I am going to purchase a used 12-14' aluminum boat shortly.
I will fish on small lakes mainly, and may well troll on them.
I am getting older and I don't know how long I will fish during a given day.
I am going to assume that most of you are using a single battery, a Group 24, 27 or 31 for trolling based on what I think capacity should be for a trolling motor?
I won't have a gas motor as they are not allowed most of the places I fish and I will have no other electronics on the boat to consider.
From what I am seeing I will be looking for a 30-45# thrust motor to power the boat with.

 

[smallboatlover]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

i have a 14' pvs bass boat and it runs off one 12volt marine battery and the boat ways around 50lbs and that pusses it around for atleast 8 hours if your worry about the charge and the battery time i would suggest geting a new 12 battery and a small solar panel that will make sure that you can keep goign all day if you want or if you want to just puter around for a bit the batery will be good eneough for that

 

[keninaz]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

But what AH or group size battery are you using?

 

[arks]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

ken-
I have a 14' jon with a 36# troller. Instead of a marine deep cycle I went with a group 31 tractor battery. It fits in a group 24 battery box and has almost 1000 cca's. It's a liitle heavier than a 24 so I mounted it forward of the center seat for better weight distribution. I charge it in the spring and it lasts me all summer without rechaging. The best part- they can be bought for about $90 with a 5 year pro-rated warranty.

 

[Craig-]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

I use a 31 on a 35#, it will last all day of hard use, but needs recharging for the next day, switching it over to the outboard on the way home will recharge it. I'm pulling 1200 lbs. of boat, motor and cargo with it bow mounted.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

Forget the solar panel. A solar panel the size of your boat would be needed to add any appreciable trolling time. This has been discussed to death. For a trolling motor as the sole means of propulsion you need to consider one of the newer "pulsed" or digital motors like the MinnKota PowerDrive V2 or MotorGuide. These motors use less energy than older motors at any speed except wide open. At full speed, all motors of the same thrust will draw nearly the same current. At slower speeds the digital motors are far superior. On a 14 foot boat you don't need a 40# motor but since it is the sole source of power that would get you off the lake should a sudden storm pop up. As for batteries, a group 31 is a bit overkill. A group 27 will be fine and much lighter to handle. I take it you are not a die hard fisherperson but a group 27 running a 40# motor will easily run that boat for a very full day of fishing.

 

[keninaz]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

OK, a group 27 was what I was considering.
I know all about solar panels and their efficiency. I had many an RV and spent my life working electronics. Not for me anyway.
You have also verified my thoughts of something around 40# of thrust to get me off the lake in a sudden storm.
I live up here in the mountains of AZ and summer fishing can be fun when the monsoons and the related lightning starts.
For the most part I will be on smaller lakes but the ability to get off them quickly with fast moving storms is a plus for me.
I will look into the newer style motors. I will get one with an upcoming purchase but I am not sure what it is yet as I have more details coming.
I am in the process of picking up a used boat pretty much complete at the moment. It's an older Sea Nymph, a 12' model and it's fully equipped with the trolling motor/trailer battery and all the stuff I need. The guy bought the boat for his family of 4 to use on bigger lakes here in AZ. Wrong boat for his application anyway.

 

[keninaz]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

Wow, I just went and looked up some pricing and details on the motors you suggested.
For that kind of money and my budget I can parallel another battery or just go with a larger one.
Retired here and have to watch the $ but I also have to fish.
One of my biggest regrets in life was giving up living near salt water and my 24' cuddy cabin. At 4-8 gallons per hour to power that V8 today I could not afford the fuel! Then again back in the day before I retired making that run out for stripers or sturgeon fishing at 40+ MPH for 20-30 minutes was fun.
But life goes on and we all make adjustments.

 

[sasto]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

I'd get the biggest, most powerful one my wallet and boat can handle.

Good Luck!

 

[steelespike]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

The Sea Nymph is probably more practical but that motor on a 12 or 14' aluminum square stern canoe would fairly fly. Obviously go farther on a charge and get off the lake faster if you had to.
I think if you load the Sea Nymph with a bow inclination (less stern in the water)
it may run slightly faster.
I've had good luck with Deka batteries specifically the grp. 31.
As you probably realize the less a battery discharges at each use the more recharge cycles it can do thus the need for a higher rating.You probably also know you should recharge after use and not let it sit partially discharged.

 

[BoatNoobie]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

I had a Traxxis 55 on a Lund WC14.

It was moving pretty good at full speed. But I was usually in the 50% range on the throttle gauge.

