Well batteries to a bass fisherman are a big part of our equipment. If you’ve been around for any amount of time you have experienced dead or weak batteries at one time or another. As time has evolved so has the amount of equipment we have running, this adds to the draw on our batteries. SO after 5 years I felt it was time for an upgrade in my battery compartment. Now that said I had to replace 2 of those batteries over the past few years because they went bad. My starting battery first, followed by one of the trolling motor batteries. The other two group 29 Interstate batteries were still working when I replaced them. Why do some last and others go bad? Well honestly there are to many reasons to really discuss here. One thing I will say is check your charger before condemning your batteries. Often it’s the charger that goes bad, often just one bank is bad. Simply plug in said charger and use a multi meter to check the charger.
3 group 31 AGM for the trolling motor. I purchased Centennial from a local distributor. As far as I know and have experienced most AGM batteries are comparable when it comes to the trolling motor. Now where I do more research, and want more is in the starting battery. Between starting the motor, and running the graphs, pumps, and so on, there is more of a load here. So I look for a couple things in a starting battery, cranking amps, Amp Hour Rating, and reserve minutes. The X2 is the highest I could find in the group that I could fit in my boat. Its a beast! It is more expensive as well. That said you can see the warranty period of the different batteries. So is one really cheaper than another? Up front yes, but there is something to be said for peace of mind.
The latest big thing in batteries is Lithium. Weight savings is one of the biggest claims. Personally in my 21+ ft boat its really not and issue. However there are advantages other than weight. The disadvantage is cost. They are real expensive. However if they last you 10 years of trouble free service then maybe its worth it for you. Some also offer some cool features, such as Ionics. Ionics has a really cool app available with their batteries. It allows you to see and monitor your batteries throughout the day. My reasoning for not doing Lithium at this point was really due to new technology coming. The improvements over the next couple years are going to be night and day. Therefore I chose to wait for it before making that kind of investment. As far as a starting battery, many advise staying away from Lithium. This may change in time but that’s the current thought.
