Minn Kota Trolling Motors

[Fishingforlyfe]

Can someone help me with things I need to get a minn kota trolling motor started? I found a 38 thrust that comes with a charger but for example what kind of battery specifically and charger as well... does any charger work for any battery? And also how long would a 12V battery last? Thanks! (:

[Nessie Hunter]

What are you putting it on????
38# isnt very big or powerful, will drain battery fast on heavy craft...

Deep cycle Marine battery is best & longest lasting...
You can get them at Walmart even!!!!
Tickle charger overnight seems to be best option....

[Fishingforlyfe]

it will just be put on a sea eagle 9inflatable boat... Would that work?

[casting call]

Thats a nice size motor for an inflatable. If youre gonna be trolling all day or using the trolling motor as your primary means of thrust, then go with a biggest deep cycle battery you can afford and/or your sea eagle can carry. You can get a 109Ah battery from Walmart for like 90 bucks without a core exchange . Basic way to know how long a battery will last with your motor is to use this formula:
1A per hour used per lb of thrust at max speed. So if you have a 109Ah battery for your motor going at full speed: 109/38 = 2.8 hours
Of course you wouldnt be going full speed continuously, so it will last longer. But thats a rough estimate. Keep in mind that with a trolling motor, you arent exactly going to break any speed record, so on the bigger lakes, it can take you a good while to get from one end to another, so you will need a bigger battery if you plan on fishing the bigger lakes.

As for the type of charger, use a 2 stage marine battery charger. The first stage will be a fast charge, then will step down to a slower charge as it reaches full charge. Dont use a regular car charger, as it will dramatically shorten the life of the battery. Also, always remember to immediately recharge it as soon as you get home from using it, even if you dont plan on using it again for a while. These batteries like to have full charge when they are not being used. Hope this helps.