Battery for Bow mount trolling motor

[davidj65]

I currently have a basic 55lb MinnKota in the stern that I use for shallow water and edges, just nosing around coves and such. Runs all day with that level of use on a group 31 Interstate 12V lead acid battery, which also powers the house stuff (lights and sonar and 12V phone charging ports). No spot lock, I use an anchor.

I'm planning on upgrading to a bow mount Terrova and use the spot lock instead of the anchor. The troller will obviously will be running a lot more than it currently does. So I am wondering, what can I expect for battery life? Do I need a couple batteries to get through a long day of messing around?

I like the idea of the LifePo batteries but don't know much about them. The lead acids have been fine for me in my very limited experience, but I'm not tied to them. Ditching some weight would be good. Can the lights and sonar also be run off a Lifepo?

I know some people say not to run sonar off the same battery as a troller, but so far I haven't had any issues with that.

 

[airshot]

I have a 55# MK with spot lock on my 16' Sylvan side console. It runs on two dedicated group 31 lead acid batteries. It can last for up to 8 hrs depending on how hard it is used. When these 6 yr old batteries give up, I will replace them with a single 140 ahm LifeP04 battery and expect to get similar or longer run times. I also have a dedicated start battery for the motor and a group 29 deep cycle for all accessories as a house battery. LifeP04 are great...but MUST be handled correctly with storage and handling.