24 vs 36 volts

[clubchiman]

I am thinking of buying a new bass boat . The money is tight and is it worth buying a 24v trolling motor vs 36. New to me might be a used boat with a 24 v system. Is it worth spending the extra$$$ to upgrade and buy a new battery? I know some of the 24v systems have up to 74 lbs of thrust isn't that enough? thanks.

[mark poulson]

Depends on the boat and where you fish.
Generally, aluminum boats need more thrust per foot of boat, because they are light, sit high in the water, and the exposed hull catches the wind like a sail. Fiberglass boats are heavier, sit lower, and can get by with less thrust.
Keep in mind, the higher the thrust the trolling motor has, the more amps/battery it is going to eat in the course of a day.
If you're fishing rivers, with current, or in a windy area, and you're fishing hard or lots of tournaments, you probably want to go to 36 volt system.
If you're fishing lakes, not too windy, and a recreational fisherman, 24 volt would probably be fine.
I have a 24volt 82lb thrust Motor Guide for my 17' Tracker, and it lets me fish in the wind, even Santa Anas. I did run down the batteries at Lake Pyramid this year in 45mph winds, with gusts to 65, but, other than that, the 24volt motor is fine for me.

[mark poulson]

Depends on the boat and where you fish.
Generally, aluminum boats need more thrust per foot of boat, because they are light, sit high in the water, and the exposed hull catches the wind like a sail. Fiberglass boats are heavier, sit lower, and can get by with less thrust.
Keep in mind, the higher the thrust the trolling motor has, the more amps/battery it is going to eat in the course of a day.
If you're fishing rivers, with current, or in a windy area, and you're fishing hard or lots of tournaments, you probably want to go to 36 volt system.
If you're fishing lakes, not too windy, and a recreational fisherman, 24 volt would probably be fine.
I have a 24volt 82lb thrust Motor Guide for my 17' Tracker, and it lets me fish in the wind, even Santa Anas. I did run down the batteries at Lake Pyramid this year in 45mph winds, with gusts to 65, but, other than that, the 24volt motor is fine for me.

[Slippy]

36v system is a good idea if your fishing the Delta alot and are fighting the tides. That being said i fish the Delta alot and run a 24v 82lb system with 2 powerful batteries (Delco AC 30's) I have never run down my batteries even in the strongest current in the delta. There is a draw back to running these batteries and thats weight, after i replaced my old batteries with these two monsters it slowed my boat down a bit.

[Saechao]

i think i might depend on the size of the boat. i have a 19 skeeter n im runnin 24 volt 74lb mk i really dont have a problem unless it gets really rough...maybe my bats but it drains dem out pretty quick but will last all day thats for sure...im dont know if its worth the upgrade cause dont know how much it would cost. i would sugguest the 36 volt from my personal experiance

[Richard - Sonora]

And here's what I found out. MinnKota (my choice) offers up to 100 lbs of thrust on a 24v system. I chose the 80 lb unit because the 100 would require an upgrade of wiring and breaker. I agree with the other comments that where you fish and what configuration of craft you use are critical to your choice. Three large trolling batteries and one for cranking will add up to about one hundred pounds of load just for power supply. An important issue depending on your hull and outboard. My current (ha-ha) combination is 80 pounds of thrust in 24v on an 18' Ranger with a Yammie 150. Also, I use a 3 bank on-board charger on a timer which keeps all three batteries (2 for troll, 1 crank/electronics) charged and ready. And, I fish the Delta and windy winter tournies regularly. Hope this helps. R- Sonora

[Phil]

FOR US, A 36 VOLT ONLY ADDS ANOTHER BATTERY AND MORE WEIGHT TO THE BOAT, OUR MINNKOTA 80 LB THRUST 24 VOLT DOES JUST FINE EVEN IN 40 MPH WINDS.......ON OUR 18' 7" BOAT WITH 94 " BEAM

[Smile_n_Jax]

FYI, I run a 24 volt, 56 lb motor on my 16' 9" Stratos and have not had any problems. But, then again, I've never fished the Delta.