Trolling motors are used in every boat nowadays as they help the boat seamlessly move through water without making noise and need a steady source of power to run. That power source is called a trolling motor battery. These are made for fishing and boating.

But if one is a beginner it can be a little difficult to select the right type as there are many things like power and ampere per hour rating to consider. So, here is a guide to help one navigate the world of trolling motor batteries.

What is a trolling motor battery?

Fishing requires a lot of waiting and moving slowly through the water to not scare the fish. The trolling motor battery provides that constant supply of electricity needed to move the boat around.

The trolling motor battery also known as trolling motor marine battery is designed for the specific purpose of boating. They easily fit the boat without taking up much space. But every motor battery is not the same as they use different materials, provide different voltages, and have different ampere-hour ratings as each trolling motor is different. One first needs to understand these terms to make a good conscious decision about buying a good trolling motor battery for themselves. Let’s understand various terms one by one.

Power

The trolling motor needs a good amount of power to move the boat around. The power of the trolling motor is measured in pounds of thrust, this power is written in terms of voltages the more power it consumes the more its voltage.

For example, a motor producing 50 pounds of thrust would have 30 volts written on it.

This voltage is produced with the help of a trolling motor battery, so a 30-volt battery would be required to move a trolling motor of 30 volts around the river.

So, the voltage of the battery is dependent on the power requirements of the motor.

Ampere hour rating

The power of the battery depends on the voltage that it would provide to the motor.

But another parameter for batteries measures how long the battery will last. This parameter is called the Ampere hour rating.

The Ampere hour rating is nothing but the amount of current the trolling motor battery provides per hour as this current would sustain the motor and the more the ampere-hour rating is, the more the boat will stay in the water. 

But how much a motor lasts depends on how much the motor is withdrawing from the battery. It can be a little confusing so let’s understand it with the help of the example.

Suppose one is trolling the boat at a lower speed and the boat is using a current of 3 amperes if the battery can provide a 200-amp hour rating then the boat will stay at the low speed for 66.6 hours. On the other hand, the 50-ampere current (moving fast) would last 4 hours. 

But four hours is not enough if the condition requires the motor to withdraw 50 amperes of current (moving at a high speed) then to sustain the motor for at least 14 hours one would need a battery having an ampere-hour rating of 700. 

Thus, a more ampere-hour rating would produce a steady boating time and it depends on what speed one usually moves the boat.