Fishing trip ended with dead battery

CEDAR FALLS — Waukee's Mike Wirth, Cedar Falls' Ward Stubbs and I were having an energizing day in October, chasing smallmouth bass on Lake Mille Lacs in Minnesota.

They were big and they were plentiful on the rocky flat we were fishing along the western shore of the big lake.

For the first hour or so, we were on the hunt and on the move, looking for concentrations of bass. Then we found a half-mile stretch that was loaded. Over the next four hours, we probably made that pass 20 or 30 times both with and against the two-foot waves.

In fact, the fishing was so good we decided to call it quits early in the afternoon in favor of a burger and a cold beer.

Mike turned the key to fire up the Mercury outboard on his Nitro bass boat, but instead of the customary growl as it comes to life, we got silence.

Uh-oh.

None of us considered the possibility that we could deplete a modern 12-volt, 100-amp lithium starting battery and it never occurred to us to try to figure out how to check the battery's charge level through the built-in battery monitoring system.

Apparently, three 12-inch Humminbird display units with live scope and 360-degree imaging along with two livewells and a stereo (gotta have a little Jimmy Buffett in the boat) can suck the life out of even the most powerful battery when used continuously for four to five hours.

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So there we were, dead in the water about two miles offshore and about eight miles from the landing where we launched. There were no other boats in sight. Given the wind direction at the time, we could have drifted all the way to our cabin on the north shore about 15 miles away. At least we'd get there in time for a late dinner.

Our only option was to get on the trolling motor and try to make it three miles to an abandoned resort with a small harbor.

I, for one, had my doubts. If we could run down the starting battery, how much longer could we expect the three trolling batteries to last after six hours of near constant use?

That's when I became a true believer in the power of lithium. I cranked Mike's MinnKota Autopilot up to top speed and began plowing through the waves toward the old resort. Half an hour later, we made it with power to spare. Mike hiked four miles to our original launch site, retrieved his truck, jump-started the boat and loaded it onto the trailer.

In terms of battery technology, lithium is a relatively new option. For years, our only choices were lead-acid cell or gel cell (AGM) batteries. Here are a few facts from the experts to consider when weighing the pros and cons of lithium as a power source:

— Lithium is considerably lighter. A 29-group, 12-volt deep cycle lead-acid cell battery weighs 60 to 70 pounds. The same sized lithium battery weighs half that much.

— Lithium batteries charge approximately four times faster than lead.

— Lithium batteries are available in several sizes. For example, it is possible to install one 24- or 36-volt lithium unit to power your trolling motor without sacrificing performance. Many of the top pro anglers also are using 12-volt batteries with higher ampage to increase the quality of their electronics' display and performance. A small, 12-volt, 10-amp lithium battery is an excellent option for an ice fishing flasher. It lasts all day on the cold ice and recharges quickly each night.

— The individual cells within a lithium battery are sealed, meaning they can be installed in any position. Lead batteries will leak if installed any way other than terminal-side up.

— Lithium batteries deliver the same amount of power through the entire discharge cycle. Lead-acid gradually loses power during use.

— Lithium has roughly 20 times the cycle life. In other words, they can be charged 20 times more than lead-acid before they will no longer take a full charge. It follows that lithium batteries, when properly maintained, last about three to four times longer — up to 10 years. Also, they won't lose performance if they are stored with a partial charge for a long period of time.

— Lead-acid cell batteries charge better in temperatures below freezing. A big issue with lithium is condensation inside the cells when going from extreme cold to the heat provided during charging. Water can cause a volatile reaction when mixed with lithium.

— Totally depleting a lithium battery can create a chemical breakdown that reduces the battery's life.

— Optimal lithium performance is best achieved by using a lithium charger and recharging after every use so the batteries only use partial cycles.

— Lead-acid cell batteries are less expensive. A setup of four 12-volt batteries (three wired in series or parallel for the trolling motor and a starting battery for everything else) will cost roughly $600. If you go with lithium, you'll spend more like $2,000, although they should last three to four times longer.

— Choosing the right lithium batteries for your personal application is important and depends on what you plan to power with them. Sales professionals can help with those decisions.

Lithium batteries aren't for everyone, they're not perfect, and they are not without their drawbacks. Getting back to our adventure on Mille Lacs, we went overboard with all the electronics drawing power from one battery that October day.

On the other hand, if it weren't for the lithium trolling batteries, we might have spent the night in the boat.