Don’t let your battery disappoint you this spring

Published 8:00 am Thursday, March 3, 2016

Each spring when the fishing begins to improve after a cold winter, many anglers are disappointed on their first trip to the lake. That disappointment occurs when the angler turns the key to crank their boat and hears either nothing or a whining noise from the boat’s main motor. The angler might also engage the trolling motor only to be met with no movement from the trolling motor propeller.

Cold weather will degrade an unmaintained battery during the winter months and will quickly lead to a disappointed angler. Even if you fish throughout the winter like I do, you still need to maintain all your boat batteries. I try to remind anglers about battery maintenance so that when the fish are biting, they will be catching fish rather than buying new batteries.

You need to understand the different types of batteries and you need to know what type batteries you have in your boat. There are three broad types of marine batteries and boat owners need to understand how each works and what maintenance is required to insure you get good battery life and optimum performance. The three broad types of batteries are cranking, deep-cycle and dual-purpose.

Within that broad definition of battery types as it relates to how it is used on your boat, you have three specific battery types based on their internal construction and that can also impact their performance and maintenance requirements.

Those specific battery types are FLOODED (lead acid), AGM (absorbed glass mat) and GEL cell (gelled electrolyte lead acid). The most common type of battery used for marine purposes is the FLOODED or lead acid battery which is used for making cranking and starting batteries.

The cranking battery is often referred to as the starting battery and is designed for initial cranking of the boat’s outboard or inboard motor. The motor’s alternator then recharges the battery but when boat accessories are also attached to the cranking battery and the boat is not run very often the battery’s charge can be depleted.

The second type of marine battery is the deep-cycle battery that is used for trolling motors applications. A deep-cycle battery requires a low amount of current or power over a long period of use. A deep-cycle battery can be used until it is completely discharged and it can be repeatedly recharged with little if any loss of capacity.

However, the deep-cycle battery must be recharged after each use to maintain its performance and provide for extended life. Leaving a deep-cycle battery in a discharged state especially over the cold winter months will insure it will have a short operating life.

Unless the cranking and deep-cycle batteries are maintenance-free, you will need to periodically check the electrolyte level in the battery. When adding water to the battery, only use distilled water to provide longer battery life. The water level should always be maintained above the battery’s plates but below the battery’s vent caps.

The third type of battery is the popular dual-purpose battery. This battery is suitable for both cranking and deep-cycle operations. These batteries are usually maintenance free and there is no need to periodically check the electrolyte level but the dual-purpose battery must be kept fully charged to receive maximum performance and battery life.

There are two types of battery chargers available on the market. You have the old standard standalone battery charger that has been around for years and will adequately charge your batteries but they require you to be very observant through the charging process and they will only charge a single battery at a time.

The other type of battery charger which has only been around for around ten years is the on-board charger. You can permanently mount these charges on your boat and just plug them in to an electric outlet each time you return from fishing and they will constantly maintain your batteries.

Make sure that the on-board battery charger you plan to purchase will charge the type of battery that you have in your boat. Most on-board battery chargers are safe to use on most marine batteries. Also on-board battery chargers come in different sizes based on amperage required and the number of batteries you plan to charge at one time.

Also important is whether the on-board battery charger is a transfer-on-demand charger that will transfer all the available charging amps to where it is required or the older and more typical on-board chargers that divide the charging amps between the numbers of batteries and is unable to transfer any available or extra amps to where it is required.

Make sure the charger is waterproof and do not allow costs to dictate your choice. A low-end charger may save you money but it likely will fail to meet your needs. My first on-board battery charger destroyed two of my batteries before I did some research and purchased a top-of-the-line on-board charger. Good fishing and see you next week.