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can you use a car battery for a trolling motor

2 Answers

DeAbigail

12/24/25 9:19pm

Yes, you can use a car battery for a trolling motor in a pinch, but it's not recommended for regular use. While both are 12-volt lead-acid batteries, they are engineered for fundamentally different purposes. A car battery is a starting battery, designed to deliver a very high burst of power (cranking amps) for a few seconds to start an engine. A trolling motor battery is a deep cycle battery, built to provide a lower, steady amount of power over a much longer period (several hours) and to be deeply discharged and recharged repeatedly. Using a car battery for trolling will significantly shorten its lifespan and could leave you stranded.

The core issue is the battery's internal construction. Starting batteries have many thin plates to maximize surface area for quick energy discharge. Deep cycling them damages these thin plates. Deep cycle batteries have thicker, more robust plates that can withstand the stress of repeated charging and discharging. For a trolling motor, amp-hours (Ah) is the key metric, indicating how long the battery can run. A standard car battery might have 45-60 Ah, but it can't deliver that capacity effectively in a deep-cycle application without damage.

Battery Type	Primary Function	Ideal Use Case	Key Metric	Impact of Deep Discharge
Car Battery (Starting)	Short, high-power bursts	Starting a vehicle's engine	Cold Cranking Amps (CCA)	Severe damage, greatly reduced lifespan
Marine Deep Cycle	Long, steady power delivery	Trolling motors, onboard accessories	Amp-Hours (Ah)	Designed for this use; minimal long-term impact
Dual-Purpose Marine	Combination of both	Starting a boat engine & running a trolling motor	CCA & Amp-Hours (Ah)	Moderate tolerance, a compromise solution

For occasional, short trips on a small pond, a car battery might get you by once or twice. However, for any serious or frequent fishing, investing in a proper deep-cycle battery is essential. It will provide longer, more consistent power on the water and save you money by not ruining your car's battery. A deep-cycle marine battery is the correct tool for the job, ensuring reliability and safety.

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Angelina

01/01/26 11:16am

I tried it once when my marine battery died right before a trip. It worked for a little while, but the power dropped off really fast. I was barely moving by the end of the morning. It killed the battery so dead I needed a jump start to get my truck home. It's a temporary fix at best. Just plan ahead and get the right battery; it's not worth the hassle.

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