Today’s electronics have a bunch of horsepower and with that comes significantly increased power usage. While most depthfinders are efficient, additional bells and whistles such as “smart boxes” can put even the best batteries to the test. Add a Hydrowave, a plug-in to charge your phone, a hydraulic jackplate and some windy conditions and you can sap a starting battery in no time at all.
Many of the best anglers are now running two 12-volt, dual-purpose starting and deep cycle batteries in parallel; meaning positive-to-positive and negative-to-negative. This maintains a 12-volt system but increases longevity. Heavy-duty jumpers of 6 or 8-gauge are best for this application.
RELATED: Learn how to wire your trolling motor batteries (click here)
Some anglers in small boats are actually using 12-volt tractor or utility batteries with at least 300 cold cranking amps (CCA), also wired parallel. The more CCA the better.
These batteries take much less room in smaller boats than typical group 24 or 27 series batteries but give the battery used for cranking the big engine and electronics more sustainable power for a longer period of time. It is recommended matching the types of batteries like lead/acid or AGM for this use. Also, use heavy-gauge connections on the battery instead of clips like those found on motorcycle or utility vehicles.
Smaller tractor-style batteries won’t increase the weight much on smaller boats. Although onboard chargers to the starting battery will charge the extra battery, it may be more efficient to charge the extra battery independently.
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Amid a fishing trip on the bass-starved Ohio River in the summer of 1987, Alan McGuckin’s Dad told a then 16-year-old “Guck” — “I don’t care what you do for a living, just promise me you’ll do something you love.”
Originally from Pittsburgh, McGuckin considers himself a blue-collar kid, who has been richly blessed to live-out the best piece of advice his dad ever gave him for many years now in the Tulsa area.
After earning a degree in ecology at Juniata College in Pennsylvania, where he placed radio transmitters in largemouth bass to track their habitat preferences, he moved his life to Oklahoma in 1992, where he earned a Masters in Zoology and Fisheries under the direction of Gene Gilliland at the University of Oklahoma, before then embarking on what’s now a nearly three decade long career as a marketing and media veteran in the fishing industry.
His career spans 28 years of wisdom-rich marketing experience working to strengthen brands and increase sales for Lowrance, Terminator Lures, Toyota, Yamaha Outboards, Boat U.S., Carhartt, Costa, Quantum, Vexus Boats, and Zebco.
- Member of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame voting committee, as well as a Board of Directors member for Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful
- Co-piloted the Terminator brand of premium lures from its birth to more than 10 Million pieces sold between 1997-2006.
- Has authored and published more than 800 stories on Bassmaster.com, along with several other popular bass fishing websites.
- He has generated $3 Million dollars’ worth of branded digital media since 2020, as a content creator.
- Serves as emcee for hundreds of guests at the annual Toyota Bonus Bucks Owners event.
- Avid angler, who fishes nearly every weekend when not on the road working.
- 13,000 followers on Instagram @GuckFishing.
“Guck” lives just north of Tulsa, OK at Lake Skiatook with wife Sherrie, an elementary school principal who also loves her job, and has a genuine passion for slinging a Rapala Brat crankbait on shallow points and habitat-laden flats.
