Trolling Motor Question. Time For An Upgrade.

[Bird Watcher]

I hope this is in the right forum:)

I think it's time to upgrade the trolling motor. I do so much multi-species fishing that I want one of the remote control units.

I currently have a 12 year old 12/24 55# motorguide. It works great and the batteries last all day long no matter how much I use them on my 17 1/2' metal boat. I'm considering the 12v 55# thrust models. I like the idea of getting rid of one of the batteries in the boat.

For those of you that have one of the remote 12v 55# units, how much life do you get out of them? Can you pull rigs for walleye, or pull shad all day long for stripers and hybrids, cats, without the battery dying? I've heard that the newer digital motors are a lot more efficient and don't drain batteries like the older motors do. It looks like a 200 dollar difference between the 24v 80# thrust and the 12v 55# unit, so it's a relatively insignificant cost difference, but I'd like to get one of the batteries out of the boat if I could get away with it.

[Old plug]

how much do you use it ??? I think that makes a big difference in the battery selection. I use my boat about every day for a. few hours months on end. I do not like to charge batteries every day or so. with the 24 volt I can go week. not charging them in my normal fishing pattern. I have min Kota 70 lb thrust motor. I run it. on a low power draw most of the time with my 19 ft Targa. I would never go back to a 12 volt system.

[Bird Watcher]

how much do you use it ??? I think that makes a big difference in the battery selection. I use my boat about every day for a. few hours months on end. I do not like to charge batteries every day or so. with the 24 volt I can go week. not charging them in my normal fishing pattern. I have min Kota 70 lb thrust motor. I run it. on a low power draw most of the time with my 19 ft Targa. I would never go back to a 12 volt system.

probably 2-4 times a week during season. Sometimes I'll use it from dawn til dusk in July, so maybe 12-14 hours continuous, but it always goes back on the charger when I'm done for the day. More a question of if I can get all day use out of a 12v system on Truman lake in the summer time with wind and waves.

[bfishn]

Stick with a 24V setup. Half the energy is half the energy. For what you do, you'll be sad at best with a single battery. A compromise is a tandem battery 12V, you get the duration you had at the cost of bigger wire and more associated high-current problems. It's been my experience you can squeeze an extra year out of a deep cycle in a 24V setup vs 12V.

[Greasy B]

A timely topic, I'm thinking about upgrading to a 24v system. I beat the day lights out of my 12v motors and seldom get more than three years service before they fry. The only disadvantage I see is the the bulk and weight of the second battery. well that and the cost of an upgrade. I figure if I can cut my visits to Tri State Trolling Motors for repairs I can justify the cost.

The next question is remote control or hard wire?

[bfishn]

I'm on year 15 for my 24V Pinpoint system, probably 4 sets of batteries in that time (I ran 4 for awhile, now 2 outlast my internal batteries). Bite the bullet and get a 2/3 bank OB charger and leave the durn thing plugged in. Always ready and willing that way, and lasts a long time. Clean all the connections once a year and you're good to go.

[Bird Watcher]

Stick with a 24V setup. Half the energy is half the energy. For what you do, you'll be sad at best with a single battery. A compromise is a tandem battery 12V, you get the duration you had at the cost of bigger wire and more associated high-current problems. It's been my experience you can squeeze an extra year out of a deep cycle in a 24V setup vs 12V.

Thanks bfshn. Kind of reminds of the ol "there is no replacement for displacement" saying when talking about motors.

[bfishn]

'zactly

(or subwoofers...)

[fishinwrench]

Yeah even if you go 12v you're still gonna want/need 2 batterys (parallel) for a 12 hour day of serious fishing.

[sean c]

I have a 12 volt 45# on my 15 foot jon never have come close to killing the battery in a day even in windy oklahoma but 12 hour days are out of my league. My last two trips have been 6 or7 hour days in 15+ mph winds and I had better than 50% battery both times when I plugged in my charger.