When Captain Kirk called to engineering and asked why the Enterprise was not moving and Scotty said, “We got no power Captain,” Kirk knew he was in trouble.
In that vein, have you ever found your boat moving slower and slower as the battery ran down?
Maybe you just found yourself dead in the water and had to paddle back.
How about a windy day that drained the power in your batteries as you tried to make headway.
If you spend enough time on the water you will probably experience one or more of these scenarios.
In the modern fishing boat a well-charged and maintained battery (more often than not more than one battery) is a must. Sonar units, radios and trolling motors really can put a strain on batteries, so here are some tips on how to get the most power out of them:
Maintenance
First and foremost maintenance is a must. Keeping the cables and lines clean and free of corrosion not only extends the life of the battery, it also allows the wires to deliver power with less resistance. The more resistance there is in wires the more power it takes to do a job.
It’s best every one in a while to clean the battery poles and wire connections with a mix of baking soda and water to get off any corrosion. Spray the battery poles and wires with electric connection cleaner every so often. You also can put a little bearing grease on them to keep corrosion from forming.
You also should check the water levels in the battery to make sure they are not low. If they do get low, the batteries will not charge fully. If you need to add water, never use tap water as it has chlorine in it and this will deplete the battery’s acid levels. Use distilled water instead.
Also it’s best to store batteries so they are not exposed to the elements. Be sure to wipe clean the top of the batteries before adding water. Dust and grime can wash into the battery when adding water. This can damage the acid in the battery.
More than one battery
On a personal note, I have three boats that have two batteries in them. The small pond jumper I put together has two batteries connected by a cutoff switch. The two larger boats have A/B switches. In each case I have my electronics and trolling motor hooked up to the main battery. The second battery is a reserve battery that is used to start the engine or can be switched into the main battery when it gets low on power. This allows me to have a charged battery to run my trolling motor if the first battery gets run down.
In the pond jumper, which is all electric, the batteries are linked together with a cut off switch on the positive line. When “off,” the batteries are separate. If power is needed just put the switch in the “on” position and the second battery kicks in.
In the larger boats the batteries are stored under the decks.
In the pond jumper they are placed in a plastic box so the lid can be closed and the batteries are not exposed to the elements.
Charging
A/B switches allow each battery to be charged separately or charged at the same time. On bigger boats the engines automatically charge the batteries. If a charger has three settings (i.e. 50 amps, 10 amps and 2 amps), use the 10-amp setting to charge the batteries one at a time.
When both are charged, use the switch to connect the two batteries and use the 2-amp (trickle charge setting) to keep them fully charged until ready to use again.
This provides two fully charged batteries to fish with. On an average day it should provide power for five to six hours.
One last thought on batteries. When you are on the water and have a stiff breeze, instead of fighting the wind when drift fishing and using your trolling motor to keep you positioned properly, position your boat up wind and use the wind to move your boat by using a drag anchor to hold your boat in position. Picking it up will allow the wind to move your boat.
Then only use your trolling motor to make big changes in position. This conserves a lot of power.
