shuddyssoup

Okay guys and gals, I have two 31 series deep cycle batteries purchased at Academy and have had them for approximately a year and a half. I use a Dual Pro Charger at 10x2. These batteries haven't worked really well since about February of this year. Just after the 1 year was up !!! They charge to full capacity but if I take the charger off for approximately 10 minutes and plug it back in, it takes approximately 30-40 minutes for them to completely charge again. I keep them full of water and have a battery minder desulfator I swap between the two. I think this is premature failure. IS THERE A WAY TO LOAD CHARGE A DEEP CYCLE BATTERY or would you do it the same way you would do a car battery? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Mike

Patience ... take a frog out one day. Cut the hooks off. Fish it and don't set the hook. See how long you can feel him before he spits the bait. I bet you'll be surprised at the time he'll hold it. Might be a valuable lesson in patience. Just a thought. Patience is difficult to learn and with braid it's twice as important since every inch you move the rod, you move the bait. I use braid for spinner baits and went to softer rods because I was taking it away from them. With a frog. different story ... Good luck, it's an exciting way to fish, and oh by the way, FRUSTRATING.

One thing I could add, I use lighter fluid for the cleansing of the bearings. Seems as if the grease breaks down quick. If you go to the Shimano website there is also some information for baitcasting and spinning reels as a rule of thumb. They have good pics and are easy to follow. If you are willing to do the research you can find a lot on the internet concerning this topic.

Hey, I have some old RC- 3's that are colored HIDEOUS. I'd love to have them redone to a decent color. Do any of y'all do this stuff and get paid for it ? There are other baits too ... All I can say is WOW, for you guys that do this as a passion, there are some fine fine baits out there. I *** the skills ...

WHO DAT BABEEE !!! We're gonna Brees on in to the Super Bowl.

I was asleep when I wrote that. DISAGREE with ... DUH. If the water pressure is too high it can actually make the motor run hot. The rest I THINK I got right. Woo Wee ... sleep don't fail me now.

One thing I might agree with (and it's really minor), is that if the water pressure is too high, the water can pass through the motor too quick to actually transfer any heat. Some people stretch the poppet valve spring just a little to increase pressure but ... 12 psi sure is a good number. If anything, you've gained a wealth of knowledge about your motor and it's workings. Good luck with it.

I'm not familiar with the charger you talked about with the alternator module. If it does run off the alternator there should be more wires. Of course one for the ac plug and there should be some more going to the motor. The charger leaves a little to be desired in the amp department though. It will charge the batteries fine, it's just gonna take longer than a 10 amp will and may cause premature battery failure. Meaning it might last 3/4 of the life one charged with a 10 would. A 31 series would give you more capacity and keep you on the water longer but I would definitely recomend a higher amp rating charger. If yoiu run that battery down and fish the next day, it may not completely charge the next day.

Culln5 is right ... so it takes a little longer to get to your spot. If your batteries die you can't stay there anyways. Go with the biggest you can afford and take your time getting there. It'll pay off at weigh in.

One other thing. How big is your battery ? A 24/27/ 31 series. The bigger the battery the longer you can run ... I run two 31's on a 24 volt system and wouldn't have it any other way. But ... I have room for them.

Part of the problem is the charger. The larger the better for deep cycle batteries. IF you can get a ten amp or even bigger it would make the batteries last longer. But then, how good is the wiring, the awg of the wire and connections too. I have a problem with running two in parallel because if one goes bad it takes the other with it. It would be better to have an a/b switch and when one goes down swap to the other. just remember to charge both ...

Fishbone, I don't know if you've seen the inside of one of these switches but it's not more then two copper tips and the foot switch is a copper coater cone that touches both. Yes there is arcing going on. If you can find something or a manufacturer that makes a switch like that ... let me know. I replace mine like gar-tracker annually. It gets old.

Depending on time (tournament tomorrow), you can remove the jumper between the two for series and then parallel the two and charge them both. Then hook them back in series. Otherwise one at a time ...

If the sole purpose is to charge the trolling motor batteries then by all means purchase the isolation system. That starting battery is your life ... and in a parallel system, if one battery goes bad, it draws the others down. It would almost be to your advantage to have a a/b switch on your parallel batteries and use one and then swap. That way if one is bad it won't take the other with it. Only other thing would be an easy cheap fix is when you run put a jumper between the batteries but when you shut the big motor down, take it off.

T&H marine sells one too. I have the same problem and there's does last longer. Big foot switches just don't seem to cut it. Both are the same type of switch but the T&H seems tougher. Good luck. I hope someone else finds one that is better and lasts longer.

It just seems to me that his negative response to your feedback was way off line. Seems to me as a professional ebayer he would expect his shipping to be as good as the product. It's all part of the transaction. Who cares what his rating is ... this should be a wake up call that his shipping needs work. NOT ... YOU GOT IT ... IT AIN'T BROKE ... SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL. I bet he'd make a million selling used cars.

You can also purchase the citica, do a bearing upgrade and you are essentially using a curado. With the curado you have two choices of retrieve speeds and the citica has only one but it's right in the middle so really not a bad choice.

Thanks again y'all . I'm learning the site as I go along. Want to sell some items and learn too. I see some from my area and now I see a new place to order reel parts from. It's gonna be a nice visit.

Thanks y'all for all the great hello's and welcome's. I look forward to using the site and getting to know everyone's personalities and meeting some great friends.

Okay ... now I went today and managed a Monkey buy at Gander Mountain in Hattiesburg. How did I do ... St. Croix Legend Tournament series in 7' in a medium action fast. They were originally 220. I bought 2 for 230 and change after taxes. Did I do right and does anyone have experience with the St. Croix's. Thanks again for all that you have posted. I did look at the Tessera's today and was surprised that some called them heavy. I was quite surprised at their weight. fit and finish.

Thanks so far ... I know the Vendetta looks promising and from what I've read it's a good bargain for what you get. I have two low riders (Clark Wendlat) and an Expert Series. I also have a Powell spinning rod and am very pleased with it. I'll have to take a look at the Argon now that you've mentioned it. Keep up the posts ... they are great and very informative.

In the market for a new pair of rods ... I NORMALLY buy two of whatever it is just in case I like them. Now I'm not rich but I see some of the new split grip rods in the 80-120 price range. MoJo, BuCoo, Vendetta, Tessera, Powell ... anyone have decent advice both good and bad for any of these. I will fish brackish water and throw small jigs and soft plastics but I throw them with braid 90% of the time. We have the water color here to get away with it. I am 6'2" so a longer rod would by my preference but I am comfortable in the 6'6" to 7' range. I like a soft tip for pitching the lighter lures but with the backbone to turn a fish. HELP !!!

Mike from Mississippi here. I've been a bass fishing fool since my teens although the military gave me a hiatus here and there. Originally from the Dayton, Ohio area, I now call Poplarville, Mississippi my home. I fish mostly brackish river systems and local impoudments but never seem to be able to go ENOUGH. I have so much to learn ... but dang it's addicting !!!