In a lake fishing contest, there’s a lot of competition for the best spots! Any kind of advantage can make the difference between catching the biggest haul and going home empty-handed. One way to give yourself an edge is by switching to deep-discharge lithium batteries to power your trolling motor and other electronic components. There are several reasons for this:
Lightweight Lithium Means a Lighter Boat
Out on the lake, your speed is determined by the ratio of engine power to boat weight. Lithium batteries weigh half as much as lead-acid and this can make a big difference to your speed off the starting line! Lead-acid is an excellent choice for starter batteries because they provide a short, large burst of power for your motor. However, pairing your starter with lightweight lithium auxiliary batteries to power your fishing gear gives you the best of both worlds. Less battery weight at the boat’s stern improves your aerodynamics by reducing the bow’s lift and making the boat more streamlined, helping you go faster without using more power!
Long-Life Lithium Keeps You Fishing Longer
Lithium batteries last twice as long as their lead-acid counterparts, which is great for competitive fishermen in all-day competitions. Having as much or more power than you need is always better than letting your fish finder drain your starter battery and leave you stranded. On top of this, the more power you have, the more high-tech gear you can run and the better your chances of landing a big catch. If you’re running lots of gear on one battery, you also run the risk of interference between systems. You don’t want your fish finder cutting out every time you use your trolling motor to move spots!
Ideally, you want enough auxiliary power to run a fish finder, shallow water anchor, depth finder and trolling motor without running out of juice. This is where lithium batteries come into their own! With a slow and steady discharge throughout the day, you have plenty of power. Then if the fish aren’t biting, you can easily move to a new and better spot!
Competitive Fisherman Cole Chantler Adopts Lithium LightningVolt Batteries
Cole Chantler, head of operations at Chantler Transport, saw the effect of using LightningVolt batteries in the fleet’s long-haul APUs. This led him to ask us if they could be used in his competitive fishing boat. This prompted us to redevelop the LightningVolt line to include boating-specific batteries and to partner with Cole as a sponsor. Installing LightningVolt helped Cole achieve great results and reduce 120lbs of weight off the boat’s transom! That much weight is equivalent to an extra crew member—or a lot of extra fishing gear!
LightningVolt batteries were originally designed for use in heavy-duty trucks, and so are plenty tough enough to withstand the knocks and vibrations of a competitive fishing boat! As deep-cycle lithium, they also last twice as long out on the water as the lead-acid batteries Cole was previously using. This gives him double the power to run his trolling motor, fish finder, power poles, and more! This is an advantage in competitions, where the right gear can be the key to catching the biggest bass! LightningVolt batteries also have a 10× longer lifespan than their lead-acid counterparts. Cole won’t need new batteries for his boat for years to come! But most important of all for fishing applications, LightningVolt batteries are fully waterproof. This means there’s no risk of splash-back or bad weather doing them any harm!
Check out our blog 5 Reasons to Choose Lithium As Your Trolling Motor Battery to find out more about how lithium batteries can be used in other fishing applications. You can also learn more about our batteries on our marine LightningVolt page.
