Can I Use My Starting Battery As My Trolling Motor Battery Too?

Question-

I bought a 14 foot grizzly from Bass Pro Shop was a 20 horse mercury 4 stroke on it my trolling motor is 55 pound thrust but I want to know can use one battery for everything that would save me a lot of weight and I can go a little farther thank you

Answer-

With most boats, I would STRONGLY discourage your trying to use a trolling motor battery as a starting battery as well. That is never a good idea and you will be stuck on the water one day, if not the very first day that you try it. Keep the trolling motor completely separate from the starting battery. The starting battery should be able to run your electronics and maybe livewell on light use and always maintain plenty of cranking amps to easily start your motor.

However, the boat that you have is a small boat and the engine could be pull started if you were stuck. The ONLY way that you should try to use just one battery is to first learn how to pull start your motor. If it is easy to do and you don't mind pull starting it manually, I suppose that it would be ok to use one battery with a 14 foot boat for use on a small lake. Make sure you know how to pull start and practice it often because if you use a starting battery as a trolling motor battery, you will find yourself with a dead battery sooner or later.

There are many batteries that are lighter and some sealed AGM batteries that can be mounted on their sides for space concerns.