Chester Hutchings

Choosing a proper trolling motor wire size is more important than you might think. Many people, especially beginner boat enthusiasts underestimate wire gauges. They don’t know about electrical resistance and think that a proper current is the only thing that matters.

To ensure you don’t make such a mistake, we’ve created this gauge wire guide. The first section is dedicated to the general notion of a wire gauge and why it’s important, as well as the American Wire Gauge.

The second part is more specific to trolling motors, but we recommend you read the whole piece to have a full understanding of the topic. Electricity issues hold a serious fire hazard, and fire on the water never sounds good.

So, let’s begin!

Read moreTrolling Motor Wire Size Guide: Every Bit a Beginner Should Know

A time ago, it was hell to charge a trolling motor battery. Batteries had containers, and battery acid was circulating within them during the charge. It was a good method, though it was rather time-consuming.

Besides, a person spent much effort and was exhausted by the process. Fortunately, we live in the epoch of new technologies, and the approach to battery charging has improved greatly.

To charge a trolling motor battery, a person is to be aware of its type to select the best charger. This guide will help you to avoid mistakes and make your trolling motor battery serve longer.

Read moreHow to Charge a Trolling Motor Battery: Tips and Tricks

Do you own a pontoon boat or a kayak? Do you want it to be fast and show the best performance? Then, find out how to choose the best trolling motor battery. A battery with light weight will help you to improve your boat performance and get a positive boating experience.

You should make the choice of the battery responsibly as not all lightweight trolling batteries can work for hours without charging. Paying attention to the charging potential is a must for smooth boating. Check how to choose the lightest trolling motor battery that will help you to optimize your boat function.

Read moreLightest Trolling Motor Battery: When Should You Use It?

Conducting various tests and learning the exact parameters of a motor is useful in at least four cases.

• The first case concerns buying a used motor. As a rule, a motor has got a tablet with all characteristics and documentation with the same detailed information. Sometimes, when you purchase a used motor from a private seller, the data can be missing. In this situation, a strategy to perform tests to learn the characteristics of a motor is correct.
• The second situation happens when something is wrong with the motor, and you would like to repair it. Measuring AMP draw can exclude or confirm problems with the inner electric circuit, power consumption, and overall effectiveness of a motor. The test is important but not difficult to perform by yourself.
• The third case concerns custom motors. Suppose you are an enthusiast and want to assemble your own trolling motor from different parts. In this case, amp draw tests are obligatory, as you have to make sure what kind of battery to apply.
• The fourth situation is advice from many experts. They recommend decreasing the electricity power of a starting device. Such a procedure lets a battery last much longer.

What can happen if you neglect the amp draw test?

You will waste money by picking the wrong battery. If the power of a battery is not enough, it will not start the motor at all.

You risk burning or overheating a motor with a too strong battery. Excessive heat can make motor lifespan significantly shorter.

You will ruin the motor completely or overpay for another repair. As we said, you can perform the test by yourself if you know how to prepare and the instruments you’ll need.

Read moreTrolling Motor Amp Draw

The circuit breaker is a key element when it comes to any electronic motor equipment, be it for your house or your boat. There are a lot of important things you need to take into account if you’d like to understand how a trolling motor circuit breaker works. 

Luckily, this article will walk you through the nitty-gritty of your circuit breaker. It will help you understand the installation process. You’ll be able to make the most of your electric trolling motor while extending its longevity.

Read moreTrolling Motor Circuit Breakers (A Complete Guide)

Before buying a trolling motor, every customer wonders how long it’s going to last. This is one of the most important criteria of choice. And aside from the quality of the motor, the brand, the type, etc., amperage matters a lot.

There are two measurements that matter:

• How many amp-hours the motor supports;
• What the trolling motor amperage draw is.

To understand amperage, you need to understand how the battery works at all.

Read moreHow Many Amps Does a Trolling Motor Use?

Successful fishing depends on many things. An angler should know details about various kinds of fish, including their eating habits, speed, habitats, and seasonal peculiarities.

Those, who like to angle on motorboats, have a chance to catch a pike, a marling, a catfish, a tuna, and other predatory fish. Why is trolling fishing effective? It lets you catch the desired fish without noise. A fish sees the moving bait and does not suspect that it is a trap. 

If you want to do everything right, you will select a proper bracket to supply your boat or kayak with a motor. Compared to outboard motors, oars, and paddles, trolling motors are simpler in navigation.

They let you control your boat in windless and shallow places full of weeds. You can mount it on the front or back part of the kayak or boat. Some anglers mount it on the main motor to spare space.

It is better not to mount it anyhow. You should take into consideration the parameters of your boat/ kayak (weight, length, load, construction peculiarities, etc.) before the installation. This guide will help you make the right choice.

Read moreBow Mount Trolling Motor Brackets: What? When? How?

The outboard motor has turned from something exotic into a usable instrument during fishing. One can install it both on yachts and small boats. With all the advantages, the motor has one demerit – the operation time is limited by the battery charge. As usual, the batteries are designed for 1-2 days of unstoppable work. 

It is not a problem if a boat is parked near a pier for five-six days a week and plugged into the power network. The batteries in such a boat are always ready to work for 5-8 hours intensively. When an owner gets back to the shore, they will plug in the batteries for further maintenance. The problems begin when you plan a long-term trip with tents and being in isolated locations. In this case, you have two possible variants: getting another battery and changing it or getting a generator to charge a battery outdoors. 

Read moreHow to Charge a Trolling Motor Battery From The Outboard Motor