How to Select the Right Lithium Trolling Motor Battery for Your Bass Boat

Are you ready to make the jump to lithium for your bass boat trolling motor? Find out the advantages of making the switch and how to select the best lithium trolling motor battery for serious anglers and long fishing trips.

Should You Use Lithium Batteries for Trolling Motors?

In general, your electric trolling motor will work with any 12V deep cycle marine battery. However, there are many advantages to making the change to lithium trolling motor batteries.

Here are just some of the reasons that professional competitors, fishing guides, and serious anglers are making the switch:

• An Enduro Power lithium trolling motor battery offers 2-3 times the run time of a lead acid battery.
• Our lithium models weigh 60% less than lead acid for greater speed and maneuverability on the water.
• Enduro Power LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) trolling motor batteries are rated for more discharge cycles and will last longer.
• All of the rated amp hours (Ah) are available for use in a bass boat lithium battery, in contrast to about half of the rated Ah in a lead acid battery, making a 100Ah lithium battery equivalent to a 200Ah lead acid one.
• There is little or no drop off of power as you discharge a lithium battery, meaning your motor continues to operate well until the battery is spent.
• Enduro Power ProConnect batteries come with Bluetooth technology for phone app access to real-time battery status.
• Our lithium trolling motor batteries are available in 12V, 24V, 36V, and a dual-purpose starting model.

Which Lithium Trolling Motor Battery Is Right for Your Bass Boat?

Choosing the right lithium trolling motor battery requires some estimating based on the size of your motor and how long you need to stay on the water.

Determine Your Amp Hour Requirements

To find out how long your trolling motor will run on a lithium battery, consider these factors:

• The voltage of the trolling motor. 12V motors use less battery power, while 24V and 36V motors will require a larger battery or several 12V batteries linked in series.
• The amp draw of the trolling motor. Make sure that your trolling motor’s max amp draw is less than the continuous discharge rate of your battery. As an example, a 30 lb 12V trolling motor draws close to 30 amps. A 112 lb trolling motor might draw 52 amps at 36 volts.
• At a minimum, the lithium trolling motor batteries you choose must have a max continuous amp discharge rate that is greater than your trolling motor requires.

Estimate How Long You Run Your Trolling Motor Between Charges

Having selected the right continuous draw rating and voltage for your trolling motor, now you need to determine how many hours you will use it before recharging, and whether you use the trolling motor for propulsion or spot locking.

• For a half day of fishing, you can roughly estimate that the available amp hours will be equal to your amp draw. So, if your motor draws 30 amps, you need at least a 30Ah lithium trolling motor battery.
• For a full day of fishing, double the estimated amp draw to calculate the minimum amp hour rating you will need. This will allow you to select the Ah rating, voltage, and size of your bass boat lithium batteries.
• Your trolling motor may also give you an estimate of amp draw when it is not being used for propulsion. Using the motor at less than full power will extend the run time.

Calculate Your Total Run Time and Battery Sizes Needed

• The equation to calculate total run time is (Total Battery Capacity/Total Max Amp Draw x 60 minutes = Motor Run Time at Max Power)
• We generally recommend that you double the Ah rating if your budget allows so that you have double the minimum you have calculated. This helps ensure you never have to worry about running out of power on the water.

Choose the Right Enduro Power ProConnect Battery System

With Enduro Power ProConnect LiFePO4 trolling motor batteries, you will have built-in advanced control with monitoring of SOC, temperature, and battery health from your smartphone or tablet. You can review charge percentages of all batteries on one screen and depend on the best-in-class constant peak power ratings.

• ProConnect 12V, 100Ah, 80A Max Continuous Discharge Rate
• ProConnect 12V, 120Ah, Dual Purpose Starting Battery
• ProConnect 24V, 50Ah, 50A Max Continuous Discharge Rate
• ProConnect 36V, 50Ah,100A Max Continuous Discharge Rate

Should You Connect Your Lithium Trolling Motor Batteries in Series?

There are pros and cons to choosing a single 24V or 36V lithium trolling motor battery vs. connecting several 12V lithium batteries for trolling motors in series. When you connect batteries in series, you increase the voltage, not the amps produced.

Choose a single 36V battery for:

• Full single days of run time without recharging, or up to 2 days of use at low power
• Simplicity of charging, moving, and installing
• Lightweight compared to using three 12V batteries, keeping your boat riding higher

Choose multiple 12V batteries in series for:

• Multiple days of run time without recharging, suitable for long camping trips and tournaments
• Competitive professional bass boats prefer a bank of three 12V 100Ah lithium batteries wired in series to create 36V of power that lasts longer
• The ability to change configurations, using one 12V for smaller trolling motors or adding additional 12V lithium batteries for bigger trolling motors when needed
• Safety, redundancy, and the ability to repurpose the battery bank for other uses like RV living or off-grid power

Charging Lithium Batteries for Trolling Motors

You can charge your Enduro Power lithium trolling motor battery from many different power sources, including converters, inverters, and solar charge controllers. When choosing a charger look for a LiFePO4 charging profile in line with the voltage of your battery bank.

Enduro Power lithium trolling motor batteries feature a BMS (battery monitoring system) to protect your batteries from damage during charging, including:

• Over-current protection
• Over-voltage protection
• Under-voltage protection
• Overload protection
• High temperature protection
• Low temperature protection
• Short circuit protection
• Cell balancing
• Parallel connection capability (keeps voltage the same while increasing Ah capacity)

Call Enduro Power to Land the Best Battery for Your Bass Boat

When you want a lithium battery designed for trolling motors, bass boats, and houseboats, choose Enduro Power for lightweight design, low self-discharge, and efficient battery management systems. If you are fishing for the best battery for marine applications, choose reliable and environmentally friendly LiFePO4 marine batteries from Enduro Power.