Trolling Motor Troubles

[zarraspook]

Autozone should, I know that O'Reilly's will load test batteries....

[Lance34]

Got the trolling motor/battery issue fixed. After trying a couple different test to see if it was a current issue. I ended up taking the battery back up to get tested again and made sure they did a load test. The thing checked out good still. I went ahead and bought another battery. I figure if it ran that one down I would know for sure if it was one or the other.

Finally got to get out yesterday. Fished for 3 hours and the motor stayed strong the whole time. Thanks for y'all's suggestions. One good idea I thought I share after talking to my uncle about this was carrying a pair of jumper cables if your cracking battery goes out. You can jump it from your trolling battery. Just never thought about it before and thought I share.

Throw in a report here to I guess. Put in at 412 bridge targeting crappie as always. Fished lay downs close to the channel around 412 area is where I had the best luck. Which wasn't very much. Five 10-11 inchers that are all still swimming.

[J-Doc]

Glad you got it all worked out. Good news.

[fishinwrench]

As a general safety rule, jumper cables on a boat are a No-No!

Just move the battery's, or their leads. Boat riggers go to great lengths to eliminate the possibility of sparks in the bilge area.....DONT create them yourself.

[Lance34]

Cool man thanks for the advice and heads-up.

[Champ188]

Wrench is right ... sparks in the bilge can be really bad.

One of my favorite features on our new Ranger is a three-way switch in the bilge that (1) You turn to "off" to break the power to everything; (2) you turn to "run" for normal operation; and (3) you turn to "jump" and it jumps your cranking battery off one of your trolling motor batteries with no jumper cables or chance for sparks.

Don't know why someone didn't come up with that long ago.

[J-Doc]

Wrench is right ... sparks in the bilge can be really bad.

One of my favorite features on our new Ranger is a three-way switch in the bilge that (1) You turn to "off" to break the power to everything; (2) you turn to "run" for normal operation; and (3) you turn to "jump" and it jumps your cranking battery off one of your trolling motor batteries with no jumper cables or chance for sparks.

Don't know why someone didn't come up with that long ago.

That's really slick.

[Champ188]

That's really slick.

Bet they could put one on yours.

[J-Doc]

Bet they could put one on yours.

Probably but my batteries stay over 3/4 charge even after a long day of fishing. Quite amazing really. The standard Interstate batteries have impressed me so far.

I keep thinking that Ranger will add more gizmos and improvements like what you have to the aluminum lineup but if they did that........they wouldn't sell enough fiberglass boats. The aluminum line is already probably outselling the glass models (especially the Z118 and Z119) currently with (3) aluminum production lines vs. (1-2) fiberglass production lines with Ranger, Triton, Champion and Stratos all produced in one line. It's created a huge growth in the aluminum boat market (which was very needed). That and the downturned economy has lots of folks looking at slightly smaller, less expensive rigs.

Sorry, totally off topic and raving alum. rigs. LOL! Can't help myself.