I had one of those Cabelas AGM batteries, group 24. I could be out fishing for 4 hrs and the battery gauge will still read 75% full.

You can check out those batteries online. Their stats are very good. Dont know about their life yet. Only have it for less than a year so far. I know they were recently on sale too. Dont know about now.

 

[Splat]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

ken-
I have a 14' jon with a 36# troller. Instead of a marine deep cycle I went with a group 31 tractor battery. It fits in a group 24 battery box and has almost 1000 cca's. It's a liitle heavier than a 24 so I mounted it forward of the center seat for better weight distribution. I charge it in the spring and it lasts me all summer without rechaging. The best part- they can be bought for about $90 with a 5 year pro-rated warranty.

Are you kidding me?! Don't follow this advise.

1000 cca has nothing to do with capacity. If you only charge your battery once a year, for one your doing damage to it, and 2 I call bs. Batteries should he kept in a fully charged state when done being used, this helps prevent sulfication of the internal plates.

Lastly a tractor or starting battery is meant to dump a lot of power quickly, like starting an engine. They are also meant to be recharged immediately, without being run down very far. A deep cycle is meant to sustain a moderate load over a significant period of time. They can be run down much lower without damage, and still should be recharged ASAP.

Bill

 

[keninaz]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

Yes I do know the difference between a starting battery and a deep cycle.
Had lots of both with the RVs (9 of them) over the years.
I know many that use starters as deep cycles. They just don't know the difference in the use and design of the batteries.

 

[MarkS]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

IMO, it's hard to beat the Optima batteries for serious power in a light weight unit. Price is the major drawback. I'm running a group 27 deep cycle from a discount store, that thing must weigh 80 lbs! (And it was cheap, comparatively speaking!) I agree it's important to keep them charged after every trip, the battery will last longer that way. I'm hoping Santa brings me a Battery Tender for Christmas.

 

[smallboatlover]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

IMO, it's hard to beat the Optima batteries for serious power in a light weight unit. Price is the major drawback. I'm running a group 27 deep cycle from a discount store, that thing must weigh 80 lbs! (And it was cheap, comparatively speaking!) I agree it's important to keep them charged after every trip, the battery will last longer that way. I'm hoping Santa brings me a Battery Tender for Christmas.

im planing on getting a battery tender right after i buy two new of those optoma batterys i have a mini kota power station wich is just about dead and the starting battery planiing on replacing them both and the battery tender i hear was awsome and keeps them perfect

 

[riverkeg]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

For the $, it's hard to beat the Delco Voyager RV batteries. They are sealed (no maintenance), perform like the Optimas, and less expensive. My last fishing boat was a 17.5' bass boat with 55# thrust powerdrive w/autopilot and I could troll all day without running out of juice. The 2nd year I had that battery, me and 2 large friends (over 700 lbs total) trolled at full speed pulling 4 lines for 2 solid hours and I still had 50% battery left. I sold the boat when that battery was 4 years old and it still worked like new.

 

[keninaz]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

I have looked at a few places up here and I don't see any of the Voyagers here. I had them in the past in my boats starter types and deep cycle for circulation in my big live well that I had in my 24' cuddy. I also used the deep cycles in my RV for years and never had a problem with them.
Thanks for the reminder though on them. I may try to contact a distributor and see who carries them here in my area.

 

[1fishbone]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

I use the group 27 Nautilus battery and like them.

Make sure you get a battery charger FOR deep cells!!
An ordinary charger will not charge it correctly and result in poor performance and shorter life.

 

[keninaz]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

Way ahead of you.
I already ordered a battery tender plus. http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-021-0128-Plus-Charger/dp/B00068XCQU
I don't really consider this much of a charger considering the low charge rate but it will slowly charge and maintain the battery ready to go without drying it out and it's temperature compensated too.
But I have a standard charger that I can bring it up and then put the tender on it so it's ready to go again in the morning if I need it.
But I have had deep cells for well over 35 years now in various RVs and the like so I know what I am doing as far as charging goes.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Which deep cycle battery

I use the group 27 Nautilus battery and like them.

Make sure you get a battery charger FOR deep cells!!
An ordinary charger will not charge it correctly and result in poor performance and shorter life.

Curious- what make/model of battery charger is made for deep cycle batteries?

Far as I've always known, the only thing that differs in chargers, is the charge profile according to the battery's construction - lead-acid vs. Gel vs AGM. Never heard of a charger made specifically for deep cycle vs. starting batteries.

My .02