Expected trolling speed with Minn Kota

[thill]

I've gone the exact route you have, trying bigger and bigger lead batteries.

I strongly recommend that you go on Amazon and search "TimeUSB battery". They are about $200 and will outlast even the best lead acid batteries, plus come with a 5-year warranty, 10 year typical life.

The fact that they only weigh maybe 20 pounds will make your boat lighter and happier, too.

I could never justify buying lithium until the price dropped to the $200 mark, and now I'm really, really really happy that I did.

I don't even think about battery life now. It's no longer an issue

 

[LDUBS]

Who trolls at 2-3mph for walleyes?

Sent from my SM-A526W using Tapatalk

What's a walleye? Sounds like a security camera.

 

[airshot]

My Sylvan SC weighs in around

Wow, I don’t get anywhere near that

My

Wow, I don’t get anywhere near that with my 80 pound terrova running group 27 batteries.

16' Sylvan weighs in around 1500-1600 lbs with myself and gear. MK 55 lb 12 volt, when trolling for walleye, I use my 2.2 hp gas kicker set straight ahead and use my bow mount electric for steering. Depending on wind and waves my bow motor runs around 4-8 setting on speed control out of 10. Typically around 6 avg. My two big group 31's will last about 8 hrs before a real noticible drop in power. As soon as I get home, the whole boat goes onto chargers for thevtwo trolling vatteries and the house battery. When they peak, they switch to maintenence charge mode. According to the mfg, keeping the batteries full as soon as you can after use makes them last longer and hold a charge longer. Mine are over 4 years old now, so when they go, I will switch the trolling batteries to lifePo4, but in the mean time, the maintenence chargers have given extra life to my batteries.

 

[MrGiggles]

Thanks you for the information. Those are crazy hours and I am now a bit baffled. I am thinking my boat with two people and gear is pushing 2000 pounds, but that is a big difference in what you are getting out of the Terrova and what my experience is??? I know that at setting 10 the Terrova is suppose to draw 56 amps. I am thinking the Ever Start batteries have 114 ah rating. at setting 10 you would get just over 2 hours of trolling time? Do you have them wired in series or parallel? What setting do you use when running 3 mph?

You should be getting more than that. I'd say to look over your batteries closely if they are not new. In series, you're only as strong as the weakest battery.

Poor connections are another thing to look at, including the plug if you use one. Some of them are pretty undersized for the current they carry. If your boat has factory wiring that runs to the back of the boat, chances are it is undersized as well for a 24V motor. Any source of resistance will cause voltage to drop and amperage to increase, you'll be losing battery power to heat.

What's a walleye? Sounds like a security camera.

A toothy, finicky fish that are excellent table fair, native to most river systems in the central US. They fight like a boot, but I still go after them. Catching a 10" walleye is more exciting to me than a 5lb bass. Couldn't tell you why, bass fishing was never my thing.

The best walleye fishing is up north, but our conservation department does a pretty good job of maintaining fisheries for them here. They are native to the river systems that our reservoirs were made out of.

 

[Crazyboat]

I 2nd the going with a 24V vs a 12V set up.

 

[airshot]

A toothy, finicky fish that are excellent table fair, native to most river systems in the central US. They fight like a boot, but I still go after them. Catching a 10" walleye is more exciting to me than a 5lb bass. Couldn't tell you why, bass fishing was never my thing.

The best walleye fishing is up north, but our conservation department does a pretty good job of maintaining fisheries for them here. They are native to the river systems that our reservoirs were made out of.

Here in Lake Erie, they are the hottest thing !! Bass fishing is just a hobby, but our DNR has created an awesome fishery for the walleye and also for yellow perch. Linits are not that hard to catch andvthe eating is...awesome !!