Trolling Motor,battery,and charger advice?

[sunnyjim]

 Hey guys I just got a 10' plastic Dicks boat and need a trolling motor and battery and charger. This is my first boat and I have very little money. Any advice on a trolling motor batter and charger would be great. Brands,price etc. I dont need to cover alot of water  but do plan on staying out for 4-8 hours sometimes .
Thanks

[G3boats]

I have a Deka, size 27 deep cycle, 575 CCA and 200 minutes Reserve and it is a great battery.  I can stand on my 43 ft lb TM all day and have plenty of juice left.  Do not skimp on a charger.  You will need not less than a 10amp charger and charge the battery as soon as you get in.  This is the key to many years of service from a deep cycle battery. My last Deka lasted 6 years and it was a size 24.  The size 27 may be too heavy for your rig, but I got the same service with my size 24 on my same TM. The key though is getting the highest reserve minutes you can afford.

[SumpinWong]

Hey guys I just got a 10' plastic Dicks boat and need a trolling motor and battery and charger. This is my first boat and I have very little money. Any advice on a trolling motor batter and charger would be great. Brands,price etc. I dont need to cover alot of water  but do plan on staying out for 4-8 hours sometimes .
Thanks

Jim,

I strongly recommend that you get yourself a Deep-Cycle marine battery. The deep-cycle will run your electronics longer than a regular starting battery. Personally, I like the Interstate batteries. I just bought another size 27 at Gander Mountain for $99. The size 24 was $85-ish. Don’t waste your money on the newer AGM (Advanced Glass Mat) batteries. They do not provide longer runtimes; they are more environmentally friendly and are completely maintenance free… and they will cost you $180 or thereabouts.

Chargers –
Get yourself a decent name brand 10 to 30 amp charger. Check to make sure the charge is capable of charging “Deep-Cycle” batteries. My charger has an automatic feature that shuts the charger off once it reaches full. The lower the amperage of the charger; the longer it will take to charge.
It is also strongly recommended to buy a battery maintainer. The maintainer is put on the battery while not in use. It will keep the battery warm in the winter months, and provide longer overall battery life. Well worth the $25… and your battery is always topped of and completely fill – ready to go fishin’!

Tight lines,

[KSBasser]

WTG Sunny-J.  As for a transom mounted trolling motor, get the most pounds of thrust you can afford.  As for brand, I like a Minn Kota the best. The composite shaft is a must have for me.  I hit lots of stumps and skinny water. The Motorguide I bought, broke 10 minutes out of the box.  I hit a stump and broke the bracket that locks the shaft in place.

As for a battery. Get a marine deep-cycle for sure. Don't get a dual-purpose deep-cycle, just a deep-cycle for trolling motors and other small accessories like a sonar or an ipod  .  

I use a $30 Wally-World Schumaker(SP) battery charger. IT has trickle and 6 amp charging rates. No auto shut-off though.


You should be able to walk out of Wally-World with those items for around $225.



You'll want an anchor and a collapsible paddle too

[sunnyjim]

ok so deep cycle marine battery for roughly 80 bucks and at least a 10 amp charger that charged deep cycle batteries, and minn kota motor along with anchor and paddle...got it... Great advice so far
Thanks

[Fishonrig]

I bought a brand new Minn Kota 30# motor on Craigslist for $50.00. I was able to get the reciept and send in the warranty papers, might check the listings in your area. Just a thought.. enjoy that boat Jim

[Jig Man]

ok so deep cycle marine battery for roughly 80 bucks and at least a 10 amp charger that charged deep cycle batteries, and minn kota motor along with anchor and paddle...got it... Great advice so far
Thanks

You have been given some pretty sound advice.  When picking your tm battery look at the reserve capacity (reserve amps).  The more of them you have in a good battery, the longer you will be able to fish.  12 V trolling motors draw lots of amps so get lots of reserve capacity (180-200).

[SumpinWong]

The more of them you have in a good battery, the longer you will be able to fish.  12 V trolling motors draw lots of amps so get lots of reserve capacity (180-200).

The general rule that I have found is the amp draw is relatively close to the rated thrust, ie... 55 foot pounds of thrust will draw roughly 55 amps at full power.

Jigman is absolutely correct...  go for reserve capacity! Bigger is better 
Tight lines!

[Ed Gerdemann]

The best deep cycle I ever owned was a Walmart Everstart. I got four full seasons out of it - unheard of for a battery in the Arizona heat. I replaced it a year ago with another Everstart.

You want a charger with a cutoff feature. Mine automatically cuts off once the battery is fully charged. It then kicks on if the battery charge drops a bit.