Kayak Trolling motor/battery/charger suggestions

Ok, I am suffering from analysis paralysis (been reading too damn many reviews)

Looking for suggestions on:

Trolling motor
Battery
Charger

I am thinking of picking up a Minn Kota C2 30lb thrust for around $100 on amazon. As far as battery and charger I am clueless. I don't    want to break my already DE-FN'-STROYED bank account , but I don't want junk either?

Ideas?

My best recommendation for a battery is a AGM deep cycle battery. That is unless you are willing to step up toa newer Lithium.

Your charger needs to mach your battery and your needs. I like the fully automatic chargers, because they can prolong the life of your battery by delivering the appropriate charge rate/times. You can also get a 1 Amp "float" charger for cheap that you can do the same thing manually IF you manage it well.

I got my endura 30 on ebay, and I dont regret it. You dont mention what yak you are mounting this on, but you should have a max rating (in thrust lbs) size of motor you can mount.

This will be going on my Oasis and outback. Any suggestions on Model of charger?

One thing to think about if you will be using it for trolling is getting slow enough.  You might want a drift anchor to slow you down.  I have used the smallest minn-kota on my canoe and at the slowest speed it still pulls the lure out of the water.

I would also highly recommend a maximizer rather than using the set detent speeds of the tiller handle. Are you planning on running it that way for"reach-a-round" steering/throttle mode or setting it up with steering?

- First for the reason Bike Rat just posted, you can achieve the optimum troll speed with the finite control
- Extends battery run times!
- Will you be able to reach it anyway the way you want to mount it?

As for the charger, I choose mine based more on features than brand. I think the lead acid 12V charger I have is a Schumacher.

"I would also highly recommend a maximizer rather than using the set detent speeds of the tiller handle."-
Please explain. I am not sure what you are taking about. (newbie)

Trolling Motors:  trolling motors come in two flavors, resistive speed control which are cheaper but waste battery power at lower speeds, and electronic speed control which costs more but can extend battery power, especially at lower speeds.  Minn Kota calls their electronic motor controller a MAXIMIZER.  I would not buy ANYTHING except an electronic speed control for trolling with a very light craft because you will spend most of your time at lower throttle speeds.  I have been using a Minn Kota electronic Traxxis motor for three years for salt and it has been a great motor.  I do soak the motor head in fresh water immediately after use to help slow it's deterioration from use in salt.  Motors designed for saltwater use (like the Rip Tide) will cost much more but should survive longer in saltwater with less care.

Batteries:  Lead Acid is not practical for small boats where they get sloshed around.  Gelled lead acid or "gel cell" are most practical for applications where rate of discharge/charge is low, like a fishfinder.  That leaves absorbant glass mat ("AGM") or lithium batteries.  AGM batteries are economical and durable for use with a trolling motor and that is what I use.  I get a fishing day out of a group 27 AGM battery (about 6 hours of intermittent use), with a 40 LB trolling motor.  I have no experience with lithium but the technology should yield the same charge at 1/2 the weight, and ideally should survive deeper discharge and many more recharge cycles than current batteries.  For battery terminations I recommend screw-in terminals, NOT the older style where the cables clamp to the post, for reasons explained later.  I got a cheap AGM from Cabelas and so far no complaints.

Chargers:  Older chargers should just be tossed and replaced with modern electronic chargers that can provide stepped charge cycles, IMO.  Electronic chargers will start at a higher rate of current delivery and step the current down as the battery approaches maximum charge.  Then the charger either shuts off output or shifts to a "float" mode.  IME AGM batteries should be charged immediately after use and then topped up every three months or so if not in use.  IME "float" or "trickle" charging is not needed unless you want to forget about the battery for many months.  ENSURE the charger you are using has a charge profile acceptable for the type battery you are using.  Charging a battery in the wrong mode can damage it or in the worst cases cause rupture/leakage.  I use a 15 amp (max) Black and Decker at home and it has modes for lead acid, AGM, and gel cell.  At work we use the West Marine 30 amp (max) and that is a very good and versatile charger.

Fuse:  A small trolling motor should be fused at 50 amps or less, read your owners manual.  I use Blue Sea System terminal fuse system from West Marine.  This is a bomb-proof and compact fuse system that connects directly to the battery terminal and should easily fit inside most battery boxes.  You need screw-in terminal posts to use this system.

Cables:  Spend some money on 6 AWG marine battery cable if you need to use cable.  Cabelas sells it by the foot.

Box:  If your need a box make sure your battery actually fits.  Group 24 and 27 are the most common sizes.  I like a very simple box with a strap to secure the lid and separate cowls for the + and - lead and nothing else.  Don't forget hardware to anchor the box to the boat if you need it.

Disconnects:  disconnects will sure speed things up when you are setting up or breaking down.  Opening the box to connect the cable leads is a PITA.  Also, the disconnects usually separate under mechanical load, allowing the battery and/or motor to fall away if you are in a jam.  BUT you will need tools to terminate the disconnects to the large cables, and these can be spendy if you don't have them.  I use the Wire Quick Connectors from Cabelas and these are really good disconnects, IMO.  And don't forget the correct-sized lugs, screws, and washers to go to your battery, if needed.

Some things I have learned:
1) It makes no difference what size motor you get for a very small boat as far as top speed.  Trolling motors are designed for thrust, not speed, and will top out at around 5 MPH.  A 40 LB motor reaches max speed at less than 3/4 throttle on my boat.  So my advice is get the smallest motor available with electronic control.
2) Batteries are FREAKING HEAVY.  My group 27 AGM hits the scales at around 60 LB.  At the end of the day, walking it up a steep beach it feels like 120 LB.  So, rigging out a paddlecraft with a trolling motor greatly detracts from the main attraction of paddlecraft IMO:  simplicity and access.  To that end, a disclaimer.  I always just paddle my kayak and use very simple troll gear like a mooching arrangement and hope for a breeze in the right direction.  The trolling motor goes on my row boat so I can fuss with (typically less productive) troll gear like a downrigger 

SORRY for the LOOOOONG post, I'm a EE and electronical things tend to hyper-carbonate me.

OH - when I say "soak the motor head", I mean the end with the prop, NOT the end with the controller/throttle.  The top end (if applicable) should just be wiped or sprayed off, never submerged.

piercho-

Thanks for your explanation!

this is the deep cycle AGM that I went with, intended for use in electric vehicles:

http://www.atbatt.com/product/22951.asp

design changes from normal AGM to be more tolerant of deep discharge and nice size for kayak, not too big or heavy (14.6#) but plenty of amp-hours...I had no problem mounting/securing it inside the hull of my PA12 on the very bottom which helps with CG...

Here is a video from a couple weeks ago trolling. You will notice how fast I am going compared to the throttle position is barely on.

fwiw- I can dial it down slower, but I intended a fast troll because I was moving to a new spot on the lake and wanted to fish on the way there.


 

You sure that video is public? Cant view it.

It was still uploading. It's done now and should work.

When I recieved my Bassyaks kit, there was an information sheet on the CD that I thought was really good at explaining batteries and charging. Here is a link to it:
http://www.dekabatteries.com/assets/base/1927.pdf

not sure it this has been posted but I found this amp draw data for the MinnKota 30# which helped me with battery sizing:

Setting    Amps
1   7.2
2   9.3
3   12.5
4   15.3
5   29.8