[Fishthoughts]

Made a solo trip to Deep to try out my new motor. Got set up and left the dock at 7AM or so. The lady checking me in mentioned a fishing derby that was starting at 8AM. Wind was already up at this point. It reminded me of the last time we were out here.

Got the trolling motor going and boat was moving at level 5.

Started at the north end and noticed substantial weed growth since the last outing. Fished along that area for a good 1.5 hours and decided to check my battery level. To my surprise, the battery was already at 50% level. I couldn't believe it, but I guess I was cruising around at a high level due to the wind, which was coming out of the SW today.

I decided to head back closer to the dock so I won't have to row in.

Weather started to deteriorate at a fast level.

Fished near the dock and landed this 15 incher on a senko. Winds were really picking up and white caps started to form. My battery was almost dead, so I decided to call it quits early. Oh well, I'll be ready for next week.

 

[Rich L]

Nice bass! At least you made it back without having to row in the wind. When my brother and I were on a lake in Michigan we ran out of juice and had to row back in the wind,ever since then we always keep a back up on the boat!

 

[toothdoc]

It's surprising how fast the weather can change when you are out on the water. Nice looking bass. Glad to hear that the new trolling motor was working for you.

 

[Islandfisher]

Nice bass dude!

Did you charge the battery before you went out?

FYI, the DNR will write you a ticket if your battery isn't in a case with a secured top. A bunch of us got tickets for a bunch of stupid reasons out there last year.

 

[Culprit]

Nice fish Hide & glad u made it back ontime.

Was the battery fully charged ?

 

[Fishthoughts]

Thanks for the heads-up, Sean. Do you have any suggestions where I can find a case for the battery? I saw one at BPS with a circuit breaker and exterior terminals for $40+. Are there cheaper ones?

I did charge my battery the other night. I think I was just over doing it on the motor.

 

[Bassman For Life]

Nice Job. You should be able to find some cheaper

 

[toothdoc]

I think that I bought my battery box at either BPS or Dicks and it was about $10 or less if I remember correctly. :?

 

[JasonN]

Nicely done out there my friend.

I had thought of going up there this evening, but the winds were just a bit to strong.

 

[Islandfisher]

I think that I bought my battery box at either BPS or Dicks and it was about $10 or less if I remember correctly. :?

Some walmarts carry them as well.

Your motor shouldn't have drained the battery that fast. Check your battery charger. Mine has a switch that changes the charging rate from 2 amps (for smaller motorcycle batteries) to 5.5 amps (for larger car and deep cycle batteries). You might have been charging it at a lower rate.

On another note you could have purchased a defective one. If the problem persists you should return it and try a new one.

 

[twoglasseyes]

Nice fish dude! Now get that battery box before you get a ticket!
Walmart $10.

What you should do to test the battery is...
Charge it fully with the charger.
Then test voltage on battery with the charger disconnected from battery.
Battery should be 12v.
Leave the battery sit for a week or two. Put a board under it if its on a concrete floor.
Test voltage again after that time. It should not have gone down on a good deep cycle. On a BAD battery the voltage will be at 10 volts or something like that.

Our battery will be at almost 12v when I check it after a whole day on Beck lake, and there have been times we have used it 4 days in a row without a charge. There is no reason for one to die out like that.

Either way if you are at all suspicios that it is bad just tell them it is and they usually will not question you. They usually exchange batterys pretty freely.
Good luck.

 

[Fishthoughts]

Thanks to all of you on this post!

Andrew, I went to Walmart the other day and picked me up another spare battery just in case.

Twoglasseyes, it's almost a week now since my last charge, and the battery is ready just above 12 volts. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I think what may be wrong is the trolling motor battery meter is not accurate. I got an independent testing device, so I'll have that with me tomorrow at Deep.

Sean and Tim, I did go to Walmart and got me the battery case. I'm glad it's only $10.

 

[twoglasseyes]

Sean was telling me there is device that is made by the trolling motor companies called a "Battery optimizer". I may be wrong on the name, but the idea was that it would regualte the voltage/amperage from the battery to save power, and get more "full power" time out of the battery. We never needed to get one, but they must make it for a reason. It might be something to look into.

 

[kayakrich]

This may be simple advice but I offer it anyway.

If your battery's having a bad day, try to finish the day upwind of the dock. At least that way you can use the wind to your advantage to row with the wind to the dock.

When I kayak or canoe that's more on my mind. It's unpleasant having a nice day of fishing only to paddle upwind in a canoe for 45 minutes to end the day.

 

[NPIKE]

Nice job out there.. Seems like We've been seeing those storm front conditions on a daily basis