thinking about scotty 2106, questions...

J

James Brant

Member
living in CR means fishing deep, often below 200, sometimes 300'. it's a challenge and i know a lot of you guys have gone to HP riggers and 20lb balls.

so i've read some threads already and it seems that they draw more current than my depthpower ones. i have a small boat, 50hp merc that charges the battery. what do i need to know about running HP riggers and battery health? is it that i will have to troll sometimes with the main instead of the kicker? i'm not an expert on boat electronics either. wiring, gauge, fuses, i guess they all have to be optimal in order for these to function best and protect the battery, is this right?
 
Keep the runs short as possible and 10 gauge with a 30amp fuse. I haven’t noticed much difference but haven’t fished to hard since I got them. I have dual agm batteries and run one to each just to keep the run shorter. I have a heavy electronics load and can go all day with my 9.9 kicker keeping things charged. I also try to never turn off both engines, so when switching from kicker to main start the main and then turn off the kicker, just in case the load has ran down the batteries.
 
To help maintain the overall health of your batteries. I would also look at installing a multi stage intelligent battery charger. Not a trickle charger, but maybe an 15-20 amp. Everyday after fishing, get in the habit of plugging it in. This will always give you fully charged batteries, every time you head out, and won’t stress the charging system on your main engine. Most of the time it’s a 5:1 ratio of main engine to kicker on an average fishing day. Meaning 1/2 hr to fishing spot and 5 hours trolling, the. 1/2 hr back. So most likely you’ll be looking at the charging rate of your kicker. Which in most cases is roughly 6 amps/hr at WOT? You’d have to research yours. So most likely, on a daily basis, your batteries will be a little run down. Also having 2 batteries and a switch, will add some safety, and extra capacity.
 
N2013 said:
Run off main or get a new kicker.
Click to expand...
That's the advice I got when I was getting a kicker for my old bayliner. It becomes part of the whole fishing system. Way less stress knowing that you're offsetting the music and phone/tablet charging as well. It all adds up.
 
James Brant said:
boat is too small for 2 batteries and all the advanced stuff. kicker doesn't charge battery.
Click to expand...
Switch to a larger AGM battery or an expensive, drop-in lifep04 replacement. Costco used to have a big group 31 AGM but I don't think they sell it. https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/...zNe4jrPar7wawmsL046I9BoCBiQQAvD_BwE#store=365

This one is currently not listed on the Litime Canadian website just on the USA one but would likely do the job https://www.litime.com/products/✅li...luetooth-dual-purpose-1000-cca-marine-battery

There are Canada dealers for Epoch https://www.epochbatteries.com/prod...nking-deep-cycle-lithium-battery-dual-purpose

Maxified Electrical Services Ltd.​

132, Isabel Road, COMOX, BC V9M 2R2, CA

Phone: +12502072407

Website: maxified.ca

Distance: 30 mi

I'm a fan of Canadian but I don't see marine posts on either of these.
canbat.com

12V 125Ah Dual Purpose Lithium Battery - LiFePO4 - Free shipping!

Trolling Motor Lithium Battery with dual purpose of deep cycle and starting. 12V 125Ah battery with LiFePO4 technology. Great for Minn Kota and other motors
canbat.com canbat.com

 
James Brant said:
boat is too small for 2 batteries and all the advanced stuff. kicker doesn't charge battery.
Click to expand...
It is often possible to add a charging system to kickers. I did it on a 20hp mercury years ago. It was was kit from Mercury. If you're mechanically handy, fairly straight forward to install. Cost a couple hundred dollars for the kit.
 
Costco does not bring the 31 AGM up here anymore. Try the single CT 31 ( made by Penn) but they are heavy @ 60 lbs plus, not great in your boat. That’s my choice, in my very beamy 18’ lodge style boat. Maybe a 27 and fire up the main when the voltage reading gets low. Or run two 24’s and work the switch accordingly. Put one under your seat if you truly cannot put two in the stern.

New battery tray needed if you go to one big single. Battery has to fit. Measure twice.
 
Does your main have an optional pull start? This would be essential for me if even attempting this without a charging system on the kicker. As mentioned before it easy to add the charging systems to most kickers, I have done a couple for friends. The extra cost of buying 2 quality batteries would be close to the kicker conversion and the uncertainty that sets in your mind about weather or not the main will start is just not worth it to me.
 
I live in CR and used to troll up to 300‘ with my 1106 riggers all the time with 15 lb balls before i realized I hate trolling 300 feet of anything. It’s very doable however. You can usually add a charging stator to your kicker; I managed to do it and I’m not the most i mechanically inclined. Might be an option
 
you've got a point there about depth. i know some guys just won't do it because the headache, tangles, etc. it's a specialized and distinct type of trolling skills that's for sure.

i'm now carrying a portable battery jumper on board. buddy sez i can probably run the main every couple hours of trolling for a half hour and will probably avoid issues.

other questions for the experts: if i replaced my 1106's can i still lake troll with 10 pounders with the HP's or will that just launch them into the next lake upon retreive? i will take my boat to the interior for kokanee fishing this summer.

i was thinking of getting just one to start out. will it be weird or cause tracking problems to have a 20lb ball on one side and a 15 on the other?

thanks for all the input eh.
 
James Brant said:
you've got a point there about depth. i know some guys just won't do it because the headache, tangles, etc. it's a specialized and distinct type of trolling skills that's for sure.

i'm now carrying a portable battery jumper on board. buddy sez i can probably run the main every couple hours of trolling for a half hour and will probably avoid issues.

other questions for the experts: if i replaced my 1106's can i still lake troll with 10 pounders with the HP's or will that just launch them into the next lake upon retreive? i will take my boat to the interior for kokanee fishing this summer.

i was thinking of getting just one to start out. will it be weird or cause tracking problems to have a 20lb ball on one side and a 15 on the other?

thanks for all the input eh.
Click to expand...
I guess my point is don’t replace your 1106 riggers in my humble opinion. I know MANY who are sick of their digital counters crapping the bed and are going back to 1106 or manually adding analog line counters by drilling a clean hole in their 2106 lid. You can manage just fine in CR with 1106 riggers. 2106 retrieve speed and 20 lb capability is sweet though!
 
James Brant said:
you've got a point there about depth. i know some guys just won't do it because the headache, tangles, etc. it's a specialized and distinct type of trolling skills that's for sure.

i'm now carrying a portable battery jumper on board. buddy sez i can probably run the main every couple hours of trolling for a half hour and will probably avoid issues.

other questions for the experts: if i replaced my 1106's can i still lake troll with 10 pounders with the HP's or will that just launch them into the next lake upon retreive? i will take my boat to the interior for kokanee fishing this summer.

i was thinking of getting just one to start out. will it be weird or cause tracking problems to have a 20lb ball on one side and a 15 on the other?

thanks for all the input eh.
Click to expand...
You can run smaller weight cannon balls for sure but you will have to adjust your brake tension so they still deploy. (If 2106)
 
Main advantage to upgrading to 2106's is the speed. If you aren't too worried about waiting around for the 1106's to crank up from 300', its not really worthwhile. I fish offshore a lot, so the 2106's make a lot of sense. They aren't without some issues as mentioned in other posts. Most common problem is the counters - but there is a manual fix as you can install a simple non-analog counter fairly easily as a back up.

Another consideration not mentioned yet on this thread is to install a re-settable breaker. That way when not in use you can cut off power to the riggers. Most people leave them plugged in and live when sitting at the dock. There have been issues with the internal switches shorting out causing fires. Thus using a resettable breaker is a quick, easy way to cut power to the riggers when not in use as extra protection.

Link to amazon for resettable breaker:

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Fishin
Trophy rewire questions
Replies
19
Views
2K
Fishin
Fishin
M
Wiring Overhaul
Replies
29
Views
3K
zurk
zurk
J
lessons learned from buying a 10 year old boat
Replies
33
Views
4K
sly_karma
sly_karma
redman210
Hewescraft Alaskan 270 for Sale. Ready to go fishing.
Replies
10
Views
5K
Ukee_diver
U
S
Advice prior to rewiring Double Eagle 17.2
Replies
12
Views
2K
Foxsea
Foxsea
Back
Top