Choosing the trolling motor battery is the next important decision after you picked a good trolling motor.
Battery for trolling motor determines how long you can go between charges, the total weight of your boat, the time and money you’ll have to put into the trolling motor battery maintenance.
However, it could be confusing if you have ever searched the trolling motor battery at Walmart or on Amazon. There are so many different types and labels that could possibly make you lost:
So which is the best battery for trolling motor? Lead acid or lithium trolling motor batteries, starting or deep cycle trolling motor batteries, trolling motor marine batteries, group 27 or group 31 batteries, sealed or flooded batteries?
Today we are going to walk you through everything you need to know about trolling motor batteries to help you find the best trolling motor battery for your bass boat, kayak, jon boat, or aluminum boat.
Table of content:
- Top 6 Trolling Motor Battery Recommendations
- Boat Trolling Motor Battery Everything Explained
- Trolling Motor Battery Types Video Comparison
- Best Battery for Trolling Motor: Top 4 Things to Consider
- Tips for the Best Use of Trolling Motor Battery
- Hottest Questions About Trolling Motor Batteries
Top 6 Trolling Motor Battery Recommendations
To put it shortly, the battery for trolling motor you should look for should be the 12-volt deep cycle marine battery/batteries types. Any battery that meets this criteria can be used as a trolling motor battery.
And within that range, the Lead Acid Wet Cell batteries and Sealed AGM trolling motor batteries are the two most popular choice for anglers, each with their own pros & cons.
If you are willing to spend a lot of money, lithium trolling motor battery is the best choice.
| Trolling Motor Battery | Pros & Cons |
| Lead Acid Flooded (Wet Cell) Battery | · Most affordable option · Shorter lifespan (1-2.5 years) · Requires regular maintenance |
| Lead Acid Sealed AGM Battery | · Longer runtime per charge · Longer lifespan (3-4 years) · Maintenance-free · More expensive |
| Lithium Trolling Motor Battery | · Lightweight · Better longevity · Better depth of charge · Most expensive |
If you are in a hurry, here we’ve compared all popular trolling motor battery options and hand-picked the top 5 that can easily fit in Minn Kota and other trolling motors on the market.
| Battery Model | Battery Type | Group | Capacity | Weight | Price |
| Universal Power Group 12v Trolling Motor Battery | Sealed AGM | 27 | 100 Ah | 63.9 lbs | Check on Amazon |
| VMAX MR137-120 Battery | Sealed AGM | 31 | 120 Ah | 75 lbs | Check on Amazon |
| Mighty Max Battery for Trolling Motor | Sealed AGM | 30 | 100 Ah | 60 lbs | Check on Amazon |
| Trojan SCS200 12V Battery | Wet-Cell Flooded | 27 | 115 Ah | 61 lbs | Check on Amazon |
| Battle Born Battery | Lithium | 27 | 100 Ah | 31 lbs | Check on Amazon |
| Optima Starting & Deep Cycle Marine Battery | Dual-Purpose* | 34 | 55 Ah | 43.5 lbs | Check on Amazon |
* Although convenient, dual-purpose trolling motor battery comes as a compromise in the performance.
Note: You can still use 12 V trolling motor batteries even if you own a 24 volt or 36 V motor. You only need to wire in series to provide the required volts. For example, to get 24-volt trolling motor battery, just connect two 12v trolling motor batteries as the wiring diagram:
For detailed 36/24v trolling motor battery connection and wiring details, check out this guide.
Boat Trolling Motor Battery Everything Explained
If you want to learn all ins and outs about the electric trolling motor battery, we’ve summarized everything you need to know for a comprehensive understanding of it.
I’m looking to be able to be on the water all day at decent speeds. What kind of trolling motor battery do I need for this requirement?
Check out the below most common types of batteries for trolling motor and learn their pros and cons so you’ll know whether it’s a good fit for your Minn Kota motor or other motors.
#1. Starting vs Deep Cycle Trolling Motor Battery
If you’ve ever searched around the trolling motor batteries, you should have seen deep cycle quite a lot. What does that mean and what’s a deep cycle trolling motor on earth?
In fact, batteries can be roughly divided into two basic categories: the starting battery and the deep cycle battery. And each of them serves different purposes.
Just as the name implies, the starting batteries (aka cranking or starter battery) are designed to start a motor smoothly with short and strong bursts of energy. They are not designed for multiple discharge/recharge and draining it can cause damage.
