Been kayak fishing for about 8 years now. Run a Old Town Predator with a Minn Kota Endura C2 40lb thrust on the bow. Great setup for sneaking into skinny water where the big boats cant go.
Problem was always the battery. Used to run a group 24 lead acid in the rear hatch. Thing weighed about 45lbs and took up half my storage space. Had to plan every trip around conserving power because if the battery died I was paddling back against current.
Switched to a Vatrer Power 12V 100Ah LiFePO4 last month. Weighs maybe 24lbs and I can lift it with one hand. Fits in the same hatch but now I have room for my tackle box and a cooler. Game changer for weight distribution too since I could move it further forward.
First trip out I ran the motor on and off for about 7 hours chasing reds in the flats. Old setup would have been dead by hour 4. Finished the day with 52% left according to the Bluetooth app. I literally didnt know what to do with myself having that much power in reserve.
No voltage drop either which surprised me. Motor runs at full speed right until the battery is almost empty. With lead acid the motor would get noticeably weaker as the day went on.
Had to buy a lithium compatible charger which was annoying but not expensive. Around $60 for a basic one.
For anyone fishing from kayaks or small boats, the weight savings alone makes lithium worth it. Your back and your storage space will thank you.
Posted by BookwormSarah1
5 Comments
That model is doing the levitation trick wrong.
I made my 50ah last around 8hrs on my inflatable kayak with trolling motor set up before. Those lifep04 batteries are tits
I have 100ah mini (haven’t found a difference between that and regular sized except for weight and size) and can run 12 hour days with no problems, lithium is the way to go 👍🏽
Absolutely. I bought a cheap Chinese Power Queen LiFePO4 50AH (plus a second for overnighters a little while later) for my inflatable kayak with a small 24-lb thrust motor to replace a 35 AH AGM a couple years ago, money well spent for multiple reasons.
The weight of your wallet or the battery?!😁 They’re totally worth it.