Once you are ready to go kayak fishing, not only do you need to have the best kayak Like a Driftsun Kayak, but you’ll also want an amazing motor. The thing, however, is that no motor is no good if you don’t have a good battery to compliment it.
When it comes to picking out a battery, you need to pay attention to the amperage and voltage. At the end of the day, you’ll want something that optimally powers your motor. To make things easy for you, I’ve put together everything you need to know about getting the right battery.
Additionally, I’ve also included a brief description of the three best trolling motors in the market.
The different batteries you could get
When it comes to picking batteries, there are mainly two options in the market. First, there are starter batteries. These are designed to discharge a large amount of current for a short period- somewhat similar to what a car battery does. This, however, is not ideal for use on a trolling motor since it could damage the battery and your motor.
When it comes to kayak trolling motors, the best way to go would be the Deep-Cycle batteries. These are designed to discharge small amounts of current over a long period. Simply put, such a battery is what you would want to have run your trolling motor.
Here’s more…
You can also choose between either of two kinds of deep cell 12-volt batteries. These can either be the lead-acid wet-cell or the AMG batteries. Depending on the strength of your motor, you should be able to determine how much battery power you’ll need.
For instance, a motor with a battery capacity of 36V will need 3 12V batteries, 24V motor will need 2 12V batteries and so forth. At the same time, you’ll need to know which motor size is ideal for the kayak you have.
A Canoe/Kayak hybrid, for instance, will work well with a high-powered motor e.g. 36V whereas a sea kayak will need a smaller motor.
That being said, let’s look at the difference between lead-acid wet-cell and AMG batteries
Lead-acid batteries
Lead-acid batteries are very common and what most people settle for to power their trolling motors. The lead-acid batteries are designed to withstand the frequent recharging and draining that comes with their use on trolling motors. This makes them a worthy investment.
Speaking of investment, their lifetime is between a year to two and a half years. Considering you can get a decent battery at a price of less than $100, it’s worth investing in.
Like everything good, however, there are a few setbacks to getting this kind of battery. First, they are demanding of occasional maintenance especially in topping off the water. In addition to this, they are also prone to vibrations and spillage which could result in pollution.
AMG Batteries
An alternative to the lead-acid batteries is the AMG variants. If you check the charge on this and a lead-acid variant, these tend to run longer as compared to their counterparts. Additionally, they are completely sealed which makes them safer to handle.
As for the lifespan, the AMG batteries can go for as long as 4 years. Because of mainly this and because they last longer, they cost a little bit more as compared to lead-acid batteries. To add icing on the cake, they are quieter and more ideal for durability and performance on the water not to forget the fact that they are 100% maintenance-free.
What about the amperage hour rating?
For you to measure the battery capacity, you’ll need to know the amp-hour rating of your battery. To make things easier, think of the amp-hour rating as being similar to the capacity of a gas tank of your car. It determines how long you want to run the trolling motor. As such, the longer you intend to run the motor, the more amp hours you’ll want your battery to have.
For instance, if you have a motor that is designed to get 52 amps at full speed and you connect this to a battery rated at 50AH, it will last for 0.96 hours (50/52). On the other hand, if you are using an 80 AH battery, it will last for 1.5385 hours.
Something to bear in mind.
Yet another thing you need to always have in mind is the weight of the kayak. At the same time, since you’ll be using one for fishing, also consider the maximum load it’s got. This way, you should determine the kind of trolling motor to have on it after which you should be able to pick a matching battery for the motor
Universal Power Group 12V 100Ah Solar Wind AGM SLA DEEP Cycle VRLA Battery
[amazon box=”B00S1RT58C” grid=”1″]If you need an all-round battery for your motor, this is it. With as much as 100Ah, it should be good enough to power even the strongest motors. It is rated at 12V and its size is just perfect to have in on your kayak.
Optima Batteries 8016-103 D34M BlueTop Starting and Deep Cycle Marine Battery
[amazon box=”B00075OSCO” grid=”1″]If you need a marine battery for your trolling motor, here’s one that’ll work just fine. Though it is rated at 55Ah, it is worth getting either way. It’s also designed to easily start even in bad weather.
Sealed Lead Acid (AGM) Deep Cycle Battery – DCM0035
[amazon box=”B005CLPOQM” grid=”1″]Need one if you’re on a budget? This one should do the trick. The DCM0035 is rated at 35Ah and should be good if you won’t be spending too much time in the water or just starting with kayak fishing.
Final Verdict
From what we’ve seen, there’s more to a kayak battery than just the voltage rating on it. Additionally, you need to consider you could need more than one depending on the type of motor you have and the load you’ll be carrying. You should also be sure to observe the utmost care and maintenance to keep the battery operational for as long as possible for the best performance.