By contrast, the deep cycle batteries are designed to keep the motor running over long periods with continuous, steady, and reliable power. They can be entirely drained and recharged repeatedly, perfect to be used as trolling motor batteries.
| Battery Types | Features | Application |
| Starting Battery | · Delivers strong bursts of energy in a short time · Not designed for charging multiple times | Get motor start easily |
| Deep Cycle Battery | · Delivers continuous power in a long period · Can be drained/recharged many times | Keep motor trolling smoothly |
Note: Oftentimes you’ll hear people talk about the trolling motor marine battery. In most cases, they mean the deep cycle trolling motor battery. The label “marine” and “deep cycle” are often used interchangeably or together, which causes some confusion.
#2. Lithium Trolling Motor Battery vs Lead Acid
Under the category of deep cycle trolling motor battery (or so-called trolling motor marine battery), you still have two options: the lithium batteries or lead acid batteries.
The lithium trolling motor battery has the lightest weight, the longest run time and lifespan, and therefore will be replaced less often. It’s the same battery that used in our smartphones. The biggest downside for lithium trolling motor battery is its price.
A decent lithium battery for trolling motor with 30 lb thrust could cost over $900 (100 Ah capacity), over 3 times the price of a lead acid trolling motor battery with similar capacity.
And the lead acid trolling motor battery costs much less but it weighs more with less energy density. It has shorter lifespan and less runtime.
But with about 65 lbs weight for 100 Ah capacity, around 4 hours runtime per charge, and decent lifespan if maintained properly, the lead acid electric trolling motor battery is still the mainstream choice for boaters with much more affordable price.
| Battery Types | Pros | Recommendation |
| Lithium trolling motor battery | · Lightweight · Double or triple runtime · Long lifespan · Higher discharge rate · Expensive | Battle Born LiFePO4 Deep Cycle Trolling Motor Battery |
| Lead acid trolling motor battery | · Cheaper · More weight · Lower discharge rate · Less runtime | Universal Power Group 12V 100Ah Lead Acid Battery |
#3. Flooded vs Sealed Trolling Motor Battery
If you are going with the lead acid trolling motor battery, be sure to get the sealed batteries instead of the flooded ones if you want a maintenance-free trolling motor battery.
The flooded electric trolling motor battery (aka wet-cell battery), contain a liquid combination of water and sulfuric acid. They last longer and cost less but needs you to add distilled water regularly to maintain the correct level of liquid.
By contrast, the sealed trolling motor batteries do not contain a liquid that will spill out. So they are basically maintenance-free, gaining the favor by a lot of users. They also charge faster and are better for extreme temperatures.
| Battery Types | Features | Recommendation |
| Flooded trolling motor battery | · Inexpensive · Lasts longer · Needs regular maintenance | Trojan SCS200 12V 115Ah Group 27 Deep Cycle Battery |
| Sealed trolling motor battery | · Maintenance free · Charge faster · Smaller in size · Better for extreme temperatures · Cost more | Universal Power Group 12V 100Ah Trolling Motor Battery |
#4. Gel vs AGM Trolling Motor Batteries
The sealed trolling motor battery can further break down into AGM and Gel types, which often shows in the title tags of the electric trolling motor battery.
If you want a quick decision on this, the AGM type is a better choice for trolling motor batteries.
Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) trolling motor batteries use woven glass fiber separators. They can handle higher charge and discharge rates than gel counterparts with more cost-effective price.
Gel batteries contain a silica type gel. They can last a little longer but are more expensive.
| Battery Types | Features | Recommendations |
| AGM trolling motor battery | · Better charge and discharges efficiency · Charge with standard battery charger · Cost effective | Mighty Max Battery AGM Deep Cycle Trolling Battery |
| Gel trolling motor battery | · Longer lifespan · Higher price · Requires special charger | Weize 12V 100AH Pure GEL Deep Cycle Rechargeable Battery for Trolling Motor |
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read):
To summarize all the information about trolling motor battery, the right type you should look for is the 12v deep cycle batteries:
- If you are willing to invest extra bucks on this, the lithium trolling motor battery is your best choice with unbeatable performance at all rounds.
- Check out the ExpertPower 12V 100Ah Lithium Battery.
- If you want a more affordable trolling motor battery solution, consider the Lead Acid batteries for your trolling motor:
- The flooded (wet cell) marine battery is the most cost-effective option but requires regular maintenance. Check out the Trojan SCS200 12V 115Ah Flooded Battery.
- The sealed AGM battery is maintenance-free with better charge/discharge efficiency but costs a little more. Check out the Mighty Max Battery AGM Deep Cycle Trolling Battery.
Trolling Motor Battery Types Video Comparison
You may also follow this video to see the hand-on differences between different types of the electric trolling motor battery.
Best Battery for Trolling Motor: Top 4 Things to Consider
Having decided on the best type of battery for trolling motor, your next move would be selecting one that can perfectly fit your boating needs with enough power but not overkill.
There are still numerous options falling into your target battery type group. And here are several things you should pay attention to in order to get a good trolling motor battery.
#1. Trolling Motor Battery Size
What size battery do I need for a 30 lb thrust trolling motor? How long does a trolling motor battery last?
Generally speaking, the larger trolling motor battery size (rated by Ah or amp hour), the better as you’ll be sure to get more runtime out of it. And 100 amp hour rating is a sweet spot for the trolling motor battery.
And if you are looking for trolling motor battery for kayak specially, this 35 Ah battery and this 70 ah battery would be enough.
To calculate the accurate trolling motor battery life, you need to check out the battery’s amperage hour (Ah) rating and the amperage draw of the trolling motor.
For example, if you have a 100 amp hour trolling motor battery, and the motor pulls 40 amps at top speed. The trolling motor battery life should be around 2.5 hours (100 Ah / 40 amps) at top speed.
#2. Trolling Motor Battery Lifespan
Charging trolling motor battery can cause damage if you are not using deep cycle batteries. And even you get the right type, some deep cycle trolling motor batteries tend to last longer than other models.
If you don’t want to replace the trolling motor batteries every year or every a few years, choose a good quality AGM battery which can last around 4 years, no maintenance needed.
#3. Trolling Motor Battery Weight
The boat trolling motor battery will be carried by hand, so you will definitely want no heavy weights.
And the bigger and heavier the trolling motor battery is, the less room left for the fishing gear and passengers. That’s especially important for canoe/kayak trolling motor battery.
The most common deep cycle trolling motor batteries range from 60 to 70 pounds. And you can reduce the weight by opting for lithium trolling motor battery but at a higher cost.
#4. Trolling Motor Battery Group
Another thing you should care about the boat trolling motor battery is its group number. Oftentimes you’ll see the trolling motor battery marked with group 24, 27, 31, and etc.
What does the trolling motor battery group size mean? What’s the difference between trolling motor battery group 27 and group 31?
In put it shortly, the trolling motor group size defines the physical dimensions of the battery case. For deep cycle trolling batteries, the larger the size the more capacity the battery will usually have. Pay special attention to the group number if you are searching for a compact trolling motor battery for kayak.
Tips for the Best Use of Trolling Motor Battery
Whether you intend to use the trolling motor battery for kayak or other boats, it’s important to follow some tips to prolong its lifespan and make the best use of it.
- Always recharge after use to extend the battery lifespan. Most trolling motor batteries fail due to lack of proper charging.
- If you are mixing batteries to build a 36v or 24v trolling motor battery system, remember not to mix battery types. Also keep the age and usage level similar.
- Check the fluid level of the Wet-Cell batteries at least once each month and top off with distilled water as needed.
- Be sure to clean the trolling motor battery and its terminals before you put it in storage and store it in a cool and dry environment.
- Avoid storing uncharged trolling motor batteries for long periods of time.
- A battery power center can help protect a battery out on the water.
Hottest Questions About Trolling Motor Batteries
By reading this far, you should have a clearer idea about the trolling motor battery. Here we also share some popular questions collected from users with quick answers in case you have the same confusion.
Q1. The batteries I have now are group 27 should I get group 31?
A1. As mentioned above, the larger trolling motor battery group size usually has more capacity. So if you find the motor to be very weak after a day’s use or against the current, upgrading the trolling motor battery group 27 to group 31 could be helpful.
Q2. Can you use a regular/car battery for electric trolling motor?
A2. Trolling motors use deep cycle batteries, and the car battery (usually the cranking type of battery) isn’t ideal for a trolling motor.
Q3. Would using a dual-purpose trolling motor battery instead of the deep cycle hurt anything?
A3. Yes, you can use it, but the dual-purpose trolling motor battery that is designed for both starting and deep cycling won’t start an engine quite as well as a true cranking battery and won’t endure as many deep discharge/recharge cycles as a dedicated deep-cycle model.
If you are looking for a reliable dual-purpose battery for electric trolling motor, you may check out the Optima 8016-103 D34M BlueTop Starting and Deep Cycle Battery